Chapter 15 pt. 2: Personality and the Trait, Humanistic, and Social Cognitive Perspectives

1
Chapter 15 pt. 2 Personality and the Trait,
Humanistic, and Social Cognitive Perspectives

• Pg. 513 picture

2
The Trait Perspective

• The father of the trait perspective of
  personality is Gordon Allport.
• The trait perspective looks to DESCRIBE
  personality in terms of fundamental traits
  pattern of behavior or disposition to feel or act
  as assessed by self-reported inventories or peer
  reports.

3
Myers Briggs Type Indicator

• 126 questions which ask patients for preferences
  
• Example- Feeling or Thinking Type
• Used in the business world

4

5

6
Method used For Measuring Personality for Trait
Perspective

• Personality Inventory a questionnaire that is
  usually true/false in which people respond to
  items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings
  and behaviors used to assess selected
  personality traits.
• Weakness of This Measuring Device?

7
Example of Personality Inventory

• Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
  most widely used personality test. Purpose was
  to identify emotional disorders but is also now
  used for screening purposes for employment.
• Test is an example of being empirically derived
  test having pool of test questions that
  discriminate between groups. (Ex Certain
  questions Depressed vs. Normal were likely to
  answer differently)

8
Self Reports

• Most widely used method
• Simply asking friends and family about you

9
Dimensions of Personality

• Through factor analysis, the Ensencks identified
  dimensions of personality were as introverted
  (keep to yourself)/ extroverted (outgoing) and
  stable/unstable.

10
The Big Five Expands Upon The Dimensions of
Personality
11
Big 5 Research Explores These Questions

• 1. How Stable are these Traits?
• In adulthood quite stable
• 2. How heritable are they?
• About 50
• 3. How well do they apply to other cultures?
• Reasonably well
• 4. Do the Big Five traits predict other personal
  attributes?
• Yes
• Highly conscientious people tend to also be
  morning people

12
Evaluating the Trait Perspective

• Person-Situation Controversy
• Traits exist. We differ. And our difference
  matter
• Averages in traits are consistent
• Consistency of Expressive Style
• Traits ( level of expressiveness) can remain
  hidden
• But in most situations a persons true
  personality will come through

13
The Humanistic Perspective

• The two founders of the Humanistic Perspective
  are Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers.
• The Humanistic Perspective focuses on the growth
  potential of healthy people. They focus on the
  power of free will and how people view themselves
  as a whole in pursuit of growth.

Maslow
Rogers
14
Maslows Main Idea

• 1. Self Actualization ultimate goal in
  hierarchy of needs meet ones potential.

15
Carl Rogers Person Centered Approach

• Believed all humans had potential for growth
  just need climate that has
• Genuineness (truthful/sincere)
• Acceptance (unconditional positive regard)
• Empathy (try to understand others)
• Unconditional Positive Regard attitude of total
  acceptance towards another person.

16
Humanistic Perspectives Central Concept to
Understanding Personality

• Self-Concept all thoughts and feelings about
  ourselves Who am I?
• Related terms to understand Self Concept
• Self Esteem feelings of self-worth.
• Self-Serving Bias a readiness to perceive
  oneself favorably.

17
Criticism of Humanist Perspective

• Maslows concepts are vague and might just be his
  own values.
• Too much focus on individual.
• Ignores human capacity for evil.

18
(No Transcript)
19
Astrology and Palm Readings

• 1996- 300 million dollars on psychic hotlines
• Palm reading, horoscopes and handwriting
  analysis DO NOT WORK

20
Astrology and Palm Readings

• How do they do it?
• 1. People are similar in many ways I sense
  youre nursing a grudge against someone
• 2.The Barnum Effect-ppl have a strong tendency to
  believe that traits apply specifically to them
  especially if these traits are favorable and
  stated in a general way
• 3. They read our clothing, physical features,
  nonverbal gestures and reactions to what we say
• 4. John Edwards- Throws many things at the wall,
  sees what sticks and goes with it

21

• Social Cognitive Approach

22
Social Cognitive Perspective

• Father of Social Cognitive Perspective is Albert
  Bandura.
• Social Cognitive Perspective emphasizes the
  importance of external events (society) and how
  we interpret them (cognition).
• Conditioning
• Modeling

23
Personality is Made Up of Interlocking Forces

• Reciprocal Determinism is the idea that
  environment influences personality AND
  personality influences the environment.
• Same environment can have completely different
  effects on different people because of how they
  interpret and react to external events.
• You choose your environment and it then shapes
  you

24
Social Cognitive Perspective Focuses on Personal
Control

• Personal Control sense of controlling the
  environment rather than feeling helpless.
• Study Personal Control in 2 ways
• 1. Correlates ppls feelings of control with
  their behaviors and achievements
• 2. Experiment- raise and lower ppls sense of
  control and rate the effects

25
Locus of Control

• Achievement is highest when people have
• Internal Locus of Control idea that one
  controls their own destiny.

26
External Locus of Control Can Lead to Learned
Helplessness

• External Locus of Control perception that
  chance or outside forces beyond ones personal
  control determines ones fate.
• Learned Helplessness hopelessness and passive
  resignation an animal or human learns when unable
  to avoid repeated aversive events.
• Ex Dog being uncontrollably shocked for period
  will not later escape when time arrives.

27
Optimism

• Do you view yourself as optimistic or
  pessimistic?
• Optimistic ppl are more productive, health and
  happy
• Excessive optimism can be bad

28
Evaluating the Social Cognitive Perspective

• Most widely accepted approach by current
  psychologists since it takes aspects from
  learning and cognition.
• Criticized by some because it fails to consider
  possible unconscious motives and focuses too much
  on environment not enough on inner traits.

29
Exploring the Self

• Possible Selves
• Visions and goals we have for ourselves
• Dreams led to achievements
• Spotlight Effect
• PPl are less aware of us than we think
• Self Esteem-
• PPl who feel good about themselves are better off
  
• Low Self Esteem comes in a variety of forms

30
Exploring the Self

• Self Serving Bias
• Our readiness to perceive ourselves favorably
• People accept more credit for goods things more
  than bad things
• Most ppl see themselves as better than average
• Survey Question Who is most likely to go to
  heaven? Who beats out Princess Diana, Gandhi,
  MLK Jr., and Mother Theresa?

31
Exploring the Self

• If Self Serving Bias prevails why do ppl put
  themselves down?
• 1. Strategy for compliments
• 2. Prepare for possible failure
• 3. Pertains to old self

32
Individualism vs. Collectivism

• Individualism
• giving priority to ones own goals over group
  goals and defining ones identity in terms of
  personal attributes rather than group
  identifications
• Collectivism
• giving priority to the goals of ones group
  (often ones extended family or work group) and
  defining ones identity accordingly

33
Value Differences
34
Know Summary of Perspectives