Ch. 12 Personality: Theory, Research, & Assessment

What is Personality? Personality an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, & acting Four Basic Perspectives Trait Psychoanalytic Humanistic Social-Cognitive

Defining Personality: Consistency & Distinctiveness Personality Traits: characteristic pattern of behavior, disposition to feel or act Personality Inventory a questionnaire (true or false) that gauge a range of feelings & behaviors, used to assess selected personality traits -Raymond Cattell. Factor Analysis (common variables)

Defining Personality: The “Big Five” The Five-Factor Model Agreeableness (sympathetic, trusting, cooperative, modest) Conscientiousness (diligent, discipline, well organized, punctual, dependable) Openness to experience (curiosity, flexibility, imaginative, artistic) Neuroticism (anxious, hostile, self conscious, insecure) Extraversion (outgoing, sociable, upbeat, friendly)

Five Factor Model

The Trait Perspective Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) most widely researched & clinically used personality test. Developed to identify emotional disorders. Empirically Derived Test developed by testing a pool of items & then selecting those that discriminate between groups.

Evaluating the Trait Perspective Situational influences on behavior are important People can fake desirable responses on self-report measures of personality Average behavior across situations seems to indicate that people do have distinct personality traits

Psychodynamic Perspective Freud’s psychoanalytic theory personality that attributes our thoughts & actions to unconscious motives & conflicts Used to treat psychological disorders by seeking to expose & interpret unconscious tensions Free Association method of exploring the unconscious, a person relaxes & says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing

Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory Structure of personality Id (Primitive) Pleasure principle (immediate gratification) Ego (Decision Making) Reality principle (delay gratification through mediation) Superego (Judgement) Morality develops around 3 to 5 (right or wrong) Levels of awareness Conscious. Aware of Preconscious. Beneath the surface that can be retrieved Unconscious. Not aware of, unacceptable thoughts but influence behavior

Psychodynamic Perspective

Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory Conflict Sex & Aggression Anxiety Defense Mechanisms 1. Rationalization (Creating false excuses to justify behavior) 2. Repression (Keep distressing thought & feeling buried in unconscious) 3. Projection (Attributing your own thoughts/feelings on to others) 4. Displacement (Diverting emotional feelings from the source to someone else) 5. Reaction Formation (Behaving in the opposite way of how you truly feel) 6. Regression (Revert to immature patterns of behavior) 7. Identification (Increase self esteem by forming a real or imaginary alliance with someone)

Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages Psychosexual stages. How children deal with immature but powerful sexual urges. Each stage focuses on their own erotic energy Sexual = physical pleasure Fixation = Stuck on excessive gratification or frustration. Overemphasis on psychosexual needs during fixated stage Oedipus Complex a boy’s sexual desire towards his mother & feeling of jealousy for the rival father Electra Complex a girl’s sexual desire towards her father & feelings of jealousy for the rival mother Penis Envy girls are jealous of boys b/c they have a penis, & are mad at their mother for not giving them one

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages 1. Oral Stage- 1 year old erotic stimulation is the mouth (sucking, biting, chewing) 2. Anal Stage- 2 year old erotic stimulation is from bowel & bladder movement, coping with demands for control (Expulsion or Retention) 3. Phallic Stage- 4 years old erotic stimulation through self Gratification, coping with incestuous sexual feelings 4. Latency Stage- 6 to puberty sexuality is suppressed. Social contacts 5. Genital Stage- Puberty & beyond, energy is focused on other people’s genitals

Other Psychodynamic Thoerists Carl Jung: Analytical Psychology Personal unconscious (individually) Collective unconscious (Inherited) Archetypes (universal meaning, symbols in art & religion) Introversion (Internal thoughts, feelings & experiences) Extroversion (External, people) Alfred Adler: Individual Psychology Striving for superiority (universal drive to improve) Compensation (efforts to overcome imagined/real inferiorities) Inferiority complex/overcompensation (to conceal feeling of inferiorities) Birth order (1st born problem child because they were dethroned)

Other Psychodynamic Theorists

Assessing the Unconscious Projective Testing a personality test, (Rorschach or TAT), gives ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) a projective test that people express their inner feelings & interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes Rorschach Inkblot Test seeks to identify inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations

TAT

Rorschach

Evaluating Psychodynamic Perspective Pros The unconscious The role of internal conflict The importance of early childhood experiences Cons Poor testability Inadequate empirical base Sexist views

Behavioral Perspective

Personality & Operant Conditioning

Bandura’s Reciprocal Determinism

Evaluating Behavioral Perspective Pros Based on rigorous research Insights into effects of learning and environmental factors Cons Over-dependence on animal research Fragmented view of personality Dehumanizing views

Humanistic Perspective Carl Rogers focus on growth & fulfillment of individuals Person Centered Theory 1) Genuineness 2) Acceptance 3) Empathy -Self-concept (mental picture of yourself) Conditional/unconditional positive regard Incongruence & anxiety (disparity between self image & reality) -Self-Esteem one’s feelings of high or low self worth -Self Serving Bias a readiness to perceive oneself favorably

Roger’s View of Personality

Roger’s View of Personality

Humanistic Perspective Abraham Maslow Self-actualization theory (the strive for personal best) Hierarchy of needs (according to priority, when satisfied activates needs at the next level) The Need for Self Actualization (Need to fulfill one’s potential “what a man can be he must be” Self Actualizing Persons (exceptionally healthy personalities with continual growth)

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s View of Healthy Personality

Evaluating Humanistic Perspective Humanistic theories are credited with highlighting the importance of a person’s subjective view of reality. They are also applauded for focusing attention on the issue of what constitutes a healthy personality. They are criticized for lacking a strong research base, poor testability, and what may be an overly optimistic view of human nature (Maslow had a hard time finding live people who had self-actualized).

Biological Perspective Eysenk’s theory 3 higher order traits 1) Extraversion (sociable) 2) Neuroticism (anxious) 3) Psychoticism (egocentric) Determined by genes Twin studies Novelty seeking and genetics The evolutionary approach Traits conducive to reproductive fitness 1. Humans have evolved special sensitivity to bond with others (Extraverts) 2. The willing to cooperate & collaborate (Agreeableness) 3. The tendency to be reliable & ethical (Conscientiousness) 4. The capacity to be an innovation problem solver (Openness to Experience) 5. The ability to handle stress (Low Neuroticism).

Twin’s Studies of Personality

Evaluating Biological Perspective Pros Convincing evidence for genetic influence Cons Conceptual problems with heritability estimates Artificial carving apart of nature and nurture No comprehensive biological theory