Trait Approach Gordon Allport ICSP254 Theories of Personality

Agenda Psychoanalytic NeoFreudian Object Relations Individual Trait Social Humanistic Behavioral

What is a trait? Trait is a distinguishing personal characteristic or quality that guide behavior In our daily lives, we use trait approach to describe personality by selecting the outstanding characteristics or feature to summarize what the person is like. “Jennifer is really smart” “Joyce is competitive” Hippocrates (460-377 BC) distinguished 4 types of people: happy, unhappy, temperamental, and apathetic

Gordon Allport (1897-1967) Important in the formal study of personality est in the 1930s Disputed Freud’s psychoanalysis Did not accept that unconscious forces dominate personality (unconscious important only in neurotic/disturbed behavior) Dispute historical determinism, we’re guided by present and view of future Opposed collecting data from clinical population vs. healthy adults (vs. Freud’s view of continuum) No universal laws, emphasis on uniqueness of personality

Nature of Personality Heredity and Environment Heredity provides personality with raw materials (physical aspects, intelligence, temperament) that may be shaped, expanded, or limited by our environments Importance of both genetics and learning interactions that create unique personality that no two person is the same

Nature of Personality Two Distinct Personalities Uniqueness and free from the past, thus Childhood personality – biological urges and reflexes Adulthood personality – psychologically driven Both unrelated and not constrained by one another

What we’re covering today Traits Motivation Childhood Personality Adult Personality

Personality Traits Traits – distinguishing characteristics that is consistent and enduring ways of reacting to our environment Measured on a continuum and are subject to social, environmental, and cultural influences

Personality Traits 5 characteristics of traits Personality traits as real and exist within each person. Not theoretical constructs or made up labels Traits determine or cause behavior (vs. arise in response to stimuli) Traits can be demonstrated empirically by observing behavior over time Traits are interrelated. Diff traits can overlap such as aggressiveness and hostility happen together Traits vary with situation. A person can be neat in one situation and disorderliness in another.

Personality Traits 2 types of traits Individual trait – unique to a person and define her character Common trait – shared by number of people such as people of the same culture Common trait can change over time as society/culture norm changes. Thus, common straits are subject to social, environmental, and cultural influences

Personal Dispositions Common traits Traits Individual traits Personal dispositions Personal dispositions vary on intensity and significance Cardinal trait – most pervasive and powerful that it touches almost every aspect of a person’s life. It’s a “ruling passion” ex. Sadism or chauvinism. May be displayed or not. Not everyone has it. Central traits – everyone has a few traits that describe person’s behavior ex. Aggressiveness, pessimism. This is the kind we mention when describe someone’s personality Secondary traits – person may display inconspicuously and inconsistently that only a close friend would notice evidence of them. Ex. Minor pref for certain type of music

Habits and Attitudes Traits vs. Habits Traits and personal dispositions (T & P) ≠ habits and attitudes; although they can all initiate and guide behaviors Habits – specific, inflexible responses to specific stimulus Traits are broader, combination of several habits that share adaptive function Ex. washing hands before eating so often it become automatic (habit). Many of these habits may form a trait of cleanliness

Habits and Attitudes Traits vs. Attitude Attitudes – specific object of reference (attitude toward something..) and involve either positive or negative evaluation Ex. Attitude toward abortion (you either are for or against it) Trait is not directed toward object or category and does not involve judgment or evaluation

What we’re covering today Traits Motivation Childhood Personality Adult Personality

Motivation Functional autonomy of motives – motivations of mature adults are not connected to childhood experiences, in which they originally appeared Analogy – when we are mature, we become independent from our parents although we remain related to them. We’re no longer functionally dependent on them and they should no longer control or guide our life. Ex. Skilled jeweler insisted on doing a meticulous job on the ring even though he does not get paid extra for it. The original motive (when this jeweler was poor, to make money) has been transformed into something autonomous. Therefore, adults motives cannot be understood by exploring a person’s childhood/past but to be understood by asking why people behave as they do today

2 Levels of Functional Autonomy Perseverative Propriate

Perseverative Functional Autonomy Related to our low-level and routine behaviors Concerned with behaviors such as addictions and repetitive physical actions such as habits Routine/Habitual/Familiar behaviors we maintain on our own, even without any external reward Ex. Rat has been trained to run maze for food. Even when it’s given more than enough food, it may still run the maze, but for some other purpose than the food (maybe for fun, for boredom) Ex. Make the bed daily now (even if we don’t get any reward from parents like we used to as a child)

Propriate Functional Autonomy Related to our values, self-image, and lifestyles Essential to understand adult motivation Propriate derives from proprium (Allport’s term for ego or self) Propriate motives are unique to individuals Ego determine which motives to maintained and which to stop, i.e., depending on which one enhances our self-esteem Thus, direct relationship between our interests and our abilities: we enjoy doing what we do well

Propriate Functional Autonomy Ex. In childhood has no interest in playing piano but was forced to play by parents. As adult, playing piano becomes a self- image (“I’m the hot guy that knows how to play piano!”). The original motive (fear of parents’ disapproval) has disappeared, and the continued behavior become necessary to self-image (of a talented hot guy).

What we’re covering today Traits Motivation Childhood Personality Adult Personality

Childhood Personality Proprium is Allport’s term for “ego” or “self”

Stages of Development Stage 0 – Before development of proprium Before proprium emerge, infant experiences no self- consciousness, no awareness of self. No separation of “me” from everything else. Infant receives sensory info and react automatically/reflexivly. No ego to mediate between stimulus and response. Allport described infants as “unsocialized horrors” pleasure seeking, destructive, selfish, impatient, and dependent

Stages of Development Stage 1 – Bodily Self (Birth – 4) Babies differentiate between their body and others ex. become aware of their own fingers and the object they are grasping Stage 2 – Self-Identity (Birth – 4) Sense of continuity of one’s identity despite changes in bodies or abilities Enhanced when child learn her name and see herself as different from others.

Stages of Development Stage 3 – Self-Esteem (Birth – 4) Child discover she can accomplish things on her own. Child motivated to build, explore, manipulate objects Esteem = Take price in their accomplishments If parents frustrate the child’s need to explore, then self- esteem will be replaced by feeling of humiliation of anger

Stages of Development Stage 4 – Extension of Self (Age 4-6) Involves the growing awareness of objects and people in environment and identification that they belong to the child “my house” “my mom”

Stages of Development Stage 5 – Self-Image (Age 4-6) Develop actual and ideal self-images of self Develop from interactions with parents who make child aware of their expectations, and of extent to which child is satisfying or failing to satisfy those expectations

Stages of Development Stage 6 – Self as a Rational Coper (Age 6-12) Child realize that reason and logic can be applied to solving everyday problems Stage 7 – Propriate Striving Teens begin to formulate plans and goals for the future (in which propriate is developed)

Parent-Child Interactions Very important throughout the stages of development of the proprium Focusing on Infant-mother bond If child received affection and security, proprium will develop steadily and child achieve positive psychological growth Child’s needs are frustrated, self will not mature properly. Child becomes insecure, aggressive, demanding, jealous, and self- centered. Neurotic adult who functions at level of childhood drives

What we’re covering today Traits Motivation Childhood Personality Adult Personality

Adult Personality Adult personality grows out of childhood but not determined by childhood drives Allport did not explain whether neurotic adult could overcome negative childhood experiences He was more focused on positive psychological growth

Adult Personality 6 Criteria for normal, mature, emotionally healthy, adult personality Extends sense of self to people and activities beyond the self Related warmly to others, exhibiting intimacy, compassion, and tolerance Self-acceptance help him/her achieve emotional security Holds realistic perception of life Has sense of humor and self-objectification (an understanding of self) Subscribes to a unifying philosophy of life, which is responsible for directing the personality toward future goals

Questions about Human Nature Past Present Nurture Determinism Nature Free Will Past or Present? Dispute historical determinism; we’re guided more by present and our view of future. Adult personality not tied by to or driven by childhood conflicts Free Will or Determinism? People function in rational and conscious term, aware and in control Nature or Nurture? Both influence personality. Raw materials (nature/genetics) are shaped by learning and experiences (nurture)

Questions about Human Nature Uniqueness Universality Pessimism Growth Optimism Equilibrium Unique or Universal? Uniqueness as defined by each person’s trait. Personality is not general or universal Equilibrium or Growth? Not to reduce tension (to find equilibrium) but to increase tension to propel us to seek new challenges and grow. Optimism or Pessimism? Optimist image of human nature