Major Point There are compelling reasons to believe that most, but not all, individual differences in personality can be boiled down to differences on 5 basic personality traits

What are the Big Five? Openness to Experience Conscientiousness Extraversion Agreeableness Neuroticism

Openness to Experience Appreciates experience for its own sake A “seeker” Toleration for and exploration of the unfamiliar

Openness to Experience High Scorers Curious Creative Original Imaginative Untraditional Broad interests Low Scorers Conventional Narrow in interests Unartistic Unanalytical

Conscientiousness Relates to way in which individual performs tasks Careful, hardworking, neat, organized, etc.

Conscientiousness High Scorers Organized Reliable Hard-working Self-disciplined Punctual Persevering Low Scorers Aimless Unreliable Careless Negligent Weak-willed

Extraversion Relates to interpersonal behavior Extent to which individuals prefer to be alone or with others Ability to experience positive emotions Surgency: ability to be vigorous and energetic

Extraversion High Scorers Sociable Active Talkative Person-oriented Optimistic Fun-loving Low Scorers Reserved Sober Unexuberant Aloof Task-oriented Quiet

Agreeableness  Relates to interpersonal behavior  Characteristic responses of other people to an individual  Liked by others, nice, warm, courteous

What are you lookin’ at?

Agreeableness High Scorers Soft-hearted Good-natured Trusting Helpful Forgiving Straightforward Low Scorers Cynical Rude Suspicious Uncooperative Vengeful Irritable Manipulative

Neuroticism Relates to person’s emotional life Measures psychological adjustment and emotional stability Prone to experience negative emotions

Neuroticism High Scorers Worrying Nervous Emotional Insecure Inadequate Hypochondriacal Low Scorers Calm Relaxed Unemotional Hardy Secure Self-satisfied

What is the evidence for the five-factor model? Results have been extensively replicated Different researchers Different samples Different item formats Different languages Different points in time

What is the evidence? (continued) Many other personality measures yield the same five-factor structure There is substantial agreement between self-ratings and ratings made by peers and/or spouses

Is the model comprehensive? Some important individual differences are not captured by the big five Beliefs Goals Values

To Sum Up Five-factor model describes some of the most important differences between individuals It provides a language to describe human behaviour: why people do what they do

Sigmund Freud

Life Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was an Austrian Neurologist and Psychiatrist He was dubbed the Father of Psychoanalysis Psychoanalysis seeks to discover connections between someone’s unconscious mind and conscious mental processes. His work, disputed, has been influential. His theories included subjects like defense mechanisms, dream symbolism, personality and sexual development.

Research He developed his theory of internalization that describes how children learn what is good and bad, not just to avoid punishment but because they simply learn the act is bad. Freud believed that this process is never fully complete. Freud believed that our impulses that are seen as wrong never really go away, just take a different shape or get buried deep within us. He became most popular for this theory.

Methods The methods he used to research included free association and hypnosis. While the person was hypnotized he could use suggestion to eliminate the hysterical symptom the person might have, which has a psychological cause.

Popular Theories Freud’s most popular and disputed theories involve sex. His widely disputed theory is about how children are sexually attracted to the parent of the opposite sex, and resent their parent of the same sex out of jealousy. Since the time of this theory it was been picked apart and proven to be false. Since this theory, any theory resulting in the conclusion of some form of sexual nature has been considered from the Freud school of thought. Oedipus complex

Influence Today He inspired other psychologists The questioning of his theories relevance led to the discovery of many other important theories. His realization, that contrary to popular belief at the time, mental illness was not always physically apparent on the brain. This realization changed the way they diagnosed and treated mental illness. He was a mentor to many aspiring psychologists, and founded many schools. Alfred Adler and Carl Jung were originally from the Freudian school of thought. He was part of many groups of other psychologists and theorists, where they shared ideas and dispute each other’s theories.

He is still referenced when talking about psychology, and is a main figure in the development of psychology. Before his theories, people didn’t question why they are the way they are, even if his theories did not stand the test of time, he inspired a new movement of studying ones past to see what affect it had on who they are today. No one knows where the study of the brain and psychology would be today without the influence of Sigmund Freud, but chances are it would not be nearly as advanced as it is today. He made this class boring.

Pop Culture Use of Freudian Slip still often used Anal Personality is still used Referenced in many movies, television shows and books.

Analysis of the Mind