Trait and psychoanalytic approach

Hans Eysenck British psychologist who focused on relationships between two personality dimensions, introverts and extroverts. Introverts Tend to be imaginative and look inward rather than other people for ideas and energy. Extroverts Tend to be active and self-expressive and gain energy and ideas from others.

The Five Factor Model “Big Five” – recent idea in psychology that there may be five basic personality factors. Extroversion, emotional stability/neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness and openness to experience. One issue of the trait approach is that it describes personality but does not explain where the traits come from.

Psychoanalytic approach Here comes that Freud guy again! “inner conflict” approach Focused on the ideas of the ID, EGO, and SUPEREGO

ID The ID represents basic drives such as hunger Demands pleasure and instant gratification Pays no attention to laws, social customs or needs of others Follows the “pleasure principle” which Freud explains as an urge for immediate release of energy or emotion that will bring personal gratification, relief or pleasure. Present at Birth

SUPEREGO Develops through early childhood “moral principle” Incorporates standard values of parents and community Provides us with our moral sense Acts as the conscious and floods the ego with feelings of guilt and shame when we think or do something that society deems wrong.

EGO Develops because a child’s demands for instant gratification cannot be met or because meeting those demands may be harmful. Stands for reason and good sense “reality principle” that we cannot always get what we want Seeks to satisify the needs of the ID while keeping consistent with reality For example the ID tells you that you are hungry but the EGO realizes that you must cook hamburger meat instead of eating it raw. The EGO has a hard job of balancing the SUPEREGO and the ID.

Defense Mechanisms Freud explains that defense mechanisms are methods the ego uses to avoid recognizing ideas or emotions that may cause personal anxiety. Repression – removes anxiety causing idea from consciousness Rationalization – justification of unacceptable behavior Displacement – transfer of ideas or impulse from a threatening or unsuitable object to a less threating one. Regression – returning to behavior characteristic of an earlier stage of development Projection – placing unacceptable impulses on other people Reaction Formation – acting contrary to ones true feelings Denial – Refusal to accept reality Sublimation – channel impulses into socially acceptable behaviors

Freud’s Stages of Development Oral Stage – first year of life. Infants explore world by constantly putting things in their mouths. Anal Stage – Year 1.5 to 2.5. Children learn they can control their vital functions. This is where the idea of anal-retentive comes from. Phallic Stage – 3rd year of life. Children begin to notice and discover differences between sexes and become focused on their own bodies. Latency Stage – 5-6 years. Impulses and emotions get hidden. Genital Stage – final stage. Hits at puberty. Becomes more aware of gender identity.

Other Key ideas Carl Jung is credited with the idea of Collection Unconscious. Collection unconscious is a store of human concepts shared by all people across cultures. These ideas are called Archetypes Archetypes are images and ideas that are accumulated experience of all human beings. Alfred Adler came up with the idea of Inferiority Complex Inferiority Complex is the idea that people may feel less than someone or something because of physical problems and often people will try to compensate for them.