Personality-- What is it? How can we study it? 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson

What Is Personality? What do you think? Is it unlearned, our true self, the core of who we are? Is it more at the surface, the structure of our adaptation to the world? How we present ourselves so that we can survive and thrive? What do you think? 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson

Persona: The Theatrical Mask A thought: Masks reveal what they conceal. By donning some masks but not others, people disclose precisely what they would most shield. Indeed, a person does not hide behind a mask so much as struggle beneath the weight of it. (C. F. Monte) What do you think? 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson

Personality, Literally Means The mask or mouthpiece through which we appear To ourselves To others A mask, says Oscar Wilde, tells more than a face. More about masks Masks in Japanese theater. Be sure to read the archetypal commentary at the bottom 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson

Being Without Mask? Is it ever possible to be even just with ourselves (never mind others) without a mask? Without a need to create an impression? Is there anything we can do to need less of a mask? What stands in our way? 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson

How Is Our Personality Built? Is it mostly built as a protective structure to guard our more fragile points? To make up for painful experiences? Think of a time you or someone else developed ways to behave, speak, even feel in order to cope with challenges or painful events. 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson

Personality Is… A set of ENDURING strategies, qualities, characteristics, ways to be that we have developed in the course of life in order to cope with the circumstances of our life. Thus, some of these strategies serve us well, and others are outdated, counter productive and stand in our way. 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson

Personality Is Not… The heart of who we are. Who a person is at heart is always somewhat of a mystery. So, the Psalmist prays:” Search me, O God, and know my heart… see if there be any wicked way in me.”(Ps 139:23-24). There is much of our own heart we don’t understand. Only God truly knows our heart. 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson

Personality Is Enduring Because of the stability of Our biology --which causes us to select certain types of strategies Our cultural environment --which presents to us with models and conflicts Our personal environment --which gives us certain types of experience We develop stable qualities, life strategies etc… and those constitute our personality. 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson

Ethnicity, Gender and Personality Personality manifests itself differently in different cultures --not surprising if personality reflects a way to adapt. Similarly, gender makes a difference also Yet personality studies historically have primarily worked with white male college students (also under-representing the old, the blue-collar etc) 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson

Some interesting research Do you manifest a different personality when you speak a different language? Do people in different cultures construct their sense of self in a different way? Is there a relationship between personality and the wages that people earn? Read about this in the Blackboard Course Library 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson

How would you describe your personality? Do the exercise p. 4-5 in the text using the Gough Adjective Check list (ACL). Note: you could do this exercise from the perspective of your ‘actual’ or ‘ideal’ self. The full ACL can be analyzed in 37 scales that measure variables ranging from affiliation, to the need for order, to creative personality. A current use of a shorter ACL 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson

Objective Personality Tests The MMPI (now MMPI-2). Very well known and studied. Used primarily to screen for pathology. A LONG set of questions to answer “true” or “false” The CPI oriented toward normal personality (Gough) The 16 PF developed by Raymond Cattell 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson

Other methods of study Clinical interview Behavioral assessment: here is an example of the approach in education Thought sampling (done by the subjects themselves) 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson

Projective tests Rorschach Inkblot technique developed by Hermann Rorschach Holtzman Inkblot technique developed by Wayne Holtzman Thematic Apperception test developed by Henry Murray and Christiana Morgan 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson

Your personal theory of personality Take a piece of paper and write a couple paragraphs about your own theory of personality How do people become who they are? How important is heredity? Nurture? Are people’s choices free? What do you consider core dimensions of personality Etc. 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson

Formal theories They go beyond the personal ones But they have a personal basis. Keep your write-up about your own personal theory. See how it changes as you study a number of approaches. 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson

The End 11/23/2018 © 2006 by Lucie Johnson