Personality Characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, acting

Personality theorists attempt to answer the following:

How are the mind and body related?

Is personality inherited or learned?

Do humans have “free will?”

Is there a “self” (me)?

Is the “self” knowable?

Is our behavior guided by experiences buried inside of us?...

… personal experiences or communal experiences?

Psychoanalytic Approach Behavior is determined by the past Conscious conflicts with unconscious

Thoughts & feelings that we are aware of Conscious Thoughts & feelings that we are aware of

Thoughts and memories we are not aware of (easily retrieved) Pre Conscious Thoughts and memories we are not aware of (easily retrieved)

Unconscious Contains desires, wishes, feelings, memories, impulses that are most UNACCEPTABLE

Sigmond Freud Inner conflict approach to personality Push thoughts, fears, urges to unconscious

Sigmond Freud (cont.) iii. Exploration of unconscious a. psychoanalysis: therapeutic technique 1. “talking-cure” 2. Relaxed setting 3. Free association: say whatever comes to mind b. dream analysis: dreams reveal our unconscious c. hypnosis: hypnotist suggests that events, situations will occur d. Freudian Slips: slips from the unconscious are true representations of our personality

Consists of three regions Human Mind Consists of three regions

ID: represents basic drives (present at birth) Aggression, sexual energy, hunger etc. Unconscious Demands pleasure through instant gratification Ignores: laws, social customs, needs of others Pleasure principle “Child”

EGO: begins in childhood as a result of not being able to meet instant gratification Represses improper impulses of ID Satisfies the ID in a realistic way Reality principle “Adult” (results in compromised struggle between ID and Superego)

SUPEREGO: functions according to moral principle Internalized ideals and standards of society Floods EGO with guilt Societies definition of “right and wrong” “Parent”

Ego’s Job Satisfy the Id’s impulses Not to offend the moralistic character of superego.

What drives the Id, Ego and Superego? 1. Sex Drive (Life Force) a. Drive to: i. live ii. Prosper iii. Produce offspring 2. Aggression Drive (Death Force) a. drive to: i. stay alive ii. Stave off threats iii. power

When the Ego has difficulty satisfying the id and superego it employs DEFENSE MECHANISMS!

Denial going against anxiety-producing stimuli by stating “It doesn’t exist” Denying you have cancer by seeking 2nd, 3rd opinion

Displacement Taking out impulses on less threatening target Punching the wall Yelling at your little sister or dog when that’s not what’s really bothering you Explains some CRIMES

Intellectualization Avoiding emotions by focusing on intellectual aspect Focus on details of funeral instead of sadness or grief Focusing on the flowers of a funeral for example.

Projection Placing unacceptable impulses in yourself on someone else Saying “that’s dumb” when you’re really thinking, “why didn’t I think of that, now I feel dumb.”

Rationalization Supplying a “comforting” justification instead of a real reason Stating you got a low test score because you had a bad teacher instead of that you forgot to study. Saying you can’t pass your drivers test because you had a bad driver’s ed teacher Blaming someone else or “passing the buck”

Reaction Formation Taking the opposite belief because the true belief causes anxiety Having a bias against a race, culture, person and then embracing it to the EXTREME. Someone who had an abortion being Pro-Life Befriending an individual who you truly dislike Hypocritical

Regression Returning to previous stage of development Crying Wetting the bed Tantrum to get your way Mid life crisis

Repression PULLING into the unconscious Forgetting about sexual abuse from childhood due to trauma Forgetting about being beat up, or other trauma You DO NOT make a conscious decision to forget, your brain just does it because you can’t handle it.

Sublimation Acting out unacceptable impulses in a socially acceptable way Lifting weights Boxing Hitting a punching bag Throwing a ball up in the air and then catching it.

Suppression PUSHING into the unconscious Trying to forget something that causes anxiety You MAKE the decision. After my Grandpa died, I thought “I can’t deal with this so I’m not going to think about it” If you and your best friend had a huge fight and decided to never talk about it ever again. Just like Repression, only this time you DECIDE to not think about it, where with repression, you just erase it, no thought put into it.

Inability to use defense mechanisms may result in problems