© McGraw-Hill Theories of Personality Seventh Edition By Jess Feist and Gregory J. Feist © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

© McGraw-Hill Introduction to Personality Theory Chapter 1 © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

© McGraw-Hill Outline What Is Personality? What Is Theory? –Theory Defined Why Different Theories? What Makes a Theory Useful? Dimensions for a Concept of Humanity Research in Personality Theory

© McGraw-Hill What Is Personality? Word stems from “persona” –Latin for “mask” Personality Defined: –A pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior

© McGraw-Hill What Is Personality? Traits –Consistency over time –Individual differences in behavior –Stability across situations Characteristics –Unique qualities (e.g., temperament, physique, and intelligence)

© McGraw-Hill What Is a Theory? Theory Defined –A set of related assumptions that allows scientists to use logical deductive reasoning to formulate testable hypotheses

© McGraw-Hill Theory and Its Relatives Philosophy –Broader than theory Speculation –Must be tied to empirical data and science Hypothesis –Specific guess that can be tested using scientific method Taxonomy –Classification according to natural relationships

© McGraw-Hill Why Different Theories? Different Personal Backgrounds –Childhood experiences –Interpersonal relationships Different Philosophical Orientations Unique Ways of Looking at the World Data Chosen to Observe is Different

© McGraw-Hill Theorists’ Personalities & Their Theories of Personality Psychology of Science –The empirical study of scientific thought and behavior (including theory construction) of the scientist The personalities and psychology of different theorists influence the kinds of theories that they develop

© McGraw-Hill What Makes a Theory Useful: Criteria for Evaluating a Theory Generates Research Is Falsifiable (Verifiable) Organizes Known Data Guides Action (Practical) Is Internally Consistent Is Parsimonious

© McGraw-Hill Dimensions for a Concept of Humanity Determinism v. Free Choice Pessimism v. Optimism Causality v. Teleology Conscious v. Unconscious Determinants of Behavior Biological v. Social Influences on Personality Uniqueness v. Similarities

© McGraw-Hill Research in Personality Theory Must Generate Research –Theory gives meaning to data –Data comes from experimental research designed to test hypothesis generated by the theory Systematic observations –Predictions are consistent and accurate

© McGraw-Hill Research in Personality Theory Two Empirical Criteria for Instruments –Reliability Consistency of Measurement –Validity: Construct Validity –Convergent –Divergent –Discriminant Predictive Validity