PSYCHOLOGY PERSONALITY

PERSONALITY How do psychologists define and use the concept of personality? What do the theories of freud and his successors tell us about the structure and development of personality? What are major aspects of trait, learning, biological and evolutionary, and humanistic approaches to personality? How can we most accurately assess personality? What are the major types of personality measures?

How do psychologists define and use the concept of personality? Personality refers to the relatively enduring characteristics that Differentiate one person from anther Lead them to act in a consistent and predictable manner. Both in different situations and over extended periods of time.

The theories of the structure and development of personality According to psychoanalysts, much of behavior is caused by parts of personality that are found in the unconscious and of which we are unaware. Freud’s theory suggest that personality is composed of the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is the unorganized, inborn part of personality whose purpose is to immediately reduce tensions relating to hunger, sex, aggression, and other primitive impulses.

The Theories Of Structure And Development Of Personality The ego restrains instinctual energy in order to maintain the safety of individual and to help the person to be a member of society. The superego represents the rights and wrongs of society and consists of conscience and the ego-ideal. Freud’s psychoanalytic theory suggests that personality develops through a series of stages, each of which is associated with a major biological function.

The Theories Of Structure And Development Of Personality The oral stage is the first period, occurring during the first year of life. Next comes the anal stage, lasting from approximately age 1 to age 3. The phallic stage follows, with interest focusing on the genitals.

The Theories Of Structure And Development Of Personality At age 5 or 6 near the end of the phallic stage, children experience the Oedipal conflict, a process through which they learn to identify with the same-sex parent by acting as much like that parent as possible. Then follows a latency period lasting until puberty, after which people move into the genital stage.

The Theories Of Structure And Development Of Personality Defense mechanisms, used for dealing with anxiety relating to impulses from the id, provide people with unconscious strategies to reduce anxiety . The most common defense mechanisms are repression, regression, displacement, rationalization, denial, projection, and sublimation.

The Theories Of Structure And Development Of Personality Freud’s psychoanalytic theory has provoked a number of criticisms. Lack of supportive scientific data. The theory’s inadequacy in making predictions. It’s reliance on a highly restricted population. Still, the theory remains a pivotal one.

Major aspects of personality approaches Approaches are: Trait. Learning. Biological and evolutionary. Humanistic. The major personality approaches differ according to unconscious v conscious, nature v nurture, freedom v determinism, stability v modifiability of personality.

Major aspects of personality approaches Trait approaches : Have tried to identify the most basic and relatively enduring dimensions along which people differ from one another-dimensions known as traits. There are three kinds of traits (cardinal, central, secondary). Factor analysis used to identify 16 traits and three dimensions (extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism).

Major aspects of personality approaches Learning approaches: Concentrate on observable behavior. Personality is the sum of learned responses to the external environment. In contrast, cognitive-social approaches concentrate on the role of cognitions in determining personality. Attention to self-efficacy and reciprocal determinism in determining behavior.

Major aspects of personality approaches Biological and evolutionary approaches: Focus on how personality are inherited. For example, studies of children’s temperament suggest that there is a distinction between inhibited and uninhibited children, which is reflected in differences both in biological reactivity and in shyness.

Major aspects of personality approaches Humanistic approaches : Emphasize the basic goodness of people. They consider the core of personality in terms of a person’s ability to change and improve. Concept of the need for positive regard suggests that a universal requirement to be loved and respected underlies personality.

Personality assessment Psychological tests are standard assessment tools that objectively measure behavior. They must be reliable, measuring what they are trying to measure consistently, and valid, measuring what they are supposed to measure.

Major Types Of Personality Measures Self-report measures ask people about a sample range of their behaviors. These reports are used to infer the presence of particular personality characteristics. The most commonly used self-report measure is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2(MMPI-2). MMPI-2 designed to differentiate people with specific sorts of psychological difficulties from normal individuals.