Personality Development Carolyn R. Fallahi, Ph. D.

What is Personality? What is personality? One early approach: Typology = categorizing people based on some common themes. Example: Theophrastus ( BC) The greedy man The Gossip The patron of rascals The slacker

Classifying Personality Historically William Sheldon (1954) = body type –Endomorph = Santa Claus = jolly and relaxed. –Mesomorph = Superman = muscular, bold, and physically active. –Ectomorph = Sherlock Holmes = high strung & solitary. –Real or just stereotypes?

The Big Five Aggreeableness –Compassionate, cooperate –Not suspicious Conscientiousness –A tendency toward self-discipline –Act dutifully –Aim for achievement –Planned rather than spontaneous behavior Extraversion –Energy & positive emotions –Need to seek stimulation in the company of others

The Big Five Openness: –Appreciation of art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, curiosity, variety of experience Neuroticism: –A tendency to experience unpleasant emotion easily, e.g. anger, anxiety, depression, vulnerability –Emotional instability

Objective Assessment: MMPIA/2

Issues related to personality Personality versus mood. Personality = how a person handles the demands of life. Psychopathology can be issues within personality, e.g. personality disorders. –For example: borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder

Projective Assessment: Rorschach

Projective Assessment: the TAT

Projective Assessment: TAT

Projective Assessment: Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank 1) If only I could...feel more hopeful about things. 2) People I know...are usually fair and honest. 3) I can always...talk things out with someone. 4) I think guys...are less emotional than girls. 5) What makes me sad is...not being able to see my kids. 6) I think girls...were mysterious to me in High School. 7) My father...would always listen to what I had to say. 8) Where I live...is quiet and peaceful. 9. My mother was the type...who always took care of her family. 10) My health is...generally very good. (From:

Psychodynamic approach Personality theory –Grew out of Sigmund Freud’s attempts to understand the psychological disorder, hysteria. –Stage theory. –Sexual conflicts from childhood = disorder.

Who was Sigmund Freud? Sigmund Freud: Viennese physician (neurologist) Developed his theory of psychoanalysis based on working with patients suffering from hysteria. Treatment techniques: 1)Catharsis 2)Free association 3)Dream interpretation

The Structure of Personality Conscious –My favorite television show is about to start. Preconscious –My telephone number is….. –My birthday is….. –The definition of catharsis is….. Unconscious –Thoughts, feelings, desires of which we are not aware.

View of the mind Id –Where our instincts are located –Pleasure principle –Immediate gratification Ego –Awareness of external reality –Practical – allows us to adapt to the world –Helps us to satisfy our needs in a socially acceptable manner. –Reality principle

View of the mind Superego –Last mental structure to develop –Emerges at about 3 or 4 –Represents the child’s internalization of parental and societal values

Psychosexual Stages of Personality Development Oral: B to 1: satisfies needs through biting, chewing, nursing, (mouth) Anal: 1 to 3: gratification = elimination (retaining, expelling) Phallic: 3 to 5: gratification = genitals –Oedipal complex Latency: 6 to puberty = no focus Genital (puberty) = sexual contact –Fixation –Problems with lack of research & views about women.