That which cannot be seen, touched or directly measured Lecture 19 4/26/04

How do we get to know a person? How accurate are our impressions?

How much do you agree? 1: Disagree strongly; 4; neutral; 7: Agree strongly 1. _____ Extraverted, enthusiastic. 2. _____ Critical, quarrelsome. 3. _____ Dependable, self-disciplined. 4. _____ Anxious, easily upset. 5. _____ Open to new experiences, complex. 6. _____ Reserved, quiet. 7. _____ Sympathetic, warm. 8. _____ Disorganized, careless. 9. _____ Calm, emotionally stable. 10. _____ Conventional, uncreative.

What would you want to know? Does your impression of me matter? Does your impression of me matter? There is someone I want you to meet…

Impression Formation (Kelley, 1950) Intelligent, skillful, industrious, practical, determined, cautious Intelligent, skillful, industrious, practical, determined, cautious AND, “warm” person vs. “cold” personAND, “warm” person vs. “cold” person 20 minutes by guest lecturer 20 minutes by guest lecturer Rate lecturerRate lecturer

Guest Lecturer Ratings (Kelley, 1950) Adjective“WARM”“COLD” Self-centered Irritable Unsociable Unpopular Formal Humorless

Behavioral Implications Friendlier interactions Friendlier interactions Laughed more at jokes Laughed more at jokes Asked more questions Asked more questions

Personality Approaches to Personality Approaches to Personality PsychoanalysisPsychoanalysis The Humanistic ApproachThe Humanistic Approach The Trait ApproachThe Trait Approach Assessing Personality Assessing Personality Projective testsProjective tests Self-reportSelf-report

“You are so anal retentive: why must you line up all my things, I like them scattered”

Psychoanalysis: Motives are unconscious Personality arises from efforts to resolve conflicts

Psychological not physiological cause?

Free Association: “relax, whatever comes to mind” Unconscious sexual and aggressive urges find acceptable forms of expression. Unconscious sexual and aggressive urges find acceptable forms of expression.

The Structure of Personality

Structure: Re-cap Id: Id: Pleasure principlePleasure principle Primitive and unconscious, hidden from viewPrimitive and unconscious, hidden from view Contains basic drivesContains basic drives Ego: Ego: Reality principleReality principle Mediates conflict between id and superegoMediates conflict between id and superego Superego: Superego: Moral ideals and conscienceMoral ideals and conscience

Personality formed early: unresolved conflicts from childhood Psychosexual Stages Psychosexual Stages Pleasure is derived from different parts of the bodyPleasure is derived from different parts of the body Oral (first year of life)Oral (first year of life) Anal (ages 2-3)Anal (ages 2-3) Phallic (ages 4-6)Phallic (ages 4-6) Oedipus complex and identification Oedipus complex and identification Latency period (ages 7-12)Latency period (ages 7-12) Genital (starting at puberty)Genital (starting at puberty)

The Dynamics of Personality Anxiety results from conflict between id & superego Anxiety results from conflict between id & superego Ego uses defense mechanisms which deny and distort reality Ego uses defense mechanisms which deny and distort reality Repression (forgetting)Repression (forgetting) Denial (ignoring)Denial (ignoring) Projection (attributing to others)Projection (attributing to others) Reaction Formation (converting to its opposite)Reaction Formation (converting to its opposite) Rationalization (making excuses)Rationalization (making excuses) Sublimation (channeling into acceptable outlets)Sublimation (channeling into acceptable outlets)

How to access the unconscious?

No more unconscious! No more unconscious! Where’s the evidence? Where’s the evidence? Why so bleak? Why so bleak? What about the unique human condition? What about the unique human condition?

The Humanistic Approach Focuses on the self, subjective experience, & capacity for fulfillment Focuses on the self, subjective experience, & capacity for fulfillment People are inherently GOOD People are inherently GOOD

I love you IF… Love the sinner, hate the sin Carl Rogers’ Personality Theory

BUT: And, people experience different conflicts, situations, parental treatment… No more explanation, what about description!

Describe a friend… Unconscious conflicts? Unconscious conflicts? How he/she was raised? How he/she was raised? How can we talk about personality in describing behavior? How can we talk about personality in describing behavior?

The Trait Approach Relatively stable predispositions to behave in certain ways Relatively stable predispositions to behave in certain ways 18,000 traits! 18,000 traits! FA…FA…

OCEANOCEANOCEANOCEAN

Big Five personality dimensions OCEAN Openness to Experience intellect, imagination, curiosity, creativity Conscientiousness order, duty, deliberation, self-discipline Extraversion sociability, assertiveness, activity, positive emotions Agreeableness trust, nurturance, kindness, cooperation Neuroticism anxiety, depression, moodiness,vulnerability to stress

HOW? L.I.S.T 1. See how their life is going Concrete life outcomes (arrested, employed, hospitalized) Concrete life outcomes (arrested, employed, hospitalized) 2. Ask acquaintances for opinions Friends, roommates, family Friends, roommates, family 3. Ask the person directly Self-report questionnaires Self-report questionnaires 4. Watch directly Testing situation, classroom, home, experiment Testing situation, classroom, home, experiment

For example…

Accuracy: how easily are we judged ?

But, doesn’t it depend on the situation?

Situationist Argument Personality tests don’t predict behavior well (e.g., honesty  cheating; conscientiousness  on time) ; r <.30 “personality coefficient” Personality tests don’t predict behavior well (e.g., honesty  cheating; conscientiousness  on time) ; r <.30 “personality coefficient” Situations are more important than personality traits in determining behavior (e.g., weddings and funerals) Situations are more important than personality traits in determining behavior (e.g., weddings and funerals) Therefore, personality assessment is a waste of time; “getting to know a person” doesn’t make sense; personality is a cognitive illusion on the perceiver’s side Therefore, personality assessment is a waste of time; “getting to know a person” doesn’t make sense; personality is a cognitive illusion on the perceiver’s side

Biological Roots of Personality: 40-50% genetic