Personality Definitions People and perspectives
Personality defined: per sona w What makes us recognizably the same from time to time and from place to place w Patterns of behavior and thinking (Carlson) w “...your characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting” (Myers). w Setting may influence personality, but strong or rigid personalities are consistent.
Personality An individual’s pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting that persists across time and situations
Personality and psychology w Biology of personality? w Personality development? w Personal learning styles? w Individual differences?
Trait theories w Personality can best be understood as a pattern of enduring characteristics, called traits. w Allport: Personality word analysis The five-factor model (“The big five”) Neuroticism or emotional stability, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness
Factor analysis-based trait theories w Cattell and the 16PF Source traits and surface traits Examples: Cool-warm, concrete-abstract, expedient-conscientious w Eysenck’s three factors Extraversion Neuroticism Psychoticism
The psychosexual development model of Sigmund Freud w Oral, anal, and phallic stages w Latency w Genital stage w Identification: Oedipus and Electra w Development vs. fixation w Defense mechanisms Denial, projection, repression, sublimation, reaction formation
Criticisms of Freudian psychoanalysis w Social conflict, not sexual: Horney and Adler--Id, ego, and super-ego w Development is different w Sexual repression and psychological disorders w But: Repression is currently controversial w A Christian critique?
Biological factors w Temperament and heredity w Reactivity of brain centers w Drug influences
Humanistic views of personality w Maslow and self-actualization w Carl Rogers and RESUPR w Self psychology Self-concept Self-esteem Self-serving bias
Social-Cognitive theories w Bandura’s reciprocal determinism w Locus of control (Rotter) w Learned helplessness (Seligman)
Personality testing w Personality questionnaires and inventories MMPI-2, 16PF, EPQ Myers-Briggs? w Projective tests Thematic Apperception Test Rorschach Test