What Is Personality Psychology? Chapter One What Is Personality Psychology?

“Personality” Everyday meaning: Formal meaning: Typically characterizes specific personalities Typically characterizes specific people Formal meaning: Abstract construct Broadly applicable

Why Use the Construct? 1. Conveys a sense of consistency or continuity Across time Across situations

Why Use the Construct? 2. Suggests internal origins of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors Personality psychology emphasizes the role of person variables on behavior Two Sources of Influence Person Situation Behavior

Why Use the Construct? 3. Helps in predicting and understanding behavior 4. Captures a sense of personal distinctiveness

A Working Definition “Personality is a dynamic organization, inside the person, of psychophysical systems that create the person’s characteristic patterns of behavior, thoughts, and feelings.” —Gordon Allport (1961)

Key Features of the Definition Personality… has an organized structure involves active processes has psychological and physical components helps determine how people relate to the world demonstrates patterns and consistencies manifests itself across a range of thoughts, feelings, behaviors

Fundamental Issues in Personality Psychology Individual Differences Represent differences in people Examples: aggressiveness, sociability, optimism Intrapersonal Functioning Represents stable processes that underlie thoughts, feelings, and behaviors Examples: goal or motivational processes

Theory in Personality Purpose of a theory: Explain what is known Social learning theory: Helps explain differences in aggressiveness Predict new information or events Biological theories of personality: Might predict similarities in behaviors of parents and children

Interplay Between Theory and Research Theory guides research THEORY Research tests theory -verifies -suggests changes RESEARCH

What Characterizes a Good Theory? Explains what is known Predicts what will happen (testable) Is based on multiple sources of information Is frugal in assumptions (parsimony) Has personal and intuitive appeal Is interesting Is provocative

Perspectives on Personality Individual theories of personality Attempt to describe human nature Have different orienting assumptions May be grouped by metatheoretical perspective May have overlapping connections May be limited in scope (intentionally)

Specific Perspectives Focus Trait Stable qualities in people Motive Motives that underlie behavior Inheritance and evolution Personality is genetically based Biological process Personality reflects the body and brain Psychoanalytic Competition and conflict among internal forces Psychosocial Social relationships are paramount Social learning Change as a results of experience Self-actualization Natural tendencies toward self-perfection Cognitive Mind imposes organization on experience Self-regulation People are complex psychological systems that move toward goals

Additional Considerations in the Study of Personality Assessment: Accurate characterization of individuals Important in order to conduct research Connection to real world applications (e.g., hiring, clinical assessment) Behavior change Specific predictions personality psychology makes about the way dysfunction may occur Ways in which therapy and intervention may be helpful