1. Myers’ EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY (6th Ed) Chapter 12 Personality Modified from: James A. McCubbin, PhD Clemson University Worth Publishers

2. What is Personality?  Personality  Individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, & acting  Historic perspectives  Psychoanalytic  Humanistic

3. Psychoanalytic Perspective  Freud’s Theory  Proposed that childhood sexuality & unconscious motivations influence personality  Psychoanalysis  Attributes thoughts & actions to unconscious motives & conflicts  Treat psychological disorders by seeking to expose & interpret unconscious tensions  Used free association to explore unconscious

4. Psychoanalytic Perspective  Unconscious  According to Freud - a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings & memories  Contemporary viewpoint - information processing of which we are unaware

5. Personality Structure  Id  Reservoir of unconscious psychic energy  Strives to satisfy basic sexual & aggressive drives  Pleasure principle (immediate gratification)  Ego  Largely conscious, “executive” part of personality  Mediates among demands of id, superego, & reality  Reality principle, satisfying id’s desires in ways that will realistically bring pleasure rather than pain  Superego  Internalized ideals  Standards for judgment (conscience) & aspirations

6. Personality Development  Psychosexual Stages  Childhood stages of development during which id’s pleasure-seeking energies focus on distinct erogenous zones  Fixation  Lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at earlier psychosexual stage, where conflicts unresolved

7. Personality Development Freud’s Psychosexual Stages Stage Focus Oral Pleasure centers on the mouth-- (0-18 months) sucking, biting, chewing Anal Pleasure focuses on bowel and bladder (18-36 months) elimination; coping with demands for control Phallic Pleasure zone is the genitals; coping with (3-6 years) incestuous sexual feelings Latency Dormant sexual feelings (6 to puberty) Genital Maturation of sexual interests (puberty on)

8. Defense Mechanisms  Ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality  Repression  Regression  Reaction Formation  Projection  Rationalization  Displacement

9. Humanistic Perspective  Focused on ways “healthy” people strive for self-determination & self-realization  Maslow’s Self-Actualization  Ultimate psychological need that arises after basic physical & psychological needs met & self-esteem achieved  Motivation to fulfill one’s potential

10. Humanistic Perspective  Rogers’ Person-Centered Perspective  Focused on growth & fulfillment of individuals  Requires genuineness, empathy & acceptance  Unconditional Positive Regard  Attitude of total acceptance toward another  Self-Concept  Central feature of personality for Rogers & Maslow  All thoughts & feelings about ourselves, in answer to question, “Who am I?”

11. Contemporary Research: Trait Perspective  Trait  Characteristic pattern of behavior or  Disposition to feel & act, as assessed by self- report inventories & peer reports  Personality Inventory  Questionnaire (often true-false or agree- disagree items) on which respond to items designed to gauge wide range of feelings & behaviors  Assesses selected personality traits

12. Trait Perspective  Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)  Most widely researched & clinically used of all personality tests  Originally developed to identify emotional disorders (considered most appropriate use)  Now used for other screening purposes  Empirically Derived Test

13. Trait Perspective The “Big Five” Personality Factors Trait Dimension Description (Endpts of Dimension) Emotional Stability Calm versus anxious Secure versus insecure Self-satisfied versus self-pitying Extraversion Sociable versus retiring Fun-loving versus sober Affectionate versus reserved Openness Imaginative versus practical Preference for variety versus preference for routine Independent versus conforming Agreeableness Soft-hearted versus ruthless Trusting versus suspicious Helpful versus uncooperative Conscientiousness Organized versus disorganized Careful versus careless Disciplined versus impulsive

14. Contemporary Research: Social-Cognitive Perspective  Views behavior as influenced by interaction between persons & social context  Reciprocal Determinism (Bandura)  Interacting influences between personality & environmental factors

15. Social-Cognitive Perspective  Personal Control  Sense of controlling environments rather than feeling helpless  External Locus of Control  Perception that chance or outside forces beyond personal control determine fate  Internal Locus of Control  Perception that one controls own fate  Learned Helplessness

16. Exploring the Self  Spotlight Effect  Overestimating others noticing & evaluating our appearance, performance, & blunders  Self Esteem  One’s feelings of high or low self-worth  Self-Serving Bias  Readiness to perceive oneself favorably

17. Individualism vs Collectivism Morality Defined by individuals Defined by social networks (self-based) (duty-based) Attributing Behavior reflects one’s personality Behavior reflects social behaviors and attitudes and roles Value Contrasts Between Individualism and Collectivism Concept Individualism Collectivism Self Independent Interdependent (identity from individual traits) (identity from belonging) Life task Discover and express one’s Maintain connections, fit in uniqueness What matters Me--personal achievement and We-group goals and solidarity; fulfillment; rights and liberties social responsibilities and relationships Coping method Change reality Accommodate to reality Relationships Many, often temporary or casual; Few, close and enduring; confrontation acceptable harmony valued

18. THE END