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Introduction to Psychology Personality
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A person’s unique and relatively stable behavior patterns The various styles of behavior an individual habitually reflects
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Personality vs. Social Psychology Personality: emphasis on the individual; personal traits; dispositions Social: the role of the situation; how external conditions shape behavior
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Trait Theory Gordon Allport Traits: a stable, enduring quality that a person shows in most situations
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Common Traits Traits common to a culture Americans: independent, competitive Eastern cultures: interdependence, altruism
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Individual Traits Traits defining a person’s unique qualities
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Cardinal Traits All of one’s qualities/actions can be traced back to one specific trait (rare) Example: Mother Theresa: compassion
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Personality “Types” People who have several traits in common Type A personality
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Big 5: Costa & McCrae Five factor model Derived from factor analysis 10,000 participants: narrowed the list to five traits Questionnaire
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Big Five Openness to Experience Conscientiousness Extraversion Agreeableness Neuroticism
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Sample Questions I see myself as someone who: Is talkative Is original and comes up with new ideas Can be moody Is sometimes shy Is emotionally stable and not easily upset Is curious about many different things
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Stability of Personality Traits Fairly stable after age 30 Some discrepancies in this finding
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Critique “psychology of the stranger” Why five traits?
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Dan McAdams: Life History Approach Level 1: traits Level 2: goals, strivings Level 3: life story: reflexive understanding of the self We live “storied lives”
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Individualistic vs. Collectivistic Cultures Individualistic: emphasis on success, personal achievement Collectivistic: emphasis on altruism, contribution to the group Self-esteem is derived differently
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Psychoanalytic Approach Freud Id/ego/superego: personality works in a dynamic system Unconscious conflicts/urges shape personality
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Psychosexual Stages Oral stage: 1 st year of life Erogenous zone: mouth Fixation: Oral dependent: gullible, passive, needy Oral aggressive: exploits others; manipulative, nasty
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Psychosexual Stages Anal stage: age 1-3 Erogenous zone: anus; potty training Fixation: Anal retentive: compulsive, stingy, orderly, compulsively clean Anal expressive: disorderly, destructive, messy, excessive spending, dislikes authority
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Psychosexual Stages Phallic Stage: age 3-6 Oedipal Complex/Electra Complex Boys: castration anxiety Girls: penis envy Resolution: identification with the same-sex parent
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Psychosexual Stages Latency: age 6-puberty: psychosexual development is dormant Genital: puberty: desire for adult sexual relationships
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Freudian Defense Mechanisms Repression: pushing thoughts/conflicts out of consciousness Displacement: changing the recipient of our feelings to express them more safely
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Freudian Defense Mechanisms Sublimation: redirecting sexual urges/other emotions toward productive and prosocial activities Reaction Formation: behaving the opposite of how we actually feel
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Freudian Defense Mechanisms Projection: transferring your feelings/beliefs to others Identification: identifying with/taking on the characteristics of another; often, an aggressor
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Carl Jung Neo-Freudian The conscious and unconscious should be in balance; like the ebb and flow of the tides
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Carl Jung Persona: the “mask” we show the world; our public self Shadow: our repressed “dark side”; the opposite of what we take ourselves to be Acknowledge the shadow or it may overtake you
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Carl Jung Personal Unconscious: mental storehouse for an individual’s thoughts/feelings/memories Collective Unconscious: unconscious images/ideas that we all share archetypes
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Alfred Adler Individual Psychology: individuals are unique and subjective: how do we make meaning of our experiences?
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Alfred Adler Fulfillment Model We are trying to overcome perceived inferiorities We develop a sense of inferiority in infancy/early childhood: the felt minus
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Alfred Adler Overcoming inferiority: striving for superiority Inferiority complex: we are crippled by our perceived shortcomings
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Alfred Adler Organ inferiority: a physical problem/abnormality may be the root of our sense of inferiority Circus performers Adler’s health problems in childhood
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Alfred Adler Birth Order First born: receives full attention, then is dethroned Problem children, neurotic, criminal behavior, conservative, authoritative, leaders
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Alfred Adler Middle child: may feel envious, neglected Tries to find a place in the family Rebellious or revolutionary Creative Concerned for the underdog
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Alfred Adler Youngest: Pampered, dependent Tries to compete in many areas, lacks focus Optimistic: “everyone is nice to me”
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Alfred Adler Only Children Never has to compete for parental attention Pampered, overly attached to mother May feel rejected Over-inflated sense of personal worth
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