1. Personality
June 22, 2011

2. Collect Dream Journals

3. The Case of Phineas Gage

6. Phineas & Personality Phineas had damage to his Frontal lobe.
After the accident, Phineas showed profound changes in personality.
Therefore, perhaps personality is correlated with the Frontal Lobe.
Similar findings have been reported following psychosurgical procedures that damage the frontal lobe.

7. Frontal Lobe & Personality
As a result of these studies, we can suggest that the frontal lobe is implicated in:
Restraint
Orderly thought
Planning appropriate action
Some forms of memory
Preventing repetitive behaviors (perseveration)

8. Freudian Psychoanalysis
Theory & Practice of Counseling & Psychotherapy, 7th Ed
Gerald Corey, 2005, USA, Thompson Learning

9. The Basis of Freudian Psychoanalysis
Freud viewed human nature as deterministic: behavior is determined by our unconscious nature and instinctual biological forces

10. The Divided Personality
ID: Biological & pleasure principle
EGO: Psychological & reality principle
SUPEREGO: Social & ideal standards of conduct

11. Nice Theory, But.. Is there any clinical evidence to support it?
Freud lists the following:
Dreams
Slips of the tongue & memory lapses
Posthypnotic suggestions
Free-association material
Projection material
Psychotic symptoms & their symbolic content

12. Freudian Dream Analysis
Dreams have 2 types of content:
Latent: High symbolic, reflection of unconscious motives & desires
Manifest: The dream at face value
Latent content is considered so painful that it is subverted into manifest content and can only be revealed by dream work.

13. Coping with Stress & Trauma
Freud suggests a variety of defense mechanisms that help us deal with stress and trauma on an unconscious level by distorting reality
Repression
Denial
Reaction Formation
Projection
Displacement
Compensation
Rationalization
Sublimization
Introjection
Regression
Identification

14. Role Playing
Defense Mechanisms

15. Additional Theories

16. What Do You Think Causes John’s Behavior?
John is 17 and has been drinking heavily since he was 12. He drinks almost every day, but when he is particularly anxious, he drinks until he passes out. His father and his grandfather were diagnosed alcoholics; the father drank himself to death when John was 14. His mother and older brother do not drink at all, and they have always told John that he is the family’s black sheep, the rebellious child who is destined to be like his father.
Ask students what they think causes John‘s behavior—genetics? Early childhood experiences? Problems with feelings and thoughts? Current circumstances? Wider society? Ask them to defend heir choice. The ensuing discussion may lead to an examination of the methods by which we could discover the causes of alcoholism. It should also show how multiple perspectives can shed light on a single case.
From the biogenic perspective, you could list genetic vulnerability and briefly explain the concept of concordance. If John had an identical twin, would he, too, drink heavily and at the same times? Also under the biogenic heading, neurochemical differences can be discussed. If we found that John metabolized alcohol differently from his older brother, would that support a biogenic explanation? Point out the need for a preexisting biological difference. Finally, this example can give students an appreciation of diathesis-stress theory. If John has a preexisting, inherited vulnerability, is he doomed to become an alcoholic? (Most likely, a combination of genetic factors and family and social stressors produced this pattern of use.)
From the psychodynamic perspective, you could discuss oral fixation. Is dependency a result or a cause of drinking? What information would suggest that early deprivation caused John’s adolescent behavior? John probably engages in the defenses of rationalization, denial, and projection.
Humanistic theorists might focus on John’s lack of self-esteem or the conditions of worth that his family might have placed on loving him. Alienated from society, he may find comfort in intoxication and escape from responsibility. Does he freely choose to drink heavily? Is he being honest with his feelings?
Behaviorists would look at how John’s father and grandfather modeled how to drink heavily. At the same time, they probably introduced a good deal of stress in the boy’s life, and he probably learned that drinking reduced that stress. If his mother and brother criticized him a great deal, perhaps drinking became an operant behavior that alleviated the criticism temporarily, illustrating operant conditioning’s concept of negative reinforcement. Finally, if the sight and smell of alcohol
now produce an automatic response in John, we could see his use as having a classically conditioned quality, too.
If students mention that John probably thinks that he can function only when he is drunk, they appreciate the cognitive viewpoint. He may catastrophize discomforting circumstances in his life and thereby give himself a rationale for drinking heavily. Irrational beliefs such as “unless I am perfect no one will love me, so I might as well get drunk” are part of Ellis’s A-B-C theory of personality. Beck would emphasize illogical thought processes John might have, such as a
tendency to maximize any perceived hurt and minimize the effects drinking has on his life.
If students focus on the family’s definition of John as black sheep and the brother as perfect, they are in tune with systems thinking. His mother and father most likely were in frequent conflict; perhaps John resented that or was ignored. How did the family deal with the father’s death? John’s symptoms may only reflect a wider family pathology; in fact, the family may need to have a black sheep so other members maintain their roles. Therefore, mother and brother may unconsciously assist John in staying drunk. You can discuss “enabling” here.
Finally, John may be acting out sex- and age-role stereotypes. The multicultural perspective would look at the cultural norms for John and adolescents like him. What is the peer culture like? Are others labeling him “alcoholic” prematurely or using a cultural standard that is inappropriate? The discussion should show that the same information about a person can be interpreted quite differently and that each perspective has something valuable to offer. An eclectic approach is
attractive, but note that complete eclecticism is untenable. For example, isn’t it logically impossible for John to be both free in his actions and the product of determinism?

17. Diagramming Chart Activity
Biological
Psychodynamic
Behavioral
Cognitive
Humanistic
Motivation
Source of Abnormal Behavior
Treatment
Example Leader

18. Design a Personality Theory Based Therapy

19. News vs. Neuroscience

20. Discussion
What defines a personality disorder?

21. Personality Disorders

22. Personality Disorders
Cluster A (Odd or Eccentric Disorders)
Paranoid Personality Disorders
Schizoid Personality Disorders
Cluster B (Dramatic or Emotional Disorders)
Antisocial Personality Disorders
Borderline Personality Disorders
Histrionic Personality Disorders
Cluster C (Anxious or Fearful Disorders)
Obsessive Compulisive Personality Disorders
Anxious (Avoidant) Personality Disorders
Dependent Personality Disorders

23. Paranoid Personality Disorders
Persistent feeling of danger; often think someone is “out to get them”
Suspicious of others
Treatment
Anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication
Psychotherapy

24. Schizoid Personality Disorders
Extreme detachment from social interactions
Isolated and emotionally cold
Treatment:
Atypical anti-psychotics
Cognitive behavioral therapy

25. Antisocial Personality Disorders
"...a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood." DSM-IV
Characteristic of many psychopaths
Treatment
None

26. Borderline Personality Disorders
Prolonged period of unstable moods, characterized by black and white thinking and switching
Abrupt transition between idealizing and despising/ridiculing another person
Often contains an element of self-harm or suicidal ideation
Treatment:
Psychotherapy
Mood stabilizers (Lithium) & anti-psychotics

27. Histrionic Personality Disorders
Excessive emotion and attention-seeking
Very dramatic & flirtatious to an excessive degree
Lack of empathy for others and demand for attention often impair relationships
Treatment
Psychotherapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Group Therapy

28. Obsessive Compulisive PD
Extreme concern for cleanliness and perfectionism even when it impairs normal functioning
Unlike a person with OCD, a person with OCPD sees nothing wrong with their obsessive thinking and compulsive routines.
Treatment:
Psychotherapy
Sometimes, anti-depressants are useful

29. Anxious (Avoidant) PD
Extreme, pervasive pattern of social anxiety and inhibition
Extremely sensitive to criticism and highly avoidant of social interactions
Often a result of low self-esteem or self-loathing
Treatment:
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Group therapy

30. Dependent Personality Disorders
Excessive dependence on the assistance of others to fulfill emotional and physical needs
Feel unable to care for themselves and view others as far more capable and powerful than they
Treatments
Psychotherapy and group therapies
Rarely respond to medication

31. Analyze a Famous Person

32. Student Presentations