Chapter 6: Stress-Prone and Chapter 6: Stress-Prone and Stress-Resistant PersonalitiesStress-Resistant Personalities

As I examined my own position, I realized that the As I examined my own position, I realized that the preliminary period of my persecution was preliminary period of my persecution was drawing to a close. Whatever lay ahead, I would drawing to a close. Whatever lay ahead, I would have to redouble my efforts to frustrate my have to redouble my efforts to frustrate my persecutors’ attempt to incriminate me. As long persecutors’ attempt to incriminate me. As long as they did not kill me, I would not give up...my as they did not kill me, I would not give up...my mood was not one of fear and defeat, but one of mood was not one of fear and defeat, but one of resolution. - Nien Chengresolution. - Nien Cheng

PersonalityPersonality

Personality is thought to be comprised of Personality is thought to be comprised of several:several:– traitstraits– characteristicscharacteristics– behaviors behaviors – expressionsexpressions– moodsmoods– feelings feelings

(as perceived by others)(as perceived by others)

PersonalityPersonality

The complexity of one’s personality is The complexity of one’s personality is thought to be shaped by:thought to be shaped by:– genetic factorsgenetic factors– family dynamicsfamily dynamics– social influencessocial influences– personal experiencespersonal experiences

Personality Types & StressPersonality Types & Stress

Type A behaviorType A behavior Codependent personalityCodependent personality Helpless-hopeless personalityHelpless-hopeless personality Hardy personalityHardy personality Type R personality (sensation Type R personality (sensation

seeker)seeker)

Type A BehaviorType A Behavior

time urgencytime urgency polyphasiapolyphasia ultra-competitivenessultra-competitiveness rapid speech patternsrapid speech patterns manipulative controlmanipulative control hyperaggressiveness and free-floating hyperaggressiveness and free-floating

hostilityhostility Hostile aggression – #1 CHD predictorHostile aggression – #1 CHD predictor

Social Influences – Type ASocial Influences – Type A

Material wealthMaterial wealth Immediate gratificationImmediate gratification CompetitivenessCompetitiveness People as numbersPeople as numbers SecularizationSecularization Atrophy of the body and right brainAtrophy of the body and right brain Television watchingTelevision watching

Codependent Personality TraitsCodependent Personality Traits ardent approval seekersardent approval seekers super-overachieverssuper-overachievers crisis managerscrisis managers devoted loyalistsdevoted loyalists perfectionistsperfectionists martyrs/manipulatorsmartyrs/manipulators “ “victims”victims” reactionaries reactionaries inferiority/inadequacyinferiority/inadequacy

Codependent Personality Codependent Personality BehaviorsBehaviors

External referencingExternal referencing Lack of emotional boundariesLack of emotional boundaries Impression managementImpression management Mistrust of one’s own perceptionsMistrust of one’s own perceptions Martyr syndromeMartyr syndrome Lack of spiritual healthLack of spiritual health

Codependents FearsCodependents Fears

Fear of rejectionFear of rejection Fear of the unknownFear of the unknown Fear of failureFear of failure

Need to be neededNeed to be needed

Helpless-Hopeless PersonalityHelpless-Hopeless Personality

a.k.a. a.k.a.

Learned HelplessnessLearned Helplessness

The Theory of Attribution The Theory of Attribution

Locus of controlLocus of control

Learned Helplessness Develops:Learned Helplessness Develops:

When individuals experience uncontrollable When individuals experience uncontrollable life events.life events.

When individuals believe they can do When individuals believe they can do nothing to change the outcome of the nothing to change the outcome of the events.events.

When individuals develop inappropriate When individuals develop inappropriate expectations that outcomes of future events expectations that outcomes of future events will also be beyond their control.will also be beyond their control.

Learned Helplessness Learned Helplessness deficits/consequencesdeficits/consequences

Motivational deficitsMotivational deficits– apathy, listlessness, “giving up”apathy, listlessness, “giving up”

Cognitive deficitsCognitive deficits– decreased ability to learn new responsesdecreased ability to learn new responses

Emotional/Affective deficitsEmotional/Affective deficits– depression, lowered self-competencedepression, lowered self-competence

Learned HelplessnessLearned HelplessnessInternal/ExternalInternal/External Global/SpecificGlobal/Specific Stable/UnstableStable/Unstable

““I control what I control what happens to me.”happens to me.”

““The world The world controls what controls what

happens to me” happens to me”

““This event has This event has huge effects.”huge effects.”

““This event has This event has

limited effects.”limited effects.”

““Things will Things will always be like always be like this.”this.”

““Things canThings can

change.”change.”

PersonalPersonal PervasivePervasive Relatively permanentRelatively permanent

Learned HelplessnessLearned Helplessness When a bad thing happens, do you think it will just be a When a bad thing happens, do you think it will just be a

bad day?bad day? Do you succeed because you are smart? Lucky this time? Do you succeed because you are smart? Lucky this time?

Or because things just happened to work out?Or because things just happened to work out? Do you fail because you are stupid? Because life is unfair?Do you fail because you are stupid? Because life is unfair?

LANGUAGE:LANGUAGE: ““I failed the test because I’m stupid – I can’t pass any I failed the test because I’m stupid – I can’t pass any

tests.” (internal-stable-global)tests.” (internal-stable-global) ““Everyone who took the exam with me failed: that test was Everyone who took the exam with me failed: that test was

unfair – I’ll pass other tests.” (external-unstable-specific unfair – I’ll pass other tests.” (external-unstable-specific attribution)attribution)

Hardy Personality:Hardy Personality:A Stress Resilient PersonalityA Stress Resilient Personality

CommitmentCommitment ControlControl ChallengeChallenge The 3 “C’s”

C

C

C

Hardy / Type AHardy / Type A

Resilient people may have many “Type Resilient people may have many “Type A” traits……but MINUS feelings of A” traits……but MINUS feelings of hostility. hostility.

Resilient people enjoy life and hurry in Resilient people enjoy life and hurry in order to experience more. They love order to experience more. They love life.life.

Type “R” personality:Type “R” personality:sensation seekerssensation seekers

Zuckerman identified the sensation-Zuckerman identified the sensation-seeking personality, as those seeking personality, as those people who seek thrills and people who seek thrills and sensations but take calculated risks sensations but take calculated risks in their endeavors; they appear to in their endeavors; they appear to be dominated by an adventurous be dominated by an adventurous spirit.spirit.

Self-Esteem:Self-Esteem:The Bottom-Line DefenseThe Bottom-Line Defense

Basic elements of high self-esteem:Basic elements of high self-esteem:– connectednessconnectedness– uniquenessuniqueness– personal power personal power – models / mentorsmodels / mentors

» Be OK with the fact that there are Be OK with the fact that there are some things over which we have NO some things over which we have NO control!control!

Self-Esteem:Self-Esteem:Raise and/or MaintainRaise and/or Maintain

No criticismNo criticism Positive reinforcements and affirmationsPositive reinforcements and affirmations Avoid “should haves”Avoid “should haves” Focus on internal selfFocus on internal self Avoid comparisonsAvoid comparisons DiversifyDiversify Improve connectednessImprove connectedness Avoid self-victimizationAvoid self-victimization Know your value!Know your value!

SELF-IMAGESELF-IMAGE

how you perceive yourselfhow you perceive yourself

SELF-ESTEEMSELF-ESTEEM

how you value yourselfhow you value yourself