CHAPTER 8: PERSONALITY

Definition and Nature of Personality

• Personality – is an individual’s unique constellation of consistent behavioral traits.

• Personality trait- is a “durable disposition” to behave in a particular way in a variety of situations.

Common Personality traits.

• Honest• Moody• Impulsive• Friendly• Boastful• Kind

PERSONALITY

• Personality is a hypothetical construct referring to an organized system of reaction tendencies that mediates relations between the person and his/her uniquely identifying. The term derives from the Greek word “persona” or mask, the “face” the individual displays to the world, although in modern usage there is no suggestion of drama, or intent or even necessarily of conscious awareness. The construct is a complex one in that it refers not only to “surface” behavior but also to its purported underlying causes, its “dynamics” so to speak, whether or not these may be accessible to the consciousness of the individual concerned.

• Extroversion-activity and energy level traits, sociability and emotional expressiveness.

• Agreeableness-altruism , trust ,modesty , prosocial attitudes.

• Conscientiousness- impulse control ,goal directed behavior.

• Neuroticism- emotional stability, anxiety ,sadness , and irritability.

• Openness- breadth , complexity , and depth of an individuals life.

Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory of personality is somewhat controversial and is based on three main assumptions

• 1. Personality is governed by unconscious forces that we cannot control.

• 2. Childhood experiences play a significant role in determining adult personality.

• 3. Personality is shaped by the manner in which children cope with sexual urges.

Biological Theories

• Biological approaches suggest that genetics are responsible for personality. Research on heritability suggests that there is a link between genetics and personality traits.

• One of the best known biological theorists was Hans Eysenck, who linked aspects of personality to biological processes. For example, Eysenck argued that introverts had high cortical arousal, leading them to avoid stimulation.

Behavioral Theories

• Behavioral theories suggest that personality is a result of interaction between the individual and the environment. Behavioral theorists study observable and measurable behaviors, rejecting theories that take internal thoughts and feelings into account. Behavioral theorists include B. F. Skinner and John B. Watson.

Psychodynamic Theories

• Psychodynamic theories of personality are heavily influenced by the work of Sigmund Freud, and emphasize the influence of the unconscious mind and childhood experiences on personality. Psychodynamic theories include Sigmund Freud's psychosexual stage theory and Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development.

• Freud believed the three components of personality were the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is responsible for all needs and urges, while the superego for ideals and moral. The ego moderates between the demands of the id, the superego, and reality.

• Erikson believed that personality progressed through a series of stages, with certain conflicts arising at each stage. Success in any stage depended upon successfully overcoming these conflicts.

Humanist Theories

• Humanist theories emphasize the importance of free will and individual experience in the development of personality. Humanist theorists emphasized the concept of self-actualization, which is an innate need for personal growth that motivates behavior. Humanist theorists include Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.

Trait Theories

• The trait theory approach is one of the largest areas within personality psychology. According to this theory, personality is made up of a number of broad traits. A trait is basically a relatively stable characteristic that causes an individual to behave in certain ways. Some of the best known trait theories include Eysenck's three-dimension theory and the five factor theory of personality.

Ways of Improving Personality

• Be a better listener. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was considered one of the most charming women in the world because she cultivated the skill of being an exceptional listener. She was known for the way she would look a person in the eyes, hang on their every word, and make them feel important. There is nothing more appealing than having someone listen to you intently making you feel like you're the only person in the world.

• Read more and expand your interests.The more you read and cultivate new interests, the more interesting you are to others. When you meet new people it gives you the opportunity to share what you know and to exchange your views with them.

Good Conversation

• Have an Opinion.There is nothing more tiresome than trying to talk to someone who has no opinion on anything. A conversation has nowhere to go if you have nothing to expound on. If, however, you have an uncommon point of view or differing opinion, you are more interesting and stimulating to be with socially (unless you're a know-it-all, of course). A unique outlook expands everyone's perspective.

Meet New People

• Make the effort to meet new people especially those unlike you. It not only exposes you to different cultures and alternative ways of doing things, it broadens your horizons.

Be Yourself

• The next most tiresome thing after having no opinions is trying to be something you're not. Molding yourself in order to fit in, or be accepted, usually backfires. Since each of us is unique, expressing that uniqueness is what makes us interesting. Attempting to be a carbon copy of someone else not only falls flat, but reveals a lack of authenticity.

Have A Positive Outlook and Attitude

• Who wants to be around people who are negative, complain a lot, or have nothing good to say? In fact, most of us run when we see them coming. Instead, be the kind of upbeat person who lights up a room with your energy when you enter it. Do it by looking for the best in people and things. Smile warmly, spread good cheer, and enliven others with your presence.

Be Fun and See The Humorous Side of Life

• Everyone enjoys the company of someone who makes them laugh, or smile, so look for the humorous, quirky side in a situation - there always is one. Comic relief is a much welcome and needed diversion at times. When you can add fun and lightheartedness to an otherwise dull or gloomy setting, others will naturally be attracted to you, not to mention grateful.

Be Supportive of Others

• Being supportive is probably the most endearing quality you can integrate into your personality. Just as you yourself welcome it, be the support for others when they need it. We all love a cheerleader in our corner; someone who is encouraging, believes in us and helps pick us up when we're down.

Have Integrity and Treat People with Respect

• Being honest and true to your word will bring you the admiration, respect and gratitude of others. Nothing improves a person's personality more than integrity and respect - respect for others, as well as respect for yourself.

Learning Theory

• The International Personality Item Pool is a public domain collection of items for use in personality tests. It is managed by the Oregon Research Institute.

• The Revised NEO Personality Inventory is a psychological personality inventory, first published in 1990 as a revised version of inventories dating to 1978. The NEO PI-R consists of 240 questions intended to measure the Big Five personality traits: Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness to Experience. Additionally, the test measures six subordinate dimensions (known as facets) of each of the main personality factors. The test was developed by Paul Costa, Jr. and Robert McCrae for use with adult men and women without overt psychopathology, but was later shown to be potentially useful at younger ages.

• The International Personality Item Pool is a public domain collection of items for use in personality tests. It is managed by the Oregon Research Institute.

• The pool contains 2,413 items.

• The Big Five Inventory (BFI) is a self-report inventory designed to measure the Big Five dimensions. It is quite brief for a multidimensional personality inventory (44 items total), and consists of short phrases with relatively accessible vocabulary.

• Self-descriptive questionnaires• Self-Report questionnaires• Relative-scored Big 5 measure

• A test to summarize an individual about their personality. It contains 50 statements that must be rated 1-5. Could be finished between 3 to 8 minutes.

Understanding Language and Communication

• Language, the transmitter of culture, and with it, much of our psychological make up. Vygotsky called language a 'Tool of Intellectual Adaptation'. Our language allows us to have verbal thoughts, and with our thoughts we make the world.

• Language is the ability to acquire and use complex systems of communication, particularly the human ability to do so, and a language is any specific example of such a system. The scientific study of language is called linguistics.

• Communication (from Latin commūnicāre, meaning "to share") is the activity of conveying meaning through a shared system of signs and semiotic rules.

• “What we say is who we are.”

• Anxiety disorders: People with anxiety disorders respond to certain objects or situations with fear and dread, as well as with physical signs of anxiety or panic, such as a rapid heartbeat and sweating. An anxiety disorder is diagnosed if the person's response is not appropriate for the situation, if the person cannot control the response, or if the anxiety interferes with normal functioning. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias.

• Mood disorders: These disorders, also called affective disorders, involve persistent feelings of sadness or periods of feeling overly happy, or fluctuations from extreme happiness to extreme sadness. The most common mood disorders are depression, bipolar disorder, and cyclothymic disorder.

• Psychotic disorders: Psychotic disorders involve distorted awareness and thinking. Two of the most common symptoms of psychotic disorders are hallucinations -- the experience of images or sounds that are not real, such as hearing voices -- and delusions, which are false fixed beliefs that the ill person accepts as true, despite evidence to the contrary. Schizophrenia is an example of a psychotic disorder.

• Eating disorders: Eating disorders involve extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors involving weight and food. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are the most common eating disorders.

• Impulse control and addiction disorders: People with impulse control disorders are unable to resist urges, or impulses, to perform acts that could be harmful to themselves or others. Pyromania (starting fires), kleptomania (stealing), and compulsive gambling are examples of impulse control disorders. Alcohol and drug are common objects of addictions. Often, people with these disorders become so involved with the objects of their addiction that they begin to ignore responsibilities and relationships.

• Personality disorders: People with personality disorders have extreme and inflexible personality traits that are distressing to the person and/or cause problems in work, school, or social relationships. In addition, the person's patterns of thinking and behavior significantly differ from the expectations of society and are so rigid that they interfere with the person's normal functioning. Examples include antisocial personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and paranoid personality disorder.

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): People with OCD are plagued by constant thoughts or fears that cause them to perform certain rituals or routines. The disturbing thoughts are called obsessions, and the rituals are called compulsions. An example is a person with an unreasonable fear of germs who constantly washes his or her hands.

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): PTSD is a condition that can develop following a traumatic and/or terrifying event, such as a sexual or physical assault, the unexpected death of a loved one, or a natural disaster. People with PTSD often have lasting and frightening thoughts and memories of the event, and tend to be emotionally numb.