Myers’ EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY (5th Ed) Chapter 12 Personality

Myers’ EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY (5th Ed)

Chapter 12

Personality

What is Personality?

Characteristics of behavior Four basic perspectives:

psychoanalytic humanistic trait social-cognitive

The Psychoanalytic Perspective

Freud’s theory Personality influenced

by: childhood sexuality unconscious motivations

The Psychoanalytic Perspective Unconscious

Freud: Mostly unacceptable thoughts & wishes

OR Now (non-Freudian): information processing of

which we are unaware

Preconscious info that is not conscious but is retrievable into

conscious awareness

Personality Structure (Freud)

Personality Structure

Id Location: unconscious Role: to satisfy basic sexual and

aggressive drives. Motto: “Pleasure Principle”


Ego Location: conscious Role: “executive”; Mediates id & superego Motto: “Reality Principle”


Superego Location: spans unconscious & conscious Role: our ideals, conscience, judgment,

guilt Motto: “Perfection”


Freud’s idea of the mind’s structure

Id

Superego

Ego Conscious mind

Unconscious mind

Psychosexual Stages (Freud)

Personality Development Identification

Children incorporate their parents’ values into their developing superegos.

Fixation: Arrested Development (see previous slide)

Defense Mechanisms

Protect the Ego Operate Unconsciously Distort Reality

Defense Mechanisms

Repression anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and

memories are kept out of consciousness

Reaction Formation unconscious switching of unacceptable impulses

into their opposites

Defense Mechanisms

Projection their own threatening impulses are attributed to

others

Rationalization self-justifying explanations in place of the real

reasons

Defense Mechanisms

Displacement aggressive impulses directed toward a more

acceptable or less threatening object or person

Regression Reverting to older more immature behavior to

express feelings

Assessing the Unconscious

Projective Test Rorschach or TAT, that provides ambiguous

stimuli designed to trigger projection Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Assessing the Unconscious--TAT

Assessing the Unconscious Rorschach Inkblot Test

Projective test. a set of 10 inkblots designed by Hermann

Rorschach

Assessing the Unconscious--Rorschach

The Trait Perspective

Trait a characteristic pattern of behavior A pre-disposition to feel and act assessed by self-report inventories and peer

reports Personality Inventory

used to assess selected personality traits


The “Big Five” Personality FactorsTrait Dimension DescriptionEmotional 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


“Big Five” Personality Test online: http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) the most widely researched and clinically used of

all personality tests

Humanistic Perspective

Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) Self-Actualization

the motivation to fulfill one’s potential


Carl Rogers (1902-1987) focused on growth and fulfillment of individuals. Self-Concept

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in an answer to the question “Who am I?”


Carl Rogers Unconditional Positive Regard

Ideal vs. Real self an attitude of total acceptance toward another

person


Individualism

Collectivism


Morality Defined by individuals Defined by social networks (self-based) (duty-based)

Attributing Behavior reflects one’s personality Behavior reflects socialbehaviors and attitudes and roles

Value Contrasts Between Individualism and CollectivismConcept 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

Social-Cognitive Perspective

Personal Control External Locus of Control

chance or outside forces beyond one’s personal control determine one’s fate

Internal Locus of Control one controls one’s own fate


Learned Helplessness (Seligman) hopelessness and resignation occurs when we are unable to avoid or control

repeated negative events

Social-Cognitive Perspective- Learned Helplessness Learned Helplessness

Uncontrollablebad events

Perceivedlack of control

Generalizedhelpless behavior


Positive Psychology Martin Seligman the scientific study of optimal human

functioning http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx

Personality- Summary

The Four Perspectives on Personality

Perspective Behavior Springs From Assessment Techniques Evaluation

Psychoanalytic Unconscious conflicts Projective tests aimed at A speculative, hard-to-test between pleasure-seeking revealing unconscious theory with enormous cul-

impulses and social restraints motivations tural impactTrait Expressing biologically (a)Personality inventories A descriptive approach crit- influenced dispositions, such that assess the strengths icized as sometimes under-

as extraversion or introversion of different traits estimating the variability (b)Peer ratings of behavior of behavior from situation patterns to situation

Humanistic Processing conscious feelings (a)Questionnaire A humane theory that about oneself in the light of assessments reinvigorated contemporary

one’s experiences (b)Empathic interviews interest in the self; criticized as subjective and sometimes naively self-centered and

optimistic

Social-cognitive Reciprocal influences between (a)Questionnaire assessments Art interactive theory that in- people and their situation, of people’s feelings of control tegrates research on learning,

colored by perceptions of (b) Observations of people’s cognition, and social behavior, control behavior in particular criticized as underestimating

situations the importance of emotions and enduring traits

Documents

Myers’ EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY (5th Ed) Chapter 12 Personality