PERSONALITY

Almost everyone has one…

Definition

“The organization of enduring behavior patterns that often serve to distinguish us from one another.”

What is included in personality? Thinking Feeling Behaving Experiencing the Environment

Personality Theory

Ideas that offer sweeping perspectives on human nature Psychoanalytical Humanistic Trait Social-Cognitive   

HOW IS PERSONALITY ASSESSED?

DIANGNOSTIC TESTING Identifying characteristics of

a personality

NON-PROJECTIVE ANSWER PROVIDED, YOU

CHOOSE PROJECTIVE

VAGUE, PROJECT YOUR OWN ANSWER

Non-Projective Tests: MMPIMinnesota Multi-phasic Personality Inventory Designed to assess a number of the major

patterns of personality and emotional disorders.

Empirically derived To aid in making psychiatric diagnoses To help the psychologist get an overall view of a

client's personality traits and types

All Questions are self reported and YES or NO

14. I have diarrhea once a month or more15. Once in a while I think of things too bad to talk about16. I am sure I get a raw deal from life17. My father was a good man

What might the limitations of this type of testing be?

Which picture do you like the best?Consider both color and form.

(Choose 1)

12

3

4 5 6

7

8

9

# 1 Carefree, playful, cheerful

You love a free and spontaneous life. And you attempt to enjoy it to the fullest, in accordance with the motto: "You only live once."

You are very curious and open about everything new; you thrive on change. Nothing is worse than when you feel tied down. You experience your environment as being versatile and always good for a surprise.

# 2 Independent, unconventional, tolerant

You demand a free and unattached life for yourself that allows you to determine your own course. You have an artistic bent in your work or leisure activities. Your urge for freedom sometimes causes you to do exactly the opposite of what expected of you.

Your lifestyle is highly individualistic. You would never blindly imitate what is "in"; on the contrary, you seek to live according to your own ideas and convictions, even if this means swimming against the tide.

# 3 Introspective, sensitive, reflective

You come to grips more frequently and thoroughly with yourself and your environment than do most people. You detest superficiality; you'd rather be alone than have to suffer through small talk. But your relationships with your friends are very strong, which gives you the inner tranquility and harmony that you require. You do not mind being alone for extended periods of time; you rarely become bored.

#4 Down to earth, well-balanced, harmonious

You value a natural style and love things that are uncomplicated. People admire you because you have both feet planted firmly on the ground and they can depend on you. You give those who are close to you security and space. You are perceived as being warm. You reject everything that is tasteless. You tend to be skeptical toward the whims of fashion trends. For you, clothing has to be practical, simple, and functional.

# 5 Professional, practical, self-assured

You take charge of your life, and place less faith in your luck and more in your own deeds. You solve problems in a practical manner. You take a realistic view of the things in your daily life and tackle them without wavering. You are given a great deal of responsibility at work, because people know that you can be depended upon.

Your pronounced strength of will projects your self-assurance to others. You are never fully satisfied until you have accomplished your goals.

# 6 Peaceful, discreet, non-aggressive

You are easy-going yet discreet. You make friends effortlessly, yet enjoy your privacy and independence. You like to get away from it all and be alone from time to time to contemplate the meaning of life. You need space, so you escape to beautiful hideaways, but you are not a loner. You are at peace with yourself and the world, and you appreciate life and what this world has to offer.

# 7 Analytical, trustworthy, self-assured 

You are understanding of others. You like to surround yourself with little "gems," that are often overlooked by others. 

Culture and art play a special role in your life. You have found your own personal style. Your ideal, upon which you base your life, is sophisticated pleasure. You associate with people that are creative and artistic.

# 8 Romantic, dreamy, emotional

You are a very sensitive person. You refuse to view things only from a serious, rational standpoint. What your feelings tell you is just as important to you. You feel it is important to have big dreams in your life.

You reject people who scorn romanticism and are guided only by rationality. You refuse to let anything confine the rich variety of your moods and emotions.

# 9 Dynamic, active, extroverted

You are quite willing to accept certain risks and to make a strong commitment in exchange for interesting and varied work. Routine, in contrast, tends to have a paralyzing effect on you.

What you like most is to be able to play an active role in events. In doing so, your initiative is highly pronounced.

Rorschach Ink Blot Test

You will need paper and something to write with.

Write down what you see on each slide. Respond quickly, each slide will be

shown for 30 seconds.

Plate 1

Plate 2

Plate 3

Plate 4

Plate 5

Plate 6

What did you see in plate 1?

This is a black and white card, often described as looking like a mask or the face of a fox or wolf.

What did you see in plate 2?

This is a card with black and red ink, often described as people dancing or touching hands with each other.

What did you see in plate 3?

This is a card with black and red ink, frequently visualized as two people facing each other or sometimes a butterfly or moth.

What did you see in plate 4?

A card with only black ink formed in a triangle-shaped blot. The two lower corners are often described as shoes or boots. This card may also be seen as viewing a person from below or a male figure with a large sex organ.

What did you see in plate 5?

Another card with only black ink. The vast majority of test subjects will see a bat- or bird-like figure. This is by far the most common response.

What did you see in plate 6?

A card with only black ink. This card has a rough "V" shape sometimes described as faces pointing towards one another, "bunny ears", or similar visualizations.

What is being interpreted?

If your main image is…

In the dark blots

In the white spaces

In the upper portions of the inkblot (or you see your image moving upward

In the lower portions of the inkblot

(or if you see your image falling down)

This may mean…

You think the way most people do

You are an unusual, perhaps creative thinker

You are an achiever

You are sad about something

What kind of images do you see most often?

If you see… Inanimate objects Abstract concepts

(joy)

Plants or animals People Food

Action Danger or

Aggression

This may mean… You are good at mechanical

things You enjoy dealing with ideas

& theories You are a nature lover You are extroverted You like to take care of people

or have people take care of you.

You are a doer rather than a thinker

You are upset or worried about something

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Picture Interpretation Technique

30 provocative yet ambiguous pictures about which the subject must tell a story.

Tell a dramatic story including:

What has led up to the event shown?

What is happening at the moment?

What the characters are feeling and thinking?

What the outcome of the story was?

Another TAT Example

Evaluation & Purpose of the TAT? Content of Story Subject’s manner,

vocal tone, & posture Hesitation or

avoidance Emotional response

(made anxious) Anecdotal remarks (I

don’t like the picture)

Not be used in the differential diagnosis of mental disorders.

Often administered to individuals who have already received a diagnosis in order to match them with the type of psychotherapy best suited to their personalities.

Forensics-assess motivations & general attitudes

Projective Tests

Thematic Apperception Test Story that test taker projects their own

traits on to Rorschach Inkblot Test

Ambiguous inkblots that are believed to reflect the test taker’s inner thoughts and conflicts

The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog.

Barnum Effect

tendency for people to accept very general or vague characterizations of themselves and take them to be accurate.

Personality profiles, horoscopes, palm readings

P.T. Barnum believed a good circus had “a little something for everyone.”

Psychoanalytical Perspective Sigmund Freud Thoughts and

actions are attributed to unconscious motives and conflicts Id Ego Superego

Freudian Slips are Funny!

“Anxiety is the price we pay for civilized society.” Sigmund Freud

Defense mechanisms The conflict between the id’s wishes and

the superego’s social rules produces this anxiety.

The ego has an arsenal of unconscious defense mechanisms that help rid anxious tension by distorting reality.

Repression

Banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness.

Believed repression was the basis for all the other anxiety-reducing defense mechanisms.

Example: When asked how he feels about the breakup with Muffy, Biff replies, “Who? Oh, yeah, I haven’t thought about her in a while.”

Denial

The most primitive defense, a distortion of reality by simply negating the truth.

Not accepting the ego threatening truth.

Biff continues to act as if he and Muffy are still together. He waits by her locker, calls her every night, and plans their future dates.

Maybe Muffy and I should

go to Chipotle tonight!

Displacement

Redirecting one’s feeling toward another person or object whom they perceive as less threatening.

Biff could displace his feeling of anger and resentment onto his little brother, pet hamster, or football.

Projection

People attribute their own unacceptable desires to others.

Believing that the feelings one has toward someone else are actually held by the other person.

Biff insists MUFFY still cares for him.

I still love Biff!

I wish he would take me back!

Reaction Formation

Your behavior is exactly opposite your true feelings

Biff claims he loathes Muffy

Man, I’m so glad I

dumped Muffy. I

can’t stand her!

Regression

Returning to an earlier, comforting form of behavior.

Biff begins to sleep with his favorite childhood stuffed animal, Fuzzy Kitten.

I just want my Mr. Fuzzy

Kitten…

Rationalization

Coming up with a beneficial result of an undesirable occurrence.

Sweet Lemons & Sour Grapes

insisting that something unpleasant is in fact desirable

put down something simply because they can't have it.

Attempts to logically “explain away” unacceptable behavior.

Biff believes that he can find a better girlfriend. Muffy is not really all that pretty, smart, and fun to be with.

Which one?

Intellectualization

Undertaking an academic, unemotional study of a topic.

Helps a person minimize anxiety by viewing threatening issues in abstract terms

Biff embarks on an in-depth research project about failed teen romances.

Sublimation

Channeling one’s frustration toward a different goal.

Sublimation is viewed as a particularly healthy defense mechanism.

Biff devotes himself to writing novels and publishes a small chapter book before he graduates high school.

Let’s Get Psychodynamic!

Freudian Role Playing How do the ID, EGO, & SUPEREGO influence

our personality & behavior?

Freud’s Psychosexual StagesFreud’s analyses of his patients led him to conclude that personality forms during the first 5-6 years of life. He believed that his patients problems originated in conflicts that had not been resolved during childhood years. These conflicts may manifest themselves later in life.

Oral 1-18 months

Anal 18-36 months

Phallic3-6 years

Latency6-puberty

GenitalPuberty on

Pleasure centers on the mouth- sucking, biting, chewingWeaning can be a conflict in this stage.

Pleasure focuses on bowel and bladder function; copingwith demands for control. Potty training can be a conflict.

Pleasure zone is the genitals; coping with incestuous feelings. Boys love mom and fear Dad. “Oedipus Complex”

Dormant sexual feelings. Children repress their feelings for the rival parent. “Identification Process” & “Gender Identity”

Maturation of sexual interests. Begin experiencing sexual feelings toward others.

Freud believed the patient had become “stuck” or “fixated” in one of the stages.

Neo-Freudians

Alfred Adler Believed social tensions,

NOT sexual tensions, were crucial in the development of personality.

Birth Order & Inferiority Complex

Karen Horney Believed Freud’s theory

was male dominated. Social variables, not

biological variables are the foundation of personality development.

Horney and the other Neo’s started the movement toward revising psychoanalysis we use today.

Carl Jung Unlike Adler, Jung

discounted social factors Collective Unconscious-

shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our ancestors.

Archetypes (universal symbols) provided the evidence for this idea. “Shadow” is the darker, evil side of human nature. Supposedly, we hide this archetype from the world and ourselves.

Contemporary psychologists believe that some evolution has contributed to some universal behavior tendencies.