Personality and Assessment

Module 25

PersonalityPersonality

• an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

Personality Discussion Questions

• How would you describe your personality?

• What factors influence the development a person’s personality?

The Psychodynamic Perspective

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

• Proposed the first complete theory of personality – psychoanalysis

• A person’s thoughts and behaviors emerge from:– tension generated by

unconscious motives– unresolved childhood

conflicts

Freud’s View of the Human MindFreud’s View of the Human MindDraw and label Freud’s view of the human mid. Include

descriptions for each element (pages 481 – 483)

Conscious MindConscious Mind

• the thoughts and feelings one is currently aware of

Preconscious MindPreconscious Mind

• holds thoughts and memories that are not in one’s conscious awareness but can easily be retrieved

Unconscious MindUnconscious Mind

• includes mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories

* Goal for Freud: help patients open door to the unconscious region of the mind so that they could recover painful childhood memories and healing could occur

Freud’s Concept of the “Id”Freud’s Concept of the “Id”

• part of personality that consists of unconscious energy from basic aggressive and sexual drives

• operates on the “pleasure principle” - the id demands immediate gratification

• is present from birth

Freud’s Concept of the “Superego”Freud’s Concept of the “Superego”

• part of personality that consists of internalized values (“conscience”) that develop as a child interacts with:– Parents– Peers– Society

• one’s conscience; focuses on what the person “should” do

Freud’s Concept of the “Ego”Freud’s Concept of the “Ego”

• part of personality that mediates the demands of the id without going against the restraints of the superego

• follows the reality principle – sometimes gratification must be put off until the appropriate time or prevented if it is socially unacceptable

Should I eat the bacon- double cheese burger?

• Id – “Yes. It is yummy and I am hungry.”

• Superego – “No. It is bad for my health. It is not an ecologically sustainable way to eat.”

• Ego – “Well, just this one time won’t hurt. I’m in a big hurry and wouldn’t it be worse if I had a sensible meal and then had to speed to get to school on time?”

In the image below, who represents the id, the ego, and the superego?

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages

Psychosexual StagesPsychosexual Stages

• childhood stages of development • id’s pleasure seeking energies are focused

on different parts of the body

• a person can become “fixated” or stuck at a stage, leading to problems as an adult

Oral StageOral Stage(1 – 18 months)(1 – 18 months)

• pleasure comes from chewing, biting, and sucking

• weaning can be a conflict at this stage

• Problems from Fixation: have issues with dependency or aggression; can result in problems with drinking, eating, smoking, or nail biting

Anal StageAnal Stage(18 – 36 months)(18 – 36 months)

• gratification comes from bowel & bladder functions

• potty training can be a conflict at this stage

• Problems from Fixation:– Too lenient approach: anal-expulsive personality

could develop (messy, wasteful, or destructive personality)

– Too strict or begin toilet training too early: anal-retentive personality develops (stringent, orderly, rigid, and obsessive)

Phallic StagePhallic Stage((3 – 6 years)3 – 6 years)

• pleasure zone shifts to the genitals.

• boys cope with feelings of love toward their mother and rival feelings toward their dad (Oedipus conflict)

• Freud – no parallel process for girls

• others psychoanalysts – girls love dad and fear mom (Electra complex)

• Problems from Fixation: weak or confused sexual identity

Latency StageLatency Stage((6 – puberty)6 – puberty)

• sexual feelings are dormant

• child identifies with and tries to mimic the same sex parent to learn gender identity

• sexual energy is still present, but it is directed into other areas (intellectual pursuits & social interactions)

• stage is important in the development of social & communication skills and self-confidence

Genital StageGenital Stage(puberty on)(puberty on)

• begins at puberty with the maturation of sexual interests

• interest in the welfare of others grows

• if the other stages have been completed successfully, individual should be well-balanced, warm, and caring

• goal of stage: establish a balance between the various life areas

Assessing Personality from a Psychodynamic Perspective

Projective TestsProjective Tests

• provide ambiguous stimuli to trigger projection of one’s inner thoughts and feelings

• Include:

– Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

– Rorschach Inkblot Test

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

• people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes

Rorschach Inkblot TestRorschach Inkblot Test

• seeks to identify people’s inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of 10 inkblots

Evaluating the Psychodynamic

Perspective

Evaluating Freud’s TheoryEvaluating Freud’s TheoryMost psychodynamic psychologists…

Disagree w/ Freud:– Sex is not the basis of personality– People do not “fixate” at stages

Agree w/ Freud:– Much of a person’s mental life is unconscious– People struggle w/ inner conflicts (defense

mechanisms are used)– Childhood experiences shape us

The Humanistic Perspective

Humanistic PerspectiveHumanistic Perspective

• focuses on the study of:– conscious experience – the individual’s freedom to choose – capacity for personal growth

• studies fulfilled and healthy individuals rather than troubled people

• believe:– people are naturally good and full of potential – personality is shaped by our ability to determine our

future (not unconscious conflicts or past learning)

Malsow’s Hierarchy of NeedsMalsow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Physiological Needs

Safety Needs

Belongingness/Love

Esteem

S-A

Assessing Personality from a

Humanistic Perspective

Humanistic MeasuresHumanistic Measures

• evaluating a person’s self concept--all of our thoughts and feelings about ourselves

• answer the question “Who Am I?”

• describe yourself as you are and as you would like to be

Evaluating HumanismEvaluating Humanism

• influenced therapy, child-rearing, and the workplace

• more researchers studying human strengths and virtues (not just disorders)

• critics argue humanistic terms (spontaneous, loving, productive) are vague and hard to define precisely so others can scientifically test them

End Class Notes – Fall 2011

Abraham Maslow & Self-Actualization

Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)

• Humanistic psychologist who developed the hierarchy of needs

• believed that self-actualization is the ultimate psychological need

Hierarchy Hierarchy of Needsof Needs

• higher-level needs won’t become active until lower-level needs have been satisfied

• ultimate goal is self-actualization - live up to one’s fullest and unique potential

Hierarchy of Needs QsHierarchy of Needs Qs

• Do you think the order of needs is true for most people?

• What might be some exceptions to this order?

• Are there important motives not included in the hierarchy?

Self-ActualizationSelf-ActualizationAccording to Maslow, a self-actualized person is:

– self aware and self accepting– open, spontaneous, loving, and caring– not paralyzed by other’s opinions– focused on a particular task– involved in a few deep relationships, not many

superficial ones– likely to have been moved by personal peak

experiences that surpass ordinary consciousness

Do you agree?

PsychoanalysisPsychoanalysis

• Freud’s theory of personality

• therapeutic technique - provides insight into one’s thoughts and actions

• expose and interpret the underlying unconscious motives and conflicts

Free Association PracticeFree Association Practice

• Relax

• Write whatever comes to mind no matter how trivial or embarrassing

Free AssociationFree Association

• technique of exploring the unconscious mind

• have the person relax and say whatever comes to mind (no matter how trivial or embarrassing)

• Freud viewed free association as a window into the unconscious mind

Defense Mechanisms

Defense MechanismsDefense Mechanisms

• “Anxiety is the price for living in a civilized society” – Sigmund Freud

• conflict between id and superego produces this anxiety

• defense mechanisms help the ego protect itself & reduce anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality

RepressionRepression

• puts anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories into the unconscious mind

RegressionRegression

• allows an anxious person to retreat to a more comfortable, infantile stage of life

• example: 6-year-old who wants to sit in Mom’s lap after a new sibling is born

DenialDenial

• lets an anxious person refuse to admit that something unpleasant is happening

• example: drinker who consumes a six-pack a day but claims not to have a drinking problem

Reaction FormationReaction Formation

• reverses an unacceptable impulse, causing the person to express the opposite of the anxiety-provoking, unconscious feeling

• example: feelings of dislike for someone you’re interested in but who is already going out with another person

ProjectionProjection

• disguises threatening feelings of guilty anxiety by attributing the problems to others

• example: an angry spouse accuses their partner of hostility

RationalizationRationalization

• displaces real, anxiety-provoking explanations with more comforting justifications for one’s actions

• example: smoker who smokes “just to look older” or “only with friends”

DisplacementDisplacement

• shifts an unacceptable impulse toward a more acceptable or less threatening object or person

• example: being angry at the boss and kicking the dog

The Psychodynamic Perspective:

Neo-Freudians

Psychodynamic PerspectivePsychodynamic Perspective

• more modern view of personality that retains some aspects of Freudian theory but rejects other aspects

• retains the importance of the unconscious mind

• less emphasis on unresolved childhood conflicts

Neo-FreudiansNeo-Freudians

• followers of Freud’s theories but developed theories of their own in areas where they disagreed with Freud

Read “The Neo-Freudians” Read “The Neo-Freudians” (pages 486 – 487)(pages 486 – 487)

Complete the chart below as you readComplete the chart below as you read

Name Agreed with

Freud on…

Added to Freud’s work by

proposing…

Alfred Adler

Carl Jung

Karen Horney

Alfred Adler (1870-1937)Alfred Adler (1870-1937)• agreed with Freud on the

importance of early childhood

• thought social tensions were more important than sexual tensions

• believed psychological problems were the result of feelings of inferiority

Inferiority ComplexInferiority Complex

• condition that comes from being unable to compensate for normal inferiority feelings

Carl Jung (1875-1961)Carl Jung (1875-1961)

• believed that humans share a collective unconscious

• shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our ancestors

• information everyone knows from birth

ArchetypesArchetypes • Archetypal events:

– birth – death– separation from

parents– Marriage

• Archetypal figures– mother – father– child – God

Archetypes – universal symbols found in stories,

myths, and art

Karen Horney (1885-1952)Karen Horney (1885-1952)

• found psychoanalysis negatively biased against women

• believed cultural/social variables are the foundation of personality development

• social expectations explain gender identity

Carl Rogers & the Person-Centered

Approach

Carl Rogers (1902-1987)Carl Rogers (1902-1987)

• Humanistic psychologist who stressed the importance of: – acceptance– genuineness – empathy

• people thrive when they have all three

1. unconditional positive regard - attitude of total acceptance toward another person despite their faults and failings

2. genuineness - freely expressing one’s feelings and not being afraid to disclose details about oneself

3. empathy - sharing thoughts and understanding; listening and reflecting the other person’s feelings

3 Qualities that Foster Human Growth3 Qualities that Foster Human Growth

Think about this…Think about this…• Do you agree with Rogers’ list?

• Is there anything you would add to his list?

• Are there any of the three elements you would take away?

• Which element do you think is most important?