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Theories of Personality What is personality? Origin of the concept Western conceptualizations of
personalityTrait/TypePsychodynamicBehavioralConstructivist
Indigenous conceptualizations of personality
What is Personality? Gk. “Persona” Personality is that which characterizes
an individual and determines his/her unique adaptation to the environment
What is the Purpose of Personality Theories?
Each theory is a model for understanding the way people are
Makes it possible to “know” why people do what they doExplain past behaviorsPredict future behaviors
Personality Like identity, personality is culturally
constructed
Every society reproduces its culture—its norms, its underlying assumptions, its mode of organizing experience—in the individual, in the form of personality. Lasch, 1980, p.34
In every society Some personality characteristics are
elevated Other personality characteristics are
devalued
Western European societies value individuality
Personal independence, autonomy, self-determination, separation, individuation, clear interpersonal boundaries, self-expression, personal ambition, personal property, self-sufficiency, assertiveness, competition, clear and direct verbal communication
Devalue collectivism as primitive and pathological enmeshment
Most every other society Values Collectivism
Personal embeddedness in a web of relationships, loyalty, interdependence, interpersonal harmony, co-operation, subtle non-verbal, indirect communication
Devalues Self-centeredness as the cause of sufferingdirect, assertive communication as a
primitive way of relating
Colonization(colonialism)
The maintenance of political, social, economic, and cultural domination over people for an extended period
Colonizers Privilege their own culture Devalue some aspects of local cultures
E.g., Europeans interpreted Indigenous Peoples’ unfamiliar beliefs, physical appearances, and practices as signs of biological, intellectual, cultural and moral inferiority
Devaluation justifies exploitation, appropriation of land and resources, genocide
“Race” as an Instrument of Colonization
Linnaeus (~1750) Invented the 4 “races” connecting
geographical region, skin color, and “temperament”
Americanus Europaeus Asiaticus Afer
Cultural Determinsim Divides the colonizer from the colonized Makes subordination appear “natural” Vernon (1969, p. 29)
“…it seems reasonable to regard the Puritan ethic of the western middle class as producing the greatest development of intelligence, in contrast, both to the western lower class and to the “less civilized” cultures.”
Western Personality Strategies The hundreds of personality theories all
fit into 4 broad strategiesTrait/TypePsychodynamicBehavioralConstructivist
Each Strategy has its Own Underlying assumptions Methods of Assessment Methods of intervention Strengths and limitations
Trait/Type Strategy Describes people in terms of traits,
types, predispositions Oldest strategy Comes most naturally Cultural determinism is dispositional
Trait/Type Strategy Underlying Assumptions
Behavior is consistent Across situationsOver time
Methods of AssessmentSelf report inventoriesObservation
Trait/Type Strategy Methods of intervention: there aren’t any Applications
MMPI for personnel selection based on predicted job performance
Prediction of health outcomes based on Type Strengths
Provides a way of organizing observations Limitations
Deterministic No hope for change
Psychodynamic Strategy Underlying assumptions
Our narratives are essential to who we areThe present personality is shaped by the
pastUnconscious conflicts from early childhood
problems motivate behaviorPersonality can be expressed either directly
or indirectlyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTHM2o3
dvao
Methods of Assessment Requirements:
worldview that valuesIndividualism self-focus
willingness and ability to be introspective, identify one’s own thoughts and feelings,
andtalk about them to a professional helper
Sources of Information The assessment involves gathering
information about the person from the person’s story, history, and from observation during the assessment
interview(s) Indirect sources
Dreams, ambiguous stimuli (e.g., ink blots)Children: play
Focus Presenting problem Life situation History Quality of Relationships Rapport Motivation Insight
Psychodynamic Intervention
Interpretation brings insight Insight brings change May involve
Re-experiencing the traumatic situationRealization that these conditions no longer
exist
Strengths Strengths
All problems make sense in contextAll problems were attempted solutions at
one timeOur stories are importantMuch of who we are is outside of our
awarenessCorrective experienceTherapeutic use of self
Limitations Ignores ecosystemic context of
problems Ignores impact of present circumstances Situates the problem within the person Deterministic Cultural bias Power differential between client and
therapist
Behavioral Strategy
Underlying assumptions Personality is behavior
Overt behavior observable
Covert behavior Internal, private
Behavior is determined by present situational and environmental factors Not history, traits, etc.
Underlying assumptions Maintaining Conditions
AntecedentsConsequences
Behavior changes through Learning and experienceChanging the situation
Future behavior is predicted by past behavior
Assessment Behavior is assessed via direct observation of a person in
different contextsE.g., home, school, etc.
Self-report inventories
Intervention Identifying and prioritizing target
behaviors Identifying and modifying maintaining
conditionsAntecedents Consequences
Treating problems sequentially Observe > Record > Change Conditions Example: exposure therapy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eepQ9disDCs
Strengths and Limitations Strengths
Short termMeasurable Doesn’t depend on insight
LimitationsReductionistic Ignores history, insight, corrective
relationship
Constructivist Strategy Underlying Assumptions
We construct our realitiesConstructivism
The reality of events lies solely in the way they are perceived.
People are active agents, constantly changing and evolving toward self-actualization
Self-actualization = becoming who you really are; all that you are capable of being
Constructivist Assessment Less focused on particular events or
behaviors than on the meaning people attach to them
Focus is on the present, here and now Self-report = only means of assessing
perception Self-report taken at face value, not
inferential
Intervention Guiding the individual to discover
him/her potentials and actualize them Stresses self-determination Requires accurate empathy Carl Rogers
Basic human need for unconditional positive regard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjTpEL8acfo
Cognitive Therapy Cognitive therapy makes the
assumption that thoughts precede moods and that false self-beliefs lead to negative emotions.
Cognitive Therapy aims to help the patient
recognize and reassess his patterns of negative thoughts and
replace them with positive thoughts that more closely reflect reality.
Cognitive Distortions Cognitive therapy recognizes 10
common patterns of faulty thinking, which are known as cognitive distortions.
All-or-Nothing Thinking: Failing to recognize that there may be some middle ground. Characterized by absolute terms like always, never, and forever.
Overgeneralization: Taking an isolated case and assuming that all others are the same.
Cognitive Distortions Mental Filter: Mentally singling out the
bad events in one's life and overlooking the positive.
Disqualifying the Positive: Treating positive events like they don't really count.
Jumping to Conclusions: Assuming the worst about a situation even though there is no evidence to back their conclusion.
Cognitive Distortions Should Statements: Rigidly focusing on
how you think things should be rather than finding strategies for dealing with how things are.
Labeling and Mislabeling: Applying false and harsh labels to oneself and others.
Personalization: Blaming yourself for things that are out of your control.
Cognitive Distortions Magnification and Minimization:
Downplaying positive events while paying an inordinate amount of attention to negative ones.
Emotional Reasoning: Allowing your emotions to govern what you think about a situation rather than objectively looking at the facts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIzm4jiyvXI&feature=fvw
Abraham Maslow Characteristics of self-actualized persons
ClarityAcceptanceFreshness of appreciation’Spontaneity, simplicity, naturalnessFocusProcess oriented
Detachment Independence from culture and situation Resistance to assimilation/acculturation Desire to help others Pluralistic world view Deep interpersonal relations Philosophical sense of humor\ Creative Peak experiences
Strengths and Limitations Strengths
Recognizes our unlimited potential for growth
Recognizes the importance of perception in adaptation
Limitations Individualistic Ignores historical and behavioral
informationRelies on self-report
Overview Each personality strategy has its own
Underlying assumptions Methods of assessment Methods of intervention Strengths Limitations
Each personality theory is an attempt of find similarities between people but has the disadvantage of overlooking variability and diversity