Theories of Personality

What is Personality?Personality: the patterns, feelings, motives, and behavior that set people apart from one another5 Major approaches to the study of personality: trait theory, social cognitive theory, humanistic theory, psychoanalytic theory

The Trait Approach

Trait: a stable aspect to one’s personalityThis approach analyzes where these fixed traits come fromHippocrates: bodily fluidsHans Eysenck: relationship between 2 different traits1. Extroversion—introversion2. Emotionally stable– emotionally

instable

The 5 factor modelRecent research suggests that there are five basic personality factorsExtroversion, neuroticism (emotional stability vs. instability), conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness to experience

These are the same traits that “guessed” your personalities on the personality test

Social Cognitive ApproachPsychologists are interested in

how our thoughts influence our actions with our “social world” (basically, our social surroundings)Our thoughts are a combination of our past learning (conditioning) and our observations- we think about modeling others’ behaviors

Social Cognitive

Our behaviors in certain situations reflect the demands of that particular situationSo, you act differently depending on the situation and how you think about the situation

Social Cognitive

This perspective on personality is unique because:recognizes that people have stable personality traits (like the trait perspective)BUT- people’s traits do not predict how they will act in EVERY situationSo, our traits interact with our environment and determine our behavior

Social CognitiveSome and interesting thoughts;Those that like classical, jazz, blues, and folk music to tend to be more open to experience verbally intelligentPop, country, and religious music = outgoing and conscientiousYour personal space does indicate your personality traits (conscientiousness, openness, stability)

For the next 3 days, you are to identify 3 different “environments” or “situations” and record:1) your thoughts/perceptions of the environment/situation2) how you behaved as a result of your thoughts

Journal AssignmentOnce you have at least 3 days logged in your journal (and 3 different situations per day), you are going to analyze your entries and write a one page (max) analysis of your findingsYour analysis should answer the following questions:Did your behavior change according to the situation?Can you see a pattern develop? Do you have different “social cognitive personalities” (meaning, do you have different personalities depending on the situation)? If so, describe those personalities.

Humanistic ApproachHumanism as a contemporary theory focuses on people’s awareness of themselves and their “pursuit of self fulfillment” Abraham MaslowDesire to achieve self actualization (full potential)People are unique (their personalities are unique) b/c everyone has their own path to reach their own self fulfillment

Humanistic ApproachCarl RogersAgreed with Maslow about self actualizing tendencies (people are motivated to fulfill potential)People construct their own personalities by their own choices3 ways to reach our potential:

Being genuine to other peopleAccepting others despite faultsBeing empathetic to others’ feelings

Humanistic

Maslow and Rogers agreed: Self concept: people’s perceptions of themselves; the way you see yourself influences the way you behave, and it shapes your behavior

Humanistic ApproachEvaluationPeople’s consciousness (awareness) of themselves is key to this approachAre people generally good, or evil?Stress the freedom of the individual to make conscious choices in their livesThe focus on consciousness is good…and bad

Conscious experience is subjective and hard to measureWhat about people’s traits?

Journal Check-in

Take out your journals from yesterday

What kind of situations did you record?

Journal AssignmentOnce you have at least 3 days logged in your journal (and 3 different situations per day), you are going to analyze your entries and write a one page (max) analysis of your findingsYour analysis should answer the following questions:Did your behavior change according to the situation?Can you see a pattern develop? Do you have different “social cognitive personalities” (meaning, do you have different personalities depending on the situation)? If so, describe those personalities.

The Psychoanalytic Approach

This theory teaches that all people have an “inner conflict”.The father of this theory is, of course, Sigmund Freud.Freud had been trained as a physician in Vienna, Austria in the late nineteenth-century.He was interested by patients who SWORE up and down that they had not feeling in a hand, or a foot, but there was nothing physically wrong!He believed that studying the brain would find the answers he sought.

He started using psychoanalysis to get to the root of these issues.This is called the “talking cure” because he would literally encourage them to talk about anything.Eventually, some revelation would occur during the discussion and all that repressed anger, anxiety, or fear would emerge. The person’s physical ailment would be cured!!

Freud developed the idea that the mind has three psychological structures.The id, the ego, and the superego.

The ID represents basic drives such as hunger.tantrum-prone two –year-old, “I want what I want, and I want it now!”.demands pleasure through istant gratification.It does not pay attention to social norms, laws, or the needs of others.The id follows something called the pleasure principle – the urge for an immediate release of emotion that brings personal gratification.

The id is present at birth.The ego, however, develops because a child’s demand for instant gratification cannot be met. Ego stands for “good sense” and “reason”.It is guided by the reality principle, or the understanding that in the real world we cannot always get what we want.Freud’s theory was that the ego offers the id reasonable ways to meet its needs.For example – if you are hungry, the id wants to grab a hold of some raw meat just to satisfy the need.The ego tells you to COOK the meat first…

The superego develops through early childhood.The superego functions as the moral principle – meaning that it acts as the conscience.It incorporates the standards set by parents and members of society and tells the ego the difference between right and wrong.The superego floods the ego with feelings of guilt and SHAME!So, the ego is stuck in the middle of the never-satisfied id and the over-conscientious superego.Freud believed that people with a “healthy ego: found the perfect balance between the two.

Freud believed that the ego uses methods to avoid recognizing ideas or emotions that cause anxiety.These methods are called defense mechanisms.Repression removes the anxiety-causing ideas from conscious awareness by pushing them into the unconscious.Repression is not always a good thing because people will store-up all of this emotion and anxiety…Then, one day, they will “pop their top” about something that seems so simple to everyone else.

Defense Mechanisms

Rationalization is the use of self-deception to justify unacceptable behaviors or ideas.“I only cheated on a couple of questions on the test… I knew all the other answers.”Displacement is the transfer of an idea or impulse from a threatening or unsuitable object to a less threatening object.A student who is yelled at by a teacher may go home and yell at his or her mother.Regression is the behavior of returning to earlier stages of development when that person is under a great deal of stress.This is the person who moves back in with his parents after his wife leaves him and returns to the good old days of adolescence… at 40 years-old.

Projection is what happens when people see their own faults in someone else.The most hostile person in the room is always accusing others of being hostile because they REFUSE to see that trait in themselves.Reaction Formation means that in order to disguise one’s true feelings, they act in an opposite manner.For example – when people have crushes on other people – they may act meanly towards them to disguise that crush.

Denial is what we call a mechanism in which people refuse to accept the reality of anything that is bad or upsetting.People who drive drunk are always in denial – “Oh, nothing bad will happen to me”.And then, they kill someone else in an accident.Sublimation is the act of channeling basic impulses into socially acceptable behavior.The uber-aggressive young man that likes to fight, channels his aggression into contact sports – like football.According to Freud – these defense mechanisms are okay when used in moderation.SOME PEOPLE, however, focus on one, or a few, too often.

Freud’s Stages of Development

Freud believed that we develop through five stages.Freud believed that each stage offered the child a conflict. If the child did not resolve the conflict, they were doomed to remain stuck in that stage forever….This led to Freud’s WHOLE THEORY that problems in adulthood were caused by unresolved issues from childhood.

The Oral StageAccording to Freud, psychological development begins in the first year.Infants explore the world by picking things up and putting them in their mouths.The oral stage is a time when children receive pleasure from putting things in their mouths.If the child’s needs are not met, they may carry this need into adulthood.They may develop an “oral fixation” and become smokers, overeaters, or nail biters.They may also become clingy in relationships.

The Anal StageThe Anal Stage occurs between the ages of one and a half and two and a half.In this stage, children learn that they CAN control bodily functions…Therefore, they begin to show self-control!People who get stuck in this stage are “anal-retentive”.They can be prone to seek perfection and have an excessive need for order and cleanliness.

The Phallic StageDuring the third year, children enter the phallic stage.During this stage, children learn the difference between boys and girls…At the same time, children will develop a strong attachment to the parent of the opposite sex.They may even feel jealousy toward the other parent and if they get stuck here could be depressed, anxious, and feel guilt forever!

Latency StageIn the Latency Stage, children are around 5 or 6.They have been in conflict with their parents for a few years and begin to retreat from that conflict.They begin to repress all aggressive urges…Those urges become hidden, or LATENT, and may emerge later in life.

The Genital Stage is the final stage of psychological development. Children hit this stage at puberty.The adolescent become more aware of their gender role.AND – those childhood conflicts begin to resurface if they were never resolved….

Which stage am I stuck in?

For the following adult behaviors, identify the stage in which a fixation most likely developed:I can’t stop biting my nails

I jump from one relationship to another- I am never happy being with the same personI can’t ever find my belongings because they are somewhere in my messy carI get lonely easily, so I call my girlfriend several times every evening that we are not togetherPeople don’t like being around me because I am vain and obsessed with how great I am- they must be jealous

DRAW A STAGE!Directions:

Choose one stage from Freud’s stages. Create a picture that describes the stage. The picture can either:

- Show the conflict that occurs DURING the stage OR

- Show the fixations that occur if the needs are not met during the stage

THEN, write a paragraph on the back side of the picture that describes the stage and explains your picture

The Psychodynamic perspectiveAlfred Adler, another follower of

Freud, believed that people are basically motivated by a need to overcome feelings of inferiority.An inferiority complex is his term for a complex that people have because they feel like less than someone else.Adler believed this was due to our small size as children. He also believed that sibling rivalry led to these complexes.People with this complex usually act like they have something to prove…

Karen Horney (pronounced HAWR-ny, you teenagers, you) focused on childhood too.But, she concluded that children, because they are completely dependent on their parents, can be damaged or helped by their parents.Neglectful, cold parents will find that their child is resentful and filled with anxiety.Warm, nurturing parents can turn even the most anxiety-ridden child into a well-adjusted individual.

Erik EriksonErik Erikson believed social relationships are the most important factor in personality development.Erikson, like Freud, listed stages of development, but he expanded those stages.He believed that in the end, each stage affects the next stageEach stage builds on the successful completion of the previous stage

Stage Developmental task/ conflict to be resolved

Application

Infancy (0-1): Trust vs. mistrust. When coming to trust the mother, children develop a feeling of inner goodness associated with the environment.

Early Childhood (2-3): Autonomy vs. shame and doubt.

Developing the wish to make choices and the self-control to exercise choice.

Preschool years (4-5) Initiative vs. Guilt. Adding planning to choice – more active and on the move.

Grammar school years (6-12)

Industry vs. inferiority. Becoming engrossed in skills, tasks, mastering the basics of technology.

Adolescence (13-18) Identity vs. Role Diffusion. Connecting skills and social roles to formation of career objectives.

Young Adulthood (19-30)

Intimacy vs. Isolation Committing the self to another person; engaging in sexual love.

Middle Adulthood Generativity (contribution to society) vs. stagnation

Needing to be needed; guiding and encouraging the younger generation; being creative.

Late Adulthood Integrity vs. despair Accepting the timing and placing of one’s own life cycle; achieving wisdom and dignity.

Stage Developmental task/ conflict to be resolved

Application

Erikson’s Psychosocial DevelopmentInfancy (0-1): Trust vs. mistrust.When coming to trust the mother, children develop a feeling of inner goodness associated with the environment.Early Childhood (2-3): Autonomy vs. shame and doubt.Developing the wish to make choices and the self-control to exercise choice.Preschool years (4-5): Initiative vs. Guilt.Adding planning to choice – more active and on the move.Grammar school years (6-12): Industry vs. inferiority.Becoming engrossed in skills, tasks, mastering the basics of technology.

Adolescence (13-18): Identity vs. Role Confusion.Connecting skills and social roles to formation of career objectives.Young Adulthood (19-30): Intimacy vs. Isolation.Committing the self to another person; engaging in sexual love.Middle Adulthood: Generativity vs. stagnation.Needing to be needed; guiding and encouraging the younger generation; being creative.Late Adulthood: Integrity vs. despair.Accepting the timing and placing of one’s own life cycle; achieving wisdom and dignity.

Psychoanalytic Approach

EvaluationFocus on internal forces that impact behavior and personalityInner conflict and the unconscious and childhood experiencesCriticisms: too much emphasis on the unconscious desires? What about what people consciously decide to do (what about people who act in a way to simply make themselves happy?)

The Learning ApproachThe focus of the Learning approach in psychology is how the ENVIRONMENT impacts a person’s behavior

Learning Approach:Behaviorism

John WatsonExternal forces impact personalityEffects of reinforcement Through socialization, people learn behaviors and adapt them to their personalities

Learning Approach:Social Learning

Albert BanduraImportance of observation on personalityRemember the BOBO Doll?Difference from behaviorism: people can influence their environment

Learning ApproachEvaluationPeople’s behavior and personality are products of external forces- environmental circumstancesBut, learning psychologists leave out inner human experiencesWhat about people’s thoughts and feelings? Traits?

Sociocultural ApproachThis approach focuses on social influences on a person (ethnicity, gender, and culture)Family AND environment influence the development of a person’s personalityEvaluation:The forces that effect behavior are external forces that have a huge influence on our behavior and personality; culture certainly has an influence on people’s behavior

Other types of development?

We have focused on the influence of traits, the unconscious, our childhood, the environment, our self awareness, and our society on our personality development. But, what else develops over time in human beings?Cognition

Piaget

Moral ThinkingKohlberg

CARL JUNGJung was a student of Freud’s who branched out on his own.He placed more emphasis on mysticism and religion than Freud.His theory, known as analytic psychology, has a few key points.The collective unconscious is a store of human concepts shared by all people across all cultures.He believed that people share archetypes – or ideas and images of the accumulated experience of all human beings.According to Jung, each person’s sense of self can be characterized by four functions of the mind – thinking, feeling, intuition, and sensation.The one that you favor most determines your individual personality.