Theories of Personality What is personality? Origin of the concept Western conceptualizations of...

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

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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