Personality

Chapter 15By: Julia Stefonek

The Psychodynamic Approach

Psychodynamic approach -- developed by Freud, emphasizes the interplay of psychological processes in determining human thought, feelings, and behavior

The basis of this approach is that psychological factors play a major role in determining and shaping personality

Structure & Development According to Freud: develops out of a person’s need for food, water, air, sex, and aggression

Personality is reflected in how each person goes about satisfying these needs

Psychodynamic approach -- developed by Freud, emphasizes the interplay of psychological processes in determining human thought, feelings, and behavior

The basis of this approach is that psychological factors play a major role in determining and shaping personality

Structure & Development According to Freud: develops out of a person’s need for food, water, air, sex, and aggression

Personality is reflected in how each person goes about satisfying these needs

ID Ego Superego

Operates according to the pleasure principle, contains life instincts, called Eros, and death instincts, called Thanatos.

Libido, or psychic energy, is a product of the life instincts

Operates according to to the reality principle, attempts to satisfy id impulses while obeying society’s rules

Forms to tell us right from wrong

The ego uses defense mechanisms to protect the individual from feeling anxious about id impulses

Stages in Personality Development Freud believed that personality develops is psychosexual stages; in each stage a

part of the body becomes the child’s main source of pleasure Freud believed that personality develops is psychosexual stages; in each stage a

part of the body becomes the child’s main source of pleasure

Oral stage(0 - 18 months)

Pleasure centers on the mouth --- sucking, biting, chewing

Anal stage(18 - 36 months)

Pleasure focuses on bowel and bladder elimination; coping with demands for control

Phallic stage(3 - 6 years)

Pleasure zone is the genitals; coping with incestuous sexual feelings

Latency period(6 to puberty)

Dormant sexual feelings

Genital period(puberty on)

Maturation of sexual interests

Oedipus Complex --- the son feels sexual desires for his mother and wants to kill his father out of jealousy

Electra Complex --- the daughter transfers her love to her father because she develops penis envy and begins to hate her mother for not providing a penis

Oedipus Complex --- the son feels sexual desires for his mother and wants to kill his father out of jealousy

Electra Complex --- the daughter transfers her love to her father because she develops penis envy and begins to hate her mother for not providing a penis

Jung’s Analytic Psychology

viewed the libido as a general life force that included a productive blending of basic impulses and real-world demands, of creativity and growth-oriented resolution of conflicts. Personality develops as the person tends toward introversion or extroversion and toward reliance on specific psychological functions (such as thinking versus feeling or vice versa)

viewed the libido as a general life force that included a productive blending of basic impulses and real-world demands, of creativity and growth-oriented resolution of conflicts. Personality develops as the person tends toward introversion or extroversion and toward reliance on specific psychological functions (such as thinking versus feeling or vice versa)

Other Neo-Freudian Theorists

several neo-Freudians, including Erik Erikson, Erich From, and Henry Stack Sullivan, proposed that personality was determined by how social needs were met. Karen Horney proposed that the inferiority that women may feel is caused by restrictions imposed by men, not penis envy, and that it is actually men who feel inferior when they experience womb envy

several neo-Freudians, including Erik Erikson, Erich From, and Henry Stack Sullivan, proposed that personality was determined by how social needs were met. Karen Horney proposed that the inferiority that women may feel is caused by restrictions imposed by men, not penis envy, and that it is actually men who feel inferior when they experience womb envy

The Trait Approach

Trait approach --- views personality as the combination of stable internal characteristics that people display consistently across time and across situations

Hippocrates suggested that a temperament, or personality type, is associated with a bodily fluid: blood, phlegm, black bile, or yellow bile

Physiognomy is the study of the relationship between personality type and physique type

Research has shown that personalities are much too varied to fit into type theories

Trait approach --- views personality as the combination of stable internal characteristics that people display consistently across time and across situations

Hippocrates suggested that a temperament, or personality type, is associated with a bodily fluid: blood, phlegm, black bile, or yellow bile

Physiognomy is the study of the relationship between personality type and physique type

Research has shown that personalities are much too varied to fit into type theories

The “Big Five” Model of Personality

Trait theorists have identified five cross-cultural factors --- openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism --- that make up personality

Trait theorists have identified five cross-cultural factors --- openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism --- that make up personality

Biological Trait Theories

Hans Eysenck utilized factor analysis to identify three basic personality factors: psychoticism, introversion-extraversion, and emotional stability

Eysenck proposed that the ease with which the nervous system can be aroused relates to positions on these personality dimensions

Newer biological theories have largely supplanted Eysenck’s theory, and suggest that these differences are due to biological differences in the sensitivity of brain systems involved with responsiveness to

rewards (behavioral approach systems) and punishments (behavioral inhibition systems)

Hans Eysenck utilized factor analysis to identify three basic personality factors: psychoticism, introversion-extraversion, and emotional stability

Eysenck proposed that the ease with which the nervous system can be aroused relates to positions on these personality dimensions

Newer biological theories have largely supplanted Eysenck’s theory, and suggest that these differences are due to biological differences in the sensitivity of brain systems involved with responsiveness to

rewards (behavioral approach systems) and punishments (behavioral inhibition systems)

The Social-Cognitive Approach

Social-cognitive approach--- equates personality with behavior (sometimes called the social-learning approach)

Roots of the Social-Cognitive Approach B. F. Skinner employed functional analysis to understand behavior

in terms of its function in obtaining rewards or avoiding punishment

Social-cognitive approach--- equates personality with behavior (sometimes called the social-learning approach)

Roots of the Social-Cognitive Approach B. F. Skinner employed functional analysis to understand behavior

in terms of its function in obtaining rewards or avoiding punishment

Rotter’s Expectancy Theory

Julian Rotter suggested that behavior is determined by cognitive expectation--that is, what a person expects to happen following behavior and the value the person places on the outcome.

Rotter measured the degree to which people expect events to be controlled by their own internal efforts or by external forces over

which they have no influence, and found these expectations to be related to behavioral differences

Julian Rotter suggested that behavior is determined by cognitive expectation--that is, what a person expects to happen following behavior and the value the person places on the outcome.

Rotter measured the degree to which people expect events to be controlled by their own internal efforts or by external forces over

which they have no influence, and found these expectations to be related to behavioral differences

Bandura and Reciprocal Determinism

Personality evolves as a result of the interaction among cognitive patterns, the environment, and behavior through a process called reciprocal determinism

Concludes that people’s beliefs about the impact they have on the world and their perceived self-efficacy (belief they will succeed) will

determine emotions and behaviors

Personality evolves as a result of the interaction among cognitive patterns, the environment, and behavior through a process called reciprocal determinism

Concludes that people’s beliefs about the impact they have on the world and their perceived self-efficacy (belief they will succeed) will

determine emotions and behaviors

Mischel’s Cognitive/Affective Theory

According to Walter Mischel, person variables as well as situation variables are important in explaining behavior

The most important person variables are encodings, expectancies, affects, goals and values, competencies and

self-regulatory plans

Conclusions of Debate Traits influence behavior only in relevant situations Traits can lead to behaviors that alter situations that, in turn,

promote other behaviors People with different traits choose to be in different situations Traits are more influential in some situations than in others

According to Walter Mischel, person variables as well as situation variables are important in explaining behavior

The most important person variables are encodings, expectancies, affects, goals and values, competencies and

self-regulatory plans

Conclusions of Debate Traits influence behavior only in relevant situations Traits can lead to behaviors that alter situations that, in turn,

promote other behaviors People with different traits choose to be in different situations Traits are more influential in some situations than in others

The Humanistic Approach

Humanistic approach-- defines personality as the unique way in which each individual perceives and interprets the world

The primary human motivator is an innate drive toward growth that promotes people to fulfill their unique and natural potential

Humanistic approach-- defines personality as the unique way in which each individual perceives and interprets the world

The primary human motivator is an innate drive toward growth that promotes people to fulfill their unique and natural potential

Prominent Humanistic Theories

Roger’s Self Theory Carl Rogers emphasized the concept of

actualizing tendency, the innate inclination toward growth that motivates all human behavior.

The self is what people come to identify as me or I

According to Rogers, the development of self-concept depends on self-evaluations and the positive regard shown by others. Whenever people, instead of their behaviors, are evaluated, conditions of worth are created

People come to believe that they are worthy only under certain

conditions--those in which rewarded behaviors are displayed

Roger’s Self Theory Carl Rogers emphasized the concept of

actualizing tendency, the innate inclination toward growth that motivates all human behavior.

The self is what people come to identify as me or I

According to Rogers, the development of self-concept depends on self-evaluations and the positive regard shown by others. Whenever people, instead of their behaviors, are evaluated, conditions of worth are created

People come to believe that they are worthy only under certain

conditions--those in which rewarded behaviors are displayed

Maslow’s Growth TheoryAbraham Maslow saw personality as

the tendency to grow toward self-actualization

People can approach the satisfaction of their needs with a deficiency orientation or growth orientation

Maslow’s Growth TheoryAbraham Maslow saw personality as

the tendency to grow toward self-actualization

People can approach the satisfaction of their needs with a deficiency orientation or growth orientation

Assessing Personality

Aspects of behavior can be assessed by observational methods, interviews, and personality tests

Personality tests are more standardized and economical than either observational or interviews

Aspects of behavior can be assessed by observational methods, interviews, and personality tests

Personality tests are more standardized and economical than either observational or interviews

Objective Tests

The typical objective test is a paper-and-pencil form containing clear, specific questions, statements, or concepts to which a person is asked to give yes-no, true-false, or multiple-choice answers

The Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Personality Inventory Revised (NEO-PI-R) is given to measure personality variables in normal populations

A widely used test for diagnosing disorders is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

The typical objective test is a paper-and-pencil form containing clear, specific questions, statements, or concepts to which a person is asked to give yes-no, true-false, or multiple-choice answers

The Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Personality Inventory Revised (NEO-PI-R) is given to measure personality variables in normal populations

A widely used test for diagnosing disorders is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

Projective Tests

Projective tests-- tests consisting of unstructured stimuli that can be perceived and responded to in many ways

The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and the Rorschach Inkblot Test are examples of this format

Responses to projective tests are relatively difficult to score and tend to be less reliable and valid than objective tests

Projective tests-- tests consisting of unstructured stimuli that can be perceived and responded to in many ways

The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and the Rorschach Inkblot Test are examples of this format

Responses to projective tests are relatively difficult to score and tend to be less reliable and valid than objective tests

Personality Tests & Employee Selection

They do not seem to be useful in screening prospective employees; however, the tests can lead to incorrect predictions

Some employees believe that utilizing personality tests in the selection process is a violation of their privacy

They do not seem to be useful in screening prospective employees; however, the tests can lead to incorrect predictions

Some employees believe that utilizing personality tests in the selection process is a violation of their privacy