Theories of Personality

Chapter 14

Personality

The totality of behavioral characteristics that set people apart from others. (feelings, motives, behaviors)
Various theories we will discuss: Trait, Psychoanalytic, Learning, Humanistic, Sociocultural

The Trait Approach

A trait is an aspect of personality that is considered to be reasonably stable consistent behaviors

Example: always shy or outgoing

Gordon Allport - 1930s

He found 18,000 words in the dictionary that could describe personality.

He assumed that traits could be inherited and are the building blocks of your personality.

Raymond Cattell 1905-98

Using statistics and patterns, he believed we can predict peoples behavior in various situations. Surface traits obvious traits (friendly, loud) Source traits traits in a group that occur together

He created a list of 16 source traits A questionnaire would be given and based on responses, one could predict how they would react in various situations.

Cattell's 16 Personality Factors Source traits

Abstractedness
Apprehension Dominance Emotional Stability Liveliness

imaginative versus practical

insecure versus complacent aggressive versus passive calm and stable versus high-strung and enthusiastic versus serious

Openness to Change
Perfectionism Privateness Reasoning Rule Consciousness

liberal versus traditional

compulsive and controlled versus indifferent pretentious versus unpretentious abstract versus concrete moralistic versus free-thinking

Self-Reliance
Sensitivity Social Boldness Tension Vigilance

leader versus follower

sensitive versus tough-minded uninhibited versus timid driven and tense versus relaxed and easy going suspicious versus accepting

Warmth

open and warmhearted versus aloof and critical

A hypothetical personality profile using Cattells 16 personality factors

Hans Eysenck 1916 - 97

He focused on the relationships between two personality dimensions 1. Introvert Extrovert = inward vs. active, self-expressive 2. Emotional stability instability = reliable, unpredictable

The Big 5 = 1970s

Most human personality traits can be boiled down to five broad dimensions of personality. Thousands of people were asked hundreds of questions then analyzing the data with a statistical procedure known as factor analysis. The Big Five is now the most widely accepted and used model of personality

Endpoints

14

Evaluation of Trait Approach

It does not explain where traits come from. It describes traits but does not suggest how one can change It is useful in matching your personality with jobs, careers, educational fields, or possible marriage partners (ex. harmony or match.com)

Social-Cognitive Perspective
Bandura believes that personality is the result of an interaction that takes place between a person and his social context.

Albert Bandura
17

14.2 Psychoanalytic

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) - He believed that conscious ideas fill only a small part of the mind. - Many of peoples deepest thoughts, fears, and urges remain in the unconscious mind. -3 parts of the mind: Id Ego Superego

Defense Mechanisms

Freud said D. M. were methods the ego uses to reduce anxiety by distorting our perceptions of reality. - Using defense mechanisms can be healthy as long as it does not become extreme.

Repression
Removal of painful thoughts from consciousness. Freud believed that repressing too much can explode at a later date. Teakettle blowing its top

Rationalization

Use of self-deception to justify unacceptable behavior Giving excuses!

Ex. Cheating = Everybody does it

Displacement

Transfer of an idea or impulse from a threatening object to a less threatening object. Ex. Criticized by bossyell at coworker Fight with bf/gfyell at mompunch the wall

Regression

Response to a threatening situation in a way appropriate to a younger age Ex. Temper tantrum

Projection

Unacceptable motives are transferred onto others Like a projector shooting an image onto a screen
Ex. Homophobes? Or aggressive people claiming others are aggressive.

Reaction Formation

Acting opposite of true feelings in order to hide true feelings Ex. Being mean to someone you like or sickening sweet to someone you hate

Denial

Refusing to accept reality Ex. Smoking wont make me sick. Charlie Sheen

Sublimation

You redirect feelings that could be damaging to you to a socially productive activity.
Ex. Writing a poem about anger or aggressiveplay football or boxing

Psychosexual Stages
Freud divided development of personality through five psychosexual stages.

Neo-Freudians

Jung believed in the collective unconscious which contained a common reservoir of images derived from our species past. That is why many cultures share certain myths and images such as the mother as a symbol of nurturance.

Neo-Freudians

Like Freud, Alfred Adler believed in childhood tensions, however these tensions were social in nature and not sexual. A child struggles with the inferiority complex during growth and strives for superiority and power.

**Birth order!

Neo-Freudians

Like Adler, Horney believed in the social aspects of childhood growth and development. She countered Freuds assumption that women have weak superegos and suffer penis envy.

Assessing Unconscious Processes

Evaluating personality from an unconscious mind perspective would require a psychological instrument (projective tests) that would reveal the hidden unconscious mind.

Describe what is happening in the picture.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Developed by Henry Murray, TAT is a projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes.

Rorschach Inkblot Test

The most widely used projective test with a set of 10 inkblots was designed by Hermann Rorschach. It seeks to identify peoples inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots.

14.3 Learning Approach

Peoples behaviors are learned responses 2 Branches: A. Behaviorism John Watson & BF Skinner believed outside influences mold us (society, parents, etc.) rewards, punishments B. Social Learning Theory (more contemporary view) focuses on the importance of learning by observation but people can act intentionally to influence the environment.

14.5 Sociocultural Approach

1. Ethnicity, gender, culture help form personality. individualism vs. collectivism 2. Sociocultural factors can affect sense of self. ex. People subjected to discrimination & poverty may have poorer self-concepts, low self esteem 3. Bicultural people have higher self esteem.