Personality A persons pattern of thinking feeling and

Personality A person’s pattern of thinking, feeling and acting.

Aim: 1. How do the different perspectives explain personality? (Biological Theories) 2. What are some methods used by psychologists to measure personality? Do Now: 1. Take out your HW 2. In your opinion how would you define personality? Homework: • Complete pps 7 - 9 in packet • FRQ TAKE HOME DUE NEXT WED & 30 MC Q's in Class • Check of Purple Review Packet - Friday

What’s Wrong With This Picture? 1. What is the difference b/w objective and projective tests? 2. What are examples of projective tests and the problems with them? 3. What are most popular objective tests? 4. Think***What perspectives would use projective tests? Observations? Interviews?

Major Perspectives in Psychology B Hu n o g y l Bi o m m a nis eha v i o rism e Cognitiv dy cho Psy c ami Socio Cultural

Trait Theory of Personality § Gordon Allport decided that Freud overvalued unconscious motives and undervalued our real, observable personality styles/traits. § Myers and Briggs wanted to to study individual behaviors and statements to find how people differed in personality: having different traits. § The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a questionnaire categorizing people by traits. Trait: An enduring quality that makes a person tend to act a certain way. Examples: “honest. ” “shy. ” “hard-working. ” MBTI traits come in pairs: “Judging” vs. “Perceiving. ” “Thinking” vs. “Feeling. ” Trait theory of personality: That we are made up of a collection of traits, behavioral predispositions that can be identified and measured, traits that differ from person to person.

Questions about Traits These topics are the subject of ongoing research: Stability: Does one’s profile of traits change over the lifespan? No, one’s distinctive mix of traits doesn’t change much over the lifespan. However, everyone in adulthood becomes: § More conscientious and agreeable, and § Less extraverted, neurotic/unstable, and less open (imaginative, flexible). Predictive value: Can we use these traits to predict behavior? levels of success in work and relationships relates to traits. Heritability: Are traits learned or genetic? in general, genes account for 50% of the variation for most traits

Change vs. Consistency: Shifts with Age Over years of development, we change interests, attitudes, roles, jobs, relationships; we develop skills, maturity. Do traits stay stable through all this change? The evidence shows that it takes time for personality to stabilize. Traits do change, but less and less so over time. We change less, become more consistent.

Traits: Rooted in Biology? § Brain: Extraverts tend to have low levels of brain activity, making it hard to suppress impulses, and leading them to seek stimulation. § Body: The trait of shyness appears to be related to high autonomic system reactivity, an easily triggered alarm system. § Genes: Selective breeding of animals seems to create lifelong differences in traits such as aggression, sociability, or calmness, suggesting genetic roots for these traits.

Trait Theories of Personality • Biological Theory • Traits are inborn – evidence… – Stability/consistency in personality (temperaments) over time – Genetics • Are a descriptive approach (WHAT not WHY) • We can describe people by identifying their main characteristics/ traits (that are stable over time) • How many traits would we need to have to describe your personality? Trait theorists disagree over # of traits

Factor Analysis and the Eysencks’ Personality Dimensions § Factor Analysis: Identifying factors that tend to cluster together. § Using factor analysis, Hans and Sybil Eysenck found that many personality traits actually are a function of two basic dimensions along which we all vary. § Research supports their idea that these variations are linked to genetics.

The “Big Five” Personality Factors § The Eysencks felt that people § Conscientiousness: varied along two dimensions self-discipline, careful § Current cross-cultural research and pursuit of delayed theory supports the expansion goals from two dimensions to five § Agreeableness: factors: helpful, trusting, friendliness to help us § Neuroticism: anxiety, remember insecurity, emotional the five instability factors, § Openness: flexibility, remember nonconformity, that the first variety letters spell § Extraversion: “CANOE”… Drawing energy from others, sociability

The “Big Five”/ C. A. N. O. E. Personality Dimensions Impulsive Trusting Anxious Conforming Fun-Loving

Practice w/ Trait Theory • Page 9 – Check off where you think you are in terms of CANOE • Page 10 Compare Calvin and Santiago in terms of CANOE

Person-Situation Controversy § Trait theory assumes that we have traits that are a function of personality, not situation. § There is evidence that some traits are linked to roles and to personas we use in different cultures, environments.

Evaluating Trait Theories • Unlike some other theories, trait theories can be studied scientifically • Merely descriptive • Traits represent statistical averages of populations rather than individuals • Disagreement over minimum number of traits needed to fully describe variety of human behavior

Measuring Personality # 22 Task: Watch the video and answer the questions. https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=s. Ur. V 6 o. Z 3 zsk

Assessing the Unconscious: Psychodynamic Personality Assessment § Freud tried to get unconscious themes to be projected into the conscious world through free association and dream analysis. § Projective tests are a structured, systematic exposure to a standardized set of ambiguous prompts, designed to reveal inner dynamics. Rorschach test: “what do you see in these inkblots? ” Problem: Results don’t link well to traits (low validity) and different raters get different results (low reliability).

Assessing Traits: Questionnaires § Personality Inventory: Questionnaire assessing many personality traits, by asking which behaviors and responses the person would choose § Empirically derived test: all test items have been selected to because they predictably match the qualities being assessed. § Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI): Designed to identify people with personality difficulties § T/F questionnaire; items were selected because they correlated with various traits, emotions, attitudes § Example: depressed people tend to answer “true” to: “Nothing in the paper interests me except the comics. ”

• Sample MMPI Questions True/ False 1. I like mechanics magazines 2. I have a good appetite 3. I wake up fresh & rested most mornings 4. I think I would like the work of a librarian 5. I am easily awakened by noise 6. I like to read newspaper articles on crime 7. My hands and feet are usually warm enough 8. My daily life is full of things that keep me interested 9. I am about as able to work as I ever was 10. There seems to be a lump in my throat much of the time 11. A person should try to understand his dreams and be guided by or take warning from them 12. I enjoy detective or mystery stories 13. I work under a great deal of tension 14. I have diarrhea once a month or more 15. Once in a while I think of things too bad to talk about • 39. At times I feel like sma 40. Most any time I would daydream than to do anyt 41. I have had periods of d months when I couldn’t ta because I couldn’t “get go 42. My family does not like chosen ( or the work I inte life work) 43. My sleep is fitful and d 44. Much of the time my h all over 45. I do not always tell the 46. My judgment is better 47. Once a week or oftene all over without apparent 48. When I am with people

Sample MMPI Test Profile

MMPI: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory • Most widely used test • Originally designed to diagnosis psychiatric disorders/ personality disorders • Several scales to check validity of responses • 600 self reference items – T/F

Reliability • The extent which a test yields consistent results over time. • Spilt halves or test–retest method. ***Do the personality tests you took have reliability?

Validity The extent to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure. • Content Validity: does the test sample a behavior of interest • Aptitude tests have Predictive Validity: does the test predict future behavior. ***Do the personality tests you took have validity?

Assessing Personality Objective Tests • Most common way is self -report inventories. • MMPI- Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Test must be • Reliable- does it yield the same results over time. • Valid- does it measure what it is supposed to measure.

Projective Tests – tap into the unconscious • Hypnosis • Dream Interpretation – Manifest v. Latent Content • Free Association (having them just randomly talk to themselves…and then interpreting the conversation). • Projective Tests (and test that delves into the unconscious). • Examples are TAT and Rorschach Inkblot Tests.

TAT Test Thematic Apperception Test • Giving the subject a picture that is ambiguous (can have several meanings) and ask them what is occurring. • Their answers reveal the manifest content. • They can then discover the Latent Content.

Rorschach Inkblot Test • The most widely used projective test • A set of ten inkblots designed to identify people’s feelings when they are asked to interpret what they see in the inkblots.

Be careful of the Barnum Effect!!! • People have the tendency to see themselves in vague, stock descriptions of personality. • Horoscopes, astrologers and psychics all use this concept. • Aries (March 21 -April 19): Do some detective work so that you can better understand those you love. Figure out what the other person is going through. Only then will you find out how you can help. Taurus (April 20 -May 20): In your midst, there's a person intent on the worst-case scenario. He or she is a valuable ally today. You'll find humor in the exaggeration, and your laughter is healing. Gemini (May 21 -June 21): Go out of your way to add elements of absurdity to your day. Your quality of life will be increased immeasurably. Cancer (June 22 -July 22): A strength exaggerated becomes a weakness. But does a weakness exaggerated become a strength? Highlight a limitation and you'll find you're better off for having this flaw. Leo (July 23 -Aug. 22): People pay attention when you walk into the room today. Make your exit with equal grace. Leave before they want you to and they'll want more. Virgo (Aug. 23 -Sept. 22): Show up in person. You have more than your fair share of charisma today. Noting your winning presence, others will want to help you succeed. Libra (Sept. 23 -Oct. 23): You have a talent for making relationships work. You're full of solutions, but it's important to know which problem is the most pressing. Pump the other person for information. Scorpio (Oct. 24 -Nov. 21): There is a fine line between sharing and over-sharing. Give others the sense of who you are. But do it briefly. Sagittarius (Nov. 22 -Dec. 21): Relating to others has very little to do with what or who you know. Most people are thinking about themselves and what you can do for them. If you make them feel good about themselves, they'll like you. Capricorn (Dec. 22 -Jan. 19): You're in danger of being too thrifty. Show some disregard for the rules of frugal finance. As you spend, you'll widen the channel for greater earning. Aquarius (Jan. 20 -Feb. 18): It would benefit you to get involved in a group effort. There is much you could contribute, and you have much to gain. You'll ask excellent questions and learn all you need to know to fit in nicely. Pisces (Feb. 19 -March 20): You will be certain of your course. But that alone will not be enough to make it go the way you want. Whatever happens, don't complain or explain.

Debrief HW • What is the difference between an objective test and a projective test? • What were some of the advantages and disadvantages of the tests? • What perspectives would use the OCEAN Test? Man, House, Tree? • Would you use this info to aid in hiring a person? https: //www. crystalknows. com/ http: //www. huffingtonpost. com/2015/03/25/crystal-gmailapp_n_6931478. html

Free Will Determinism Nature Nurture Stable Unstable

Uniqueness Equilibrium Optimism Universiality Growth Pessimism