Personality SelfEsteem Emotions Personality Your personality consists of

Personality, Self-Esteem & Emotions

Personality � Your personality consists of the behaviors, attitudes, feelings & ways of thinking that make you an individual

�A psychologist studies how people think, feel & behave � Many researchers use 5 central traits to describe how people behave, relate to others, & react to change: ◦ ◦ ◦ Extroversion Agreeableness Conscientiousness Emotional Stability Openness to Experiences

Extroversion � Describes people � Are how much you like being with other you talkative during class? Would you prefer to keep to yourself?

Agreeableness � Your way � Do tendency to relate to people in a friendly you accept apologies? Do you roll your eyes at others?

Conscientiousness � Describes you are � Do how responsible & self-disciplined you go home & get your homework done? Are you usually tardy to school?

Emotional Stability � Describes someone who is relaxed, calm, and secure even during difficult situations � Could you help someone that is hurt? Or would you scream & panic?

Openness to Experiences � People who are open to experiences tend to be curious, imaginative, & creative � Do you enjoy traveling? Do you have to follow the same routine every day?

� Personality traits are influenced by a combination of heredity & environment

� Heredity ◦ Early differences in the ways babies act are evidence that people are born with different personalities ◦ Also, identical twins that are raised separately tend to still have the same personalities � Environment ◦ Your family, friends & culture ◦ Experiences you had as a child help to shape your personality ◦ As children develop, they copy the behaviors of others= modeling ◦ Personality traits that are valued in one culture may not be highly valued in another

Self-Esteem � Self-esteem refers to how much you respect & like yourself � Many psychologists believe that high selfesteem has a positive effect on health, while low self-esteem has a negative effect on health

High Self-Esteem � Benefits: ◦ ◦ ◦ Accept yourself for who you are Have a realistic view of strengths & weaknesses Maintain a positive attitude Goal setters Bounce back quickly from setbacks

Low Self-Esteem � Risks: ◦ ◦ Don’t have respect for yourself Worry what others think of you Won’t try new things due to fear of failure More likely than peers to use drugs, drop out of school, become pregnant & suffer from eating disorders

� Self-esteem is not constant: it can increase or decrease as people interact with their family, their peers & their community � On average, self-esteem drops in early adolescence, increases gradually during adulthood & decreases again towards the end of life

� Don’t base your self-esteem solely on other people’s opinions of you!!! on your accomplishments, your talents, & your contributions to your family & community! � Focus

Self-Esteem Activity � Make a list of events at school that could increase a person’s self-esteem & a list of events in school that could lower someone’s self-esteem. � Then, choose one event from each list & write a paragraph explaining how these events can affect self-esteem.

Expressing Your Emotions � An emotion is a reaction to a situation that involves your mind, body & behavior � Two types: ◦ Primary Emotions ◦ Learned Emotions

Primary Emotions � Emotions expressed by people in all cultures � Examples: ◦ ◦ Happiness Sadness Anger Fear

Learned Emotions � Emotions not expressed the same way by all people, also called social emotions � Examples: ◦ Love (deep feelings of affection & concern) ◦ Guilt (knowing what you did was wrong; guilt can stop you from doing something) ◦ Shame (focuses on the person rather than the action) ◦ Guilt “I did a bad thing” Shame “I am a bad person”

Coping Strategies � Ways of dealing with an uncomfortable or unbearable situation � Can be helpful when they improve a situation or allow a person to handle a situation in a better way. � They are harmful when they make a situation worse or a person is less able to handle a situation

Defense Mechanisms � Are coping strategies that help protect yourself from difficult feelings � Examples: ◦ Denial- refusing to recognize an emotion or problem ◦ Reaction formation- behaving a way opposite to the way you feel ◦ Projection- putting your own faults onto another person

Helpful Ways to Cope � Confront the situation heads-on � Release your energy through exercise or being active � Relax- read a book or take a nap � Talk through your problems

� Don’t use alcohol or drugs or sex to escape from your feelings!!! � Don’t withdraw from your friends & families!!!