Personality Your enduring pattern of behavior How you
Personality • Your enduring pattern of behavior. – How you act most of the time.
Unconscious: our reservoir of unacceptable thoughts, feelings, and memories Unconscious: information processing that we are not aware of.
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Battles • Id- all things that give us pleasure – Wish fulfillment • Ego- Reality principle. Represses the Id • Super Ego- Uses guilt to enforce rules 4
Defense Mechanisms The ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality. 1. Repression banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness. 1. Forget memories of abuse by parents
2. Regression leads an individual faced with anxiety to retreat to a more infantile psychosexual stage. 1. Suck your thumb when you are anxious
Defense Mechanisms 3. Reaction Formation causes the ego to unconsciously switch unacceptable impulses into their opposites. 1. A man who is gay has a number of heterosexual affairs and openly criticizes homosexuality affairs and openly criticizes gays. 1. man who is gay has a number of conspicuous heterosexual affairs and openly criticizes gays. 2. A man who is gay has a number of conspicuous heterosexual affairs and openly criticizes gays. 3. .
4. Projection leads people to disguise their own threatening impulses by attributing them to others. 1. You all hate me- child to parents I can’t trust you!
5. Rationalization offers self-justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening, unconscious reasons for one’s actions. 1. Example, Everyone does this, its not a big deal Football was not for me, I was meant to flip giant tires Joe tried out for football
6. Displacement shifts sexual or aggressive impulses toward a less threatening object or person, redirecting anger toward a safer outlet. 1. Mad at your wife; punching holes in a wall
7. Overcompensation- leads people to act in a lavish way to reduce their own anxiety about giving into their id. • Cheat on your wife buy her a 5 carat diamond ring
• Denial – offers a reduction of anxiety by acting as if a certain situation has not occurred. • Spending as usual when you know that you are Bankrupt
8. Sublimation act out unacceptable impulses by converting these behaviors into a more acceptable form. extreme anger might take up kick-boxing
The Neo-Freudians National Library of Medicine Like Freud, Adler believed in childhood tensions. However, these tensions were social in nature and not sexual. A child struggles with an inferiority complex during growth and strives for superiority and power. Alfred Adler (1870 -1937) 15
Oldest _ Responsible _ Conservative _ Doesn’t make waves _ Follows parents’ wishes _ Emotionally intense _ Authoritarian _ Perfectionist _ Driven _ Surrogate parent _ Leadership material
Middle _ Peacemaker _ Negotiator _ Highly attuned to needs of others _ Doesn’t like to follow authority _ Creative _ Independent _ Peer-focused _ “Chameleon”
Youngest _ Comical/entertaining _ Highly social _ Laid back _ Dependent _ Creative _ Unconventional _ Few expectations of self
Alfred Adler
The Neo-Freudians Archive of the History of American Psychology/ University of Akron Jung believed in the collective unconscious, which contained a common reservoir of images derived from our species’ past. This is why many cultures share certain myths and images such as the mother being a symbol of nurturance. Carl Jung (1875 -1961) 20
Person A Conscious Personal Unconscious Person B Conscious Personal Unconscious Collective Unconscious Person C Conscious Personal Unconscious
Archetypes Emotionally charged images and thought forms that have universal meaning
The father: Authority figure; stern; powerful. The mother: Nurturing; comforting. The child: Longing for innocence; rebirth; salvation. The wise old man: Guidance; knowledge; wisdom. The hero: Champion; defender; rescuer. The maiden: Innocence; desire; purity. The trickster: Deceiver; liar; trouble-maker. The shadow: Often described as the darker side of the psyche, representing wildness, chaos and the unknown.
The Neo-Freudians The Bettmann Archive/ Corbis Like Adler, Horney believed in the social aspects of childhood growth and development. She countered Freud’s assumption that women have weak superegos and suffer from “penis envy. ” Karen Horney (1885 -1952) 25
Draw a Pig
Toward the top of the paper, you are positive and optimistic. Toward the middle, you are a realist. Toward the bottom, you are pessimistic, and have a tendency to behave negatively. Facing left, you believe in tradition, are friendly, and remember dates (birthdays, etc. ) Facing right, you are innovative and active, but don't have a strong sense of family, nor do you remember dates. Facing front (looking at you), you are direct, enjoy playing devil's advocate and neither fear nor avoid discussions. With many details, you are analytical, cautious, and distrustful. With few details, you are emotional and naive, you care little for details and are a risk-taker. With less than 4 legs showing, you are insecure or are living through a period of major change. With 4 legs showing, you are secure, stubborn, and stick to your ideals. The size of the ears indicates how good a listener you are. The bigger the better. The length of the tail indicates the quality of your sex life. And again more is better! Did they draw a tail? : )
Free Association • • • Peanut Butter Arizona School Baseball Fork Yogurt Dinosaur Miley Cyrus Twilight Psychology Mom
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) Developed by Henry Murray, the TAT is a projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes. Lew Merrim/ Photo Researcher, Inc. 29
Rorschach Inkblot Test The most widely used projective test uses a set of 10 inkblots and was designed by Hermann Rorschach. It seeks to identify people’s inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots. Lew Merrim/ Photo Researcher, Inc. 37
Types of traits • 1. Cardinal trait • 2. Central trait – • 3. Secondary trait - Gordon Allport
A. Cardinal traits • This is a single characteristic that directs most of a person’s activities. • It is so pervasive that it dominates just about everything that a person does. • E. g. , A person so power-hungry that they are solely driven by that need for control.
B. Central traits • Central traits are the major characteristics of an individual. • These usually number from 5 to 10 in any one person (e. g. , honesty, sociability). • These are rather pervasive & effect many behaviors. We can use a small number of adjectives to describe someone.
C. Secondary traits • These are characteristics that effect behavior in fewer situations & are less influential than central or cardinal traits. • A preference for ice cream or dislike of modern art would be considered a secondary trait.
Allport-Vernon Lindzey Study of Values • • Scale Description of value Typical Occupation Social helping people social work Theoretical search for truth Professor Economic Pragmatic, applied Business Aesthetic Artistic values Artist Political Power & influence Politics Religious Religion, harmony Clergy
The Trait Perspective An individual’s unique constellation of durable dispositions and consistent ways of behaving (traits) constitutes his or her personality. Examples of Traits Honest Dependable Moody Impulsive Allport & Odbert (1936), identified 18, 000 words representing traits. 51
Exploring Traits Factor analysis is a statistical approach used to describe and relate personality traits. Cattell used this approach to develop a 16 Personality Factor (16 PF) inventory. Raymond Cattell (1905 -1998) 52
Factor Analysis Cattell found that large groups of traits could be reduced down to 16 core personality traits based on statistical correlations. Superficial traits Boisterous Impatient Irritable Excitement Basic trait Impulsive 53
Personality Dimensions Hans and Sybil Eysenck suggested that personality could be reduced down to two polar dimensions, extraversion-introversion and emotional stability-instability. 54
Eysenck • Believed personality to be highly inheritable and related to temperament
EXTRAVERSION Sociable Sensationseeking Lively Assertive Active
Biological Theories of Personality • What % of the variation in a population is attributable to genes? - heritability • We are not sure BUT temperaments do seem to be stable from infants to old age.
Assessing Traits Personality inventories are questionnaires (often with true-false or agree-disagree items) designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors assessing several traits at once. 58
Personality Type Personality types, assessed by measures such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, consist of a number of traits. For example, a feeling type personality is sympathetic, appreciative, and tactful. Based on theories of Jung. Sympathetic Appreciative Tactful Feeling Type Personality 59
The Big Five Factors Today’s trait researchers believe that Eysencks’ personality dimensions are too narrow and Cattell’s 16 PF too large. So, a middle range (five factors) of traits does a better job of assessment. Conscientiousness Agreeableness Neuroticism Openness Extraversion 60
Endpoints 61
Correlations with the Big Five: stability, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness Protested injustice - Emotionally stable, open Fell in love at first sight - Extraverted Have not been in therapy - Emotionally stable Been in therapy - Open Not likely to have a lover whose name they forgot - Agreeable Thrown a large party - Extraverted Kept a diary - Open Listen to music by self in dark - Open
Correlations with the Big Five: stability, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness Read fewer than 12 books per year - Extraverted Never cheated on a test - Conscientious Never pulled all-nighter to finish assignment - Conscientious Not likely to become addicted to Internet -Extraverted Dated a person of a different race - Open Written a poem spontaneously - Open Smoke marijuana - Open
Questions about the Big Five 1. How stable are these traits? Quite stable in adulthood. However, they change over development. 2. How heritable are they? Fifty percent or so for each trait. 3. How about other cultures? These traits are common across cultures. 4. Can they predict other personal attributes? Yes. Conscientious people are morning type and extraverted are evening type. 64
The Big Five According to Big Five trait theory: Your traits are stable over time. They can be attributed to your genetics They describe personalities equally well across different cultures They predict other attributes.
The Big Five • Emotional Stability (calm/anxious, secure/insecure, self-satisfied/self-pitying). • Extraversion (sociable/retiring, funloving/sober, affectionate/reserved, • Openness (imaginative/practical, variety/routine, independent, conforming)
The Big Five (Continued) • Agreeableness (soft-hearted/ruthless, trusting/suspicious, helpful/uncooperative). • Conscientiousness (organized/disorganized, careful/careless, disciplined/impulsive).
MMPI The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is the most widely researched and clinically used of all personality tests. It was originally developed to identify emotional disorders. 68
True or False 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. I am bothered by acid stomach several times a week. I am easily awakened by noise. I like to read newspaper articles on crime. I am neither gaining nor losing weight. When I take a new job, I like to be tipped off on who should be gotten next to. I have never been in trouble with the law. I am inclined to take things hard. I never worry about my looks. People generally demand more respect for their own rights than they are willing to allow for others.
MMPI • • • Concern with bodily symptoms Depressive Symptoms Awareness of problems and vulnerabilities Conflict, struggle, anger, respect for society's rules Stereotypical masculine or feminine behaviors Level of trust, suspiciousness, sensitivity Worry, Anxiety, tension, doubts, obsessiveness Odd thinking and social alienation Level of excitability • People orientation; introvert/extrovert 32 57 60 50 56 40 48 78 46 69
MMPI Test Profile 71
Humanistic View of Personality SELF
First Game- Gotcha • Circle up in your group • Take your right hand put it out flat • Take your left hand have your point down it down over the palm of the other hand.
Second Game- Toe Tap • Huddle up in your group • Goal is to tap as many peoples toes as possible • Keep track and count
In the games were you: (circle all that apply) • • • Organized Ruthless Calm Conforming Fun-loving Careless Helpful Anxious Independent Reserved • • • Disciplined Suspicious Secure Practical Sociable Disorganized Trusting Insecure Imaginative Dethatched
• Friendly • Fast Paced • Detached • Interesting • Energized • Enthusiastic • Disorganized • Creative • Clever • Outgoing • Awkward • Patient • Odd • Helpful • Organized • Cold • Strict • Kind
Type A • Type A is usually competitive and has a high challenging spirit. • Type A’s has got a severe sense of time urgency. • Type A's biggest problem is stress • Type A’s are usually overwhelmed by the amount of tasks they have to do. • Type A’s are over achievers, perform well in many activities.
Type B • Relaxed by nature and has no sense of time urgency • Easygoing and take things slowly and steadily. • Take time to think and ponder before acting • May also delay their work to the last minute • Work well as part of a team
A B
Spotlight Effect • The tendency to think that more people notice something about you than they do.
Personal Control Social-cognitive psychologists emphasize our sense of personal control, whether we control the environment or the environment controls us. External locus of control refers to the perception that chance or outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate. Internal locus of control refers to the perception that we can control our own fate. 83
The Person-Situation Controversy • Are traits really stable? Kind Of…. They change according to the situation.
The Person-Situation Controversy Trait theorists argue that behaviors from a situation may be different, but average behavior remains the same. Therefore, traits matter. 85
Reciprocal Determinism • Bandura: Personality is more than just traits, it is the complex combination of thoughts, behavior, and the environment.
Somatotype Theory • A biological Theory by William Sheldon. • Endomorphs (Fat) tend to be friendly and outgoing. • Mesomorphs (muscular) tend to be more aggressive. • Ectomorphs (thin) tend to be more shy and secretive. • Study has not been replicated.
Optimism vs. Pessimism An optimistic or pessimistic attributional style is your way of explaining positive or negative events. Positive psychology aims to discover and promote conditions that enable individuals and communities to thrive. 88
Learned Helplessness When unable to avoid repeated adverse events an animal or human learns helplessness. 89
Positive Psychology and Humanistic Psychology Positive psychology, such as humanistic psychology, attempts to foster human fulfillment. Positive psychology, in addition, seeks positive subjective well-being, positive character, and positive social groups. Courtesy of Martin E. P. Seligman, Ph. D Director, Positive Psychology Center/ University of Pennsylvania Martin Seligman 90
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