Lecture Notes Gabriel Psych101 Section 4 Page 1 LECTURE NOTES FOR SECTION 4 OF CLASS START HERE Personality Personality Distinctive and relatively stable pattern of behaviors thoughts motives and emotions that characterizes an individual Trait Theories Explain differences between people in terms of stable personality traits Modern day psychologists have found 5 personality dimensions that span cultures The 5 Factor Theory Extraversion Neuroticism Conscientiousness Agreeableness Openness to Experience Extraversion Neuroticism Lecture Notes Gabriel Psych101 Openness Conscientiousness Agreeableness The 5 Factor Theory Helpful in predicting general trends in behavior Too general to predict behavior in a specific situation Behaviorist Theory Behavior determined by Section 4 Page 2 Lecture Notes Gabriel Psych101 Section 4 Page 3 Heredity and Temperament Temperaments Physiological dispositions to respond to the environment in certain ways o Present in infancy assumed to be innate o Relatively stable over time Include o Reactivity o Soothability Babies who are easy or slow to warm up tend to be that way 10 years later Genetic Influences on Personality 123 pairs of identical twins and 127 pairs of fraternal twins Measured on Big Five personality dimensions Results suggest that personality differences in the population are 40 50 genetically determined The Nature of Extraversion Eysneck differences due to arousability Extraverts low arousability so seek external stimulation lower heart rate reactivity Introverts high arousability so avoid external stimulation higher heart rate reactivity Personality Consistency Is personality more consistent at some points in the lifespan Evidence indicates that personality is least stable during childhood Consistency increases with age Many Theories of Personality Emphasize Early Childhood Experience Attachment Theory Freudian Theory Social Learning Theory Attachment Theory Bond between infant and caregiver will influence the individual s interactions with others throughout the lifespan Lecture Notes Gabriel Psych101 Section 4 Page 4 Freud Saw patients suffering from Hysteria depression anxiety sleeplessness Could find no medical cause Women reported being molested as children by male relatives Freudian Theory Used Psychoanalysis theory of personality and method of psychotherapy assume that our motives are largely unconscious The Conscious things you are currently aware of The Preconscious could be retrieved if desired The Subconscious Freudian Theory The Unconscious The primary personality component Consists of things you re unaware of but that influence you Can t be tapped directly Reflected in slips of the tongue dreams etc Motivation Behind Personality Freud believed all behavior no matter how mundane was driven by two unconscious motivators Eros sexual motivation Thantos aggressive motivation Psychological determinism Freudian Theory Personality components Id Concerned with drive satisfaction follows the pleasure principle Superego internalized parental control conscience morality and social standard Ego Reason good sense and rational control follows the reality principle Lecture Notes Gabriel Psych101 Section 4 Page 5 Psychoanalytic Terms Pleasure Principle the id s boundless drive for immediate gratification Reality Principle the ego s capacity to delay gratification Freud s Model Freudian Theory Stages Personality will be determined by how Child Passes through psychosexual phases Oral 0 1 year Anal 1 3 years Phallic 3 6 years Latency 6 puberty Genital from puberty Freudian Theory Stages Oral Stage Libido gratification oral Infant learns to trust in others esp for food Oral Personality Fixation pessimism about the world hostility or passivity Excessive eating or drinking Freudian Theory Stages Anal Stage Delay of gratification Pleasure and libido satisfaction from being in control Lecture Notes Gabriel Psych101 Section 4 Page 6 Anal Personality Fixation either excessive orderliness or messiness Anal retentive versus anal expulsive Freudian Theory Stages Phallic Stage Sex role identification occurs Oedipal or Electra Complex sexual attraction to opposite sex parent Mechanisms include castration anxiety boys penis envy girls Freudian Theory Stages Phallic Personality Fixation sex role identification problems promiscuity vanity or excessive chastity Freudian Theory Stages Latency Stage A time of focus on achievement and mastery of skills Libido is channeled into mastery activities Freud thought little of interest happened here Freudian Theory Stages Genital Stage The time of mature personality intimacy with others Libido satisfied by adult type sexual activity Freudian Theory Defense Defense Mechanisms o Methods used by the Ego to keep unconscious anxiety from entering consciousness E G My best friends boyfriend is hot Denial Refusing to accept that the feeling is present Lecture Notes Gabriel Psych101 Section 4 Page 7 Repression Relegating anxiety causing thoughts to the unconscious refusing to think about them Projection Attributing one s undesirable traits or actions to others Reaction Formation Taking actions opposite to one s feelings Rationalization Creating intellectually acceptable arguments to hide the actual desire Displacement Substituting a less threatening object for the subject of the hostile or sexual impulse Scapegoating Sublimation Redirecting anxiety causing impulses into socially acceptable actions The most mature mechanism Art Freudian Personality Dynamics The id s instinctual urges can be temporarily suppressed but the energy must find an outlet Outlets are disguised and indirect to provide release for energy that will be safe and appear normal Problems with Freud Violates the principle of falsifiability Key portions are contrary to recent data There is no evidence for penis envy castration anxiety Biased against women Freud s negative attitudes towards women colored his entire theory Lecture Notes Gabriel Psych101 Section 4 Page 8 Contributions The discovery of unconscious processes His emphasis on childhood influences on adult behavior Defense Mechanisms Parents versus Peers Personality traits more nurture than nature Parents not consistent Secure base and beating the odds Peer groups Parents versus peers Social Learning Theory Modeling The social learning process by which behavior is observed and imitated Locus of Control The expectancy that one s reinforcements are generally controlled by internal or external factors Self