Lecture Guide Chapter 13 Personality Gen Psych F09 Personality the unique specific to that person constellation of traits emotions motives and behaviors includes the assumption these traits are generally consistent stable and predictable over time and situation Vs Character value judgments of a person s moral and ethical behavior integrity honesty loyalty compassion Temperament inborn emotional reaction pattern with the world believed now to underlie or partially determine personality Four theoretical perspectives on personality Used to explain disorders and determine treatments interventions 1 Psychoanalytic personality what we see reflects unconscious forces and conflicts 2 Behavioristic social cognitive theory personality consists of learned responses or habits 3 Humanistic focus on aspects of personality that make us human such as subjective feelings need for personal growth and freedom of choice Maslow Rogers 4 Trait perspectives attempts to describe personality characteristics and predict future behavior less focus on development generally biologically based with recognition of environmental role Which one is right They all have value many theories within each perspective as well Psychoanalytic Freud s Theory Founder of the psychoanalytic movement in psychology Focus on unconscious conflicts Conscious mind aware of immediate surroundings and perceptions Ex voices feel of seat etc Preconscious mind information that is available but not currently conscious Ex last exam grade Unconscious mind thoughts feelings memories wishes that are not easily or voluntarily brought into consciousness Id reservoir of psychic energy present at birth and completely unconscious The largest part of personality and it is blocked from view meaning we don t have direct access to the Id little glimpses into it through dreams dream analysis and slip of the tongue Ex Devil Operates under the Pleasure Principle the Id is selfish it seeks the immediate satisfaction of needs survival sexual and aggressive need without any regard for the consequences If it feels good do it I want it and I want it now Ego develops out of a need to deal with reality mostly conscious rational and logical Mediates between reality the Id and later the superego Ex You Operates under the Reality Principle seeks to satisfy demands of Id in realistic ways 1 Superego acts as a moral center internalized ideals and is broken into 2 parts Ex Angel Ego ideal part that contains standards for moral behavior Conscience part that produces pride or guilt depending on how well behavior matches ego ideal Where does personality come from in Freud s theory then Personality results from our attempts to resolve unconscious conflicts to balance impulse desire with needs of society restraint Ex defense mechanisms attempts to minimize tension by distorting or denying reality we protect ourselves from discomfort produced by these conflicts by distorting reality in a way that allows us to feel better Denial projection place your feelings on someone else displacement Evaluation of psychoanalytic Today s psychodynamic theorists agree Much of mental life is unconscious Childhood experience shapes personality and relationships Struggle with inner conflicts between wishes fears and values reality Trait Theories History and Current Thoughts Historically many sometimes called biological Trait theories are some of the oldest Increased interest now because computer power increases ability to do the research at this level and because people are more interested in predictability Trait a consistent way to think feel or behave 200 Theories look to identify those that are important to day to day functioning the one s that can account for human differences Surface traits traits that can easily be seen in the outward actions of a person each source trait may contribute to many surface traits Source traits the more basic traits that underlie the surface traits forming the core of personality The five factor model of personality In fact twin studies suggest personality 50 inherited Working with observable assumed genetic based traits Work started 1980 s still going strong Looking to identify the source traits and what contributes to them 2 The Big Five Dimensions of personality that appear to be useful to people in America and elsewhere Openness to experience Conscientiousness Extraversion Agreeableness Neuroticism By definition these are independent can have any combination of scores any mix of high Scores vary independently find people who have all high scores all low some high some low etc 1 Openness to Experience High curious flexible artistic willing to try new things Low conventional down to earth uncreative 2 Conscientiousness High organized punctual productive dependable Low unreliable carless negligent spontaneous High Outgoing sociable upbeat friendly assertive Low reserved in background okay alone dislike attention introverted 3 Extraversion 4 Agreeableness 5 Neuroticism High cooperative straight forward Low rude grumpy irritable competitive High anxious hostile insecure vulnerable Low calm secure relaxed stable How might this be useful Prediction Boy girlfriends Employers different ones may need different traits Friends Interventions do different methods work better for different personalities Teaching therapy 3
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