Chapter 14 Personality Personality characteristic pattern of thinking feeling and behaving Gives coherence to one s life Reflects both nature genes and nurture experience Individual differences and underlying processes Personal tendencies Coping patterns Goals of Personality Psychology People respond differently to the same event so personality psychologists seek psychologically meaningful and stable individual difference to 1 Describe among people behavior behavior 2 Explain 3 Predict Psychodynamic Approach to Personality Sigmund Freud 1856 1939 o Medical doctor specialized in nervous disorders o Theorized using case studies Empirical evidence was not yet established firmly in psychology Relied on developing a coherent theory of personality 3 Major Assumptions 1 Psychic determinism 2 Symbolic meaning 3 Unconscious motivation We aren t free to choose actions because we re at mercy of powerful inner forces that are outside of our awareness Levels of Consciousness Unconscious violent motives fears irrational wishes selfish needs immoral urges unacceptable desires shameful experiences Preconscious memories stored knowledge awareness Conscious thoughts perceptions Structures of Personality Id the most primitive part of personality o Fights for manifestation and satisfaction of unconscious psychic energy o Driven by pleasure principle o Instinctive un socialized Ego our largely conscious self o Driven by reality principle o Tries to find socially acceptable ways of meeting demands of id Super Ego represents internalized rules and ideals pressed upon us by primary caregivers o conscience guilt should nots o Ego ideal ideals should Freud thought personality formed during the first few years of life Personality Development We go through a series of stages of development Psychosexual Stages Fixations occur as result of unresolved conflicts affect personality 1 Oral Stage 0 18 months o Mouth related pleasure o Central conflict wanting food to be on demand learning immediate gratification isn t always available o Oral Fixation cause personality anxieties related to food smoking etc 2 Anal Stage 18 36 months o Bowel bladder related pleasure o Central Conflict gaining sense of control mastery o Anal Fixation cause personality anzieties related to order cleanliness 3 Phallic Stage 3 6 years o Genital related pleasure o Central Conflict tension between illicit sexual desire and approved sexuality Oedipus Complex o Genital Fixation cause personality anxieties related to genital pleasure 4 Latency Stage 6 puberty o May not be much going on dormant sexual feelings o No real conflicts o No fixations 5 Genital Stage puberty older o Maturation of sexual interest o Success finding healthy expression of sexuality o No new fixation prior fixations may resurface Defense Mechanism Ego s protective way of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality Analysis of Personality Key question If so much of our personality is hidden in our unconscious how do we get this personality Freud By studying conscious manifestations of what s hidden in the unconscious o Unconscious needs sexual aggressive etc may be seen in conscious manifestations outlets such as dreams jokes slip of the tongue etc Evaluating Freud Most contemporary psychologists o DON T deem sex the sole basis of personality reject idea that suppressed sexuality causes psychological disorders o Consider unconscious as vital for information processing not a realm of id driven impulses Repression is key in psychoanalysis and evidence suggests that o People may neglect threatening realities but seldom engage in full scale repression after trauma flashbacks are more common o Personality development is a lifelong process Trait Theories of Personality Trait relatively stable predisposition to feel and act a certain way Personality is composed of many traits Introduction to Traits Sixteen factor theory Cattell too complex Three factor theory Eysenck too limiting Grouping Traits Together To consolidate traits researchers group them into factors Five factor theory just right Big Five o Method Factor Analysis Identifies which traits hang together Goal smallest number that adequately reflects complex human personality Five Factor Model Groups traits in five broad categories o Openness to Experience o Conscientiousness o Extraversion o Agreeableness o Neuroticism These five are fairly stable across gender age and some cultures o Imaginative intellectual curious creative unconventional o Simple conventional down to earth narrow interests closed to new o Cautious serious responsible thorough efficient organized disciplined o Irresponsible careless lazy disorganized impulsive easygoing o Sociable assertive energetic adventurous enthusiastic outgoing o Reserved reflective quiet alone or few close friends o Good natured courteous sympathetic helpful o Irritable rude cold unkind demanding stubborn show off Openness ideas Conscientiousness Extraversion Agreeableness Neuroticism o Nervous anxious excitable high strung moody irritable o Calm composed relaxed happy stable flexible Origins of Big Five o Study of fraternal twins and identical twins o Higher correlation between identical twins The person situation controversy Personality is not totally fixed but a response to situational factors Inner disposition or situation more important o Relative stability o Relative flexibility Should be careful when predicting behavior from personality test Social Cognitive Theory of Personality Individuals and their situations will always work together o Reciprocal Determinism tendency for people to mutually influence each other s behavior Personality is strongly influenced by our sense of personal control o External Locus of Control I m controlled by my environment o Internal Locus of Control I m able to control my environment Strong sense of personal control internal locus often boosts self control Self Control ability to control impulses and delay gratification o Delay of Gratification delay of immediate satisfaction for greater future rewards Example The Marshmallow Test Children put in room with marshmallows and left alone Told that if they don t eat it and wait they ll get more Those who delayed longer had higher SAT scores later Learned Helplessness hopelessness and passive resignation one learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events o Uncontrollable bad events Perceived lack of control General helpless behavior Self Efficacy expectation that you can perform
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