Psychology Personality and attitudes Interactive lecture ii Dr Jolanta Babiak Winter semester 2017/2018

Assigned reading Gerrig, R. J. (2012). Psychology and Life, New Jersey, Pearson Education, Inc. – chapter 13 Whetten, D. A., Cameron K. S. (2011). Developing Management Skills. New Jersey: Person education, Inc. – chapter 1

What is personality? “the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustment to the environment” Gordon Allport Personality – ways in which an individual reacts to environmental stimuli and interacts with others Personality – enduring characteristics that describe an individual’s behavior across situations and over time, e.g. energetic, enthusiastic, charismatic, decisive, ambitious, adaptable, courageous, and industrious Personality – the psychological qualities of an individual that influence a variety of characteristic behavior patterns across different situations and over time Best way to describe personality: measurable traits

Measuring personality Self-report surveys Weaknesses: Lying impression management Accuracy: bad mood effect Observer-rating surveys If both surveys are strongly correlated the result might be a good predictor of success on the job

Personality determinants Is personality a result of heredity or environmental forces? Heredity approach: personality is the molecular structure of the genes located in the chromosomes Genetics account for about 50% of the variation in personality Can personality change? More changeable in adolescence More stable in adulthood Environment accounts for about 40% of the variation in personality

Dominating personality model: The Big Five Dimensions Conscientiousness – degree to which a person is dependable, responsible, organized, and forward looking Extraversion/Introversion – degree to which a person is sociable, talkative, assertive, active, and ambitious Openness to experience – degree to which a person is imaginative, broad minded, curious, and seeks new experiences Emotional stability (Neuroticism) – degree to which a person is anxious, depressed, angry, and insecure Agreeableness – degree to which a person is courteous, likable, good- natured, and flexible

Openness to experience The five-factor model Low end point Factor High end point Quiet, reserved and shy Extroversion Talkative, energetic and sociable Cold, quarrelsome and cruel Agreeableness Sympathetic, kind, and affectionate Careless, frivolous and irresponsible Conscientiousness Organized, responsible and cautious Stable, Calm and contended Neuroticism Anxious, unstable and temperamental Simple shallow and unintelligent Openness to experience Creative, intellectual and open minded

Do you know such people? Have you come across people who always need to be the center of attention? Are self-important? Seem unable to think about others? Are selfish and self-absorbed? Difficult colleagues?

Narcissism and NPD Arrogance Exploiting others Grandiosity Inability to tolerate criticism Indifference to others Lack of empathy Preoccupation with power Trouble with relationships

Narcissism as a “normal” trait Narcissism in the extreme is a disorder Narcissism also describes the range of normal behaviors Confidence Healthy self-esteem Skill in “using” power

Locus of control are you a master of your own fate? Refers to the attitude people develop regarding the extent to which they are in control of their own destinies Internal locus of control: interpreting the reinforcements as being contingent upon one’s own action External locus of control: interpreting the reinforcements as being the product of outside forces

Characteristics of persons with internal locus of control Internals are more self-motivated Are in better control of their own behavior Participate more in social activities, including politics More actively seek information Are better able to handle complex information More achievement oriented More likely try to influence others More likely to seek and assume leadership positions

Self-esteem Self-esteem may be defined as an individual’s assessment of self-worth has important consequences on our feelings about ourselves negative self-concept may lead to anxiety disorders obsessive-compulsive disorder depression eating and personality disorders in general low self-esteem decreases well-being

Core self-evaluation Differences in scores on the five personality aspects can be explained by a more foundational personality factor: the fundamental evaluation each person has developed about him/herself - core self-evaluation Core evaluations influence people’s appraisals about themselves, the world, and others, but they operate subconsciously for the most part people are not aware of their own core self-evaluations

Components of core self-evaluation core self-evaluation sometimes referred to as positive self-regard; comprised of four components: self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, neuroticism, locus of control In combination these 4 factors create a single, powerful latent attribute that lies at the foundation of personality manifestations

Effects of core self-evaluation Each factor has a slightly different meaning but the shared meaning among them, core self-evaluation, assess the extent to which one possesses positive self-regard, feels valuable, capable, stable and in control High CSE tend to be more satisfied with their jobs, perform more successfully on the job, have higher level of task motivation, persistence, productivity in the task, goal setting and commitment, and energized work behavior Core self-evaluation is a strong predictor of personality differences, job satisfaction, job performance, and life happiness

Questions to think about? Which of the personality characteristics are most desirable in leaders? Which of the personality characteristics are most desirable in followers? Is there such phenomenon as an ideal personality profile? Can such personality characteristics as narcissism, Machiavellianism, autocratic and dogmatic behaviors be ever useful in an organizational context?