Ch. 14: Theories of Personality

Psychoanalytic Theory Freud Jung

Freud’s Theories Thought personality is mostly fixed by 5 – 6. Most of our feelings about ourselves come from family dynamics. We’d forget family conflicts, but they’d stay with us in the unconscious.

The Unconscious & Libido The unconscious is a part of the mind that strongly affects our behavior even though we don’t know what’s in it. Reveals itself through: Dreams and speech mistakes Free association: if you talk long enough, the unconscious mind will reveal itself. Libido is an internal energy source that if not released, will appear in dreams and fantasies.

Id Id: part of the mind containing basic needs and drives. Includes libido. Unconscious, so don’t know what’s going on there. Id unconcerned with reality. Emphasis on sexual and aggressive impulses, but couldn’t survive without it. I WANT IT NOW!!!

Superego Superego: part of the mind roughly synonymous with the conscience. Holds id in check. Causes guilt and pride. Develops out of punishments and rewards from parents. Would let us die rather than break a rule. You can’t have it now; it’s not right.

Ego Ego: part of the mind that is based in reality; the “self” that allows controlled id expression within the boundaries set by the superego. Balances our desires with the demands of reality. I need to do a bit of planning to get it.

Freud’s Stages of Development According to Freud, all major conflicts happen in the first 3 (of 5) stages of development. This is where adult problems originate. When a conflict is not resolved, libido energy gets stuck or “fixated” at that stage.

Oral Stage Birth – 1 ½ Feeding and weaning are the child’s main issues. Feeding = pleasure, weaning = task to deal with. If weaned too late or early, adults may be too independent on others, reject others, overeat, or self-starve.

Anal Stage 1 ½ - 2 ½ Toilet training is the child’s major concern. Training that’s too harsh or lenient may produce adults who are overly stingy, overly generous, rigid with rules, or rebellious.

Phallic Stage 2 ½ - 5/6 Child experiences romantic interest in the opposite-sex parent and hostility toward the same-sex parent. Oedipus conflict – desire to marry opposite sex, hostility toward same sex, and fear of punishment that leads to guilt for having apparently done something bad. Solved by identifying with and taking on characteristics of same-sex parent. When unresolved, adults may have anxiety, guilt, phobias, depression.

Latency Stage 6 – preadolescence Child’s earlier conflicts are hidden or go below the surface. PHEW!

Genital Stage Adolescence onward Individual seeks an appropriate marital partner and earlier conflicts reappear.

Carl Jung’s Beliefs & Archetypes Believed the unconscious is a well of mystical and religious beliefs that control our behavior. Studied lots of ancient stuff and kept finding recurring themes like God and Mother as supportive. Archetypes: inherited universal human concepts. If certain ideas reappear in civilizations that have had no contact, they must be innate and inborn.

Jung: Collective Unconscious Collective unconscious: the portion of a person that contains ideas or archetypes (such as hero, mother, and so on) shared by the whole human race. We all try to fit the “myths” of the collective unconscious, like what a mother should be, or a man. Jung thought we hide our real personalities because we’re trying to fit what we think we’re supposed to be. Persona: Jung’s term for a “mask” people wear to hide what they really are or feel.

Social Psychoanalytic Theory Horney Adler Erikson

Karen Horney Thought personality was more influenced by coping with social needs than by the impulses of the id. Most helplessness and anxiety results from trying to get enough love. We build personalities around fighting rejection.

Alfred Adler Believed social interaction is the key to proper development. Our biggest problems are trying to feel important and worthwhile around others. Insecure people try to dominate and control others to avoid feelings of inferiority.

Erikson Stages of Development Stage 1: infancy Need warm relationship with mother during feeding. Trust vs. mistrust Stage 2: 2 yrs. old Child tries to establish individuality. Autonomy vs. shame Stage 3: 3-5 Child tries to take initiative and control. Initiative vs. guilt

Erikson Stages of Development Child wants to develop skills and wants to be rewarded. Industry vs. inferiority Stage 5: adolescence Tries to answer the question “Who am I?” Forming tight groups is very important. Look for someone to love who we are. Look for a role in life. Identity vs. identity confusion Stage 6: early adulthood Forming permanent relationships and intimacy. Intimacy vs. isolation

Erikson Stages of Development Stage 7: middle adulthood, 30-65. Want to give something important to the world. Generation vs. stagnation Stage 8: late adulthood. Wants to find that life was worthwhile. Ego integrity vs. ego despair

Behaviorism Watson Skinner Bandura

John B. Watson According to behaviorism, personality evolves from a series of rewards and punishments. Watson believed if he had complete control of a person’s environment from birth, he could make them become absolutely anything.

B.F. Skinner Believed everything we do is the result of an association of events with their consequences. Reinforcements: events that follow responses and strengthen the tendency to repeat those responses. Each time you laugh with Friend A, you reinforce the odds of wanting to see Friend A again. If the reinforcement from skipping school is greater than the guilt, you’ll keep doing it.

Albert Bandura Agreed with Skinner than we learn through associations, but we also use our ability to think, analyze and interpret. Modeling: Bandura’s term for learning by imitating others. We can retrain ourselves with new associations – if we are afraid of snakes, we can lose that fear by watching someone else handle them. Yet behaviorism still shortchanges the human ability to think.

Humanistic Theory Rogers Maslow

Carl Rogers Humanism emphasizes the positive potential of the person. A reaction to the id-focus of psychoanalysis and robot-focus of behaviorism. Rogers believed people are basically good and can become good people. Ideal self: Rogers’s term for the goal of each person’s development; the self each person would like to be. Problems stem from trying to live up to this.

Abraham Maslow Self-actualized: Maslow’s term for the state of having brought to life the full potential of our skills. Can accomplish this despite personal problems. Humanism encourages a person to take charge of his/her own fate and emphasizes what goes right rather than wrong in personality development.

Trait Theories Allport Cattell Eysenck

Allport’s Trait Categories Cardinal traits: very strong personality characteristics that affect most of what a person does. Very few people have a cardinal trait. Hitler – power, Mother Teresa – concern for others. Central traits: personality traits that are highly characteristic of a person. Most people have 5-10. Things like shy, optimistic, sociable, decisive. Secondary traits: weak personality traits that appear only on occasion. Relegated to certain situations, like aggressiveness when loved one is threatened.

Cattell’s Trait Categories Surface traits: characteristics that can be easily observed by others. For example, giving in to others, not taking a stand, and not expressing opinion. Source traits: personality traits that underlie surface behavior. For above example, being submissive. Came up with 16 source traits. Warmth Social Assertiveness Anxiety Intellect Sensitivity Openmindedness Emotional Stability Paranoia Independence Aggressiveness Abstractness Perfectionism Liveliness Introversion Tension Dutifulness

Eysenck’s Personality Dimensions Extraversion: personality dimension of being outgoing and sociable. Opposite is introversion. Emotional stability: personality dimension that concerns how much a person is affected by feelings. Opposite is emotional instability. Calm vs. anxious, depressed vs. upbeat, controlled vs. impulsive.

Five Inherited Traits Extraversion Agreeableness Conscientiousness Emotional stability (neuroticism) Openness to experience

Effects of Environment Generally believed that 50% of personality is controlled by heredity. Environment is complicated, because depending on personality, two people can react differently to the same thing. Studies show interactions with siblings, playmates, and school groups carry more weight than interactions with parents.