Integration of Units

Group Activity 8A: Units Which unit (motive, cognitive, trait) do you like the best and why? –Which unit is best suited for: Understanding structure (why?) Predicting behavior (why?)

Motives, Cognitions & Traits Which unit? –is primary & explains others? –is most useful for predicting behavior? –is easiest to measure? All important & add different information –Structure –Process –Development/change

McAdams Traits are important but not enough –Also need less decontextualized features like motives & personal strivings Personality consists of 3 levels (realms) –Different kinds of individual differences exist at different levels I? II? III? –Different structure, process, development at each level

Group Activity 8B: McAdams What do you think the relationship among levels is? Why? Which level units are most influential in your day to day life/behavior? –III equally important for all cultures? Why? Do you think we need 3 levels? Explain.

Activity 8: McAdams In groups of 3-4 –Discuss McAdams learning goal 2 or 3 or 4 Write down answers & share with class

2. Describe the trait level (I), including why McAdams calls it the ‘psychology of a stranger’. What are the problems with traits as McAdams sees it? What is his point about traits and ‘conditional patterns of personality’? 3. Describe Level II. What resides here? What can we say about the structure of Level II? How does this level compare to Level I? How does level II move us beyond the stranger to better understand behavior? 4. Describe Level III. What resides here & how is it related to the other levels? What does it add to our understanding of personality? Is III equally useful for all people & cultures?

Activity 8: McAdams –Now discuss learning goal 5 or 6: –5. Which of the three levels best addresses personality structure?, personality process?, personality development? Are these levels complementary or antagonistic to one another? –6. In which levels would motive and cognitive units best fit? What is the relationship between the different levels? How might personality be operationalized at each level? PLEASE TURN ALL THIS IN AFTER CLASS!

McAdams To fully know a person is to know them at all 3 (& perhaps more) levels Personality is more contextualized & temporal than traits allow Integration eventually