By Safdar Mehdi

Personality  For psychologists, personality is a set of relatively enduring behavioral characteristics and internal predispositions that describe how a personality reacts to the environment. Psychologists recognize that an individual’s behavior is not consistent all the time or in every situation.

Personality Theories  Personality theories focus on a few key questions:  Does nature or nurture play a greater role in day to day behavior?  Do unconscious processes direct behavior?  Are human behavior patterns fixed?  Does a person’s behavior depend on the situation?  What makes people consistent in their behavior?

Psychoanalytic Approach  This perspective emphasizes unconscious thoughts, conflict between biological instincts and society’s demands, and early family experiences.

Psychoanalytic Approach  Key features of this approach are:  Our behaviour and feelings as adults are rooted in our childhood experiences.  Relationships (particularly parenting) are of primary importance in determining how we feel and behave.  Our behaviour and feelings are powerfully affected by the meaning of events to the unconscious mind.  Information can be obtained from dreams, irrational behaviour and what patients say in therapy.  The personality is made up of three distinct structures: id, ego and super ego.

Psychic Determinism

The Psyche (Personality) Id: Instincts Superego: Morality Ego: Reality

Healthy Psyche IdSuperego Ego OK Guys – I’m in charge. Anything you want has to go through me. OK.

Neurotic Id Superego Ego Listen up! I’m in charge, and you are not here to enjoy yourselves. Get ready for a double-size portion of anxiety with a side order of guilt! No fun. >whimper<

Unconscious Motivation

The Unconscious The conscious. The small amount of mental activity we know about. The preconscious. Things we could be aware of if we wanted or tried. The unconscious. Things we are unaware of and can not become aware of. Thoughts Perceptions Memories Stored knowledge Fears Unacceptable sexual desires Violent motives Irrational wishes Immoral urges Selfish needs Shameful experiences Traumatic experiences Bad Worse Really Bad

Unresolved Conflicts

Fixation  A fixation is an excessive attachment to some person or object that was appropriate only at an earlier stage of development.  Parent’s behavior in the childhood may results into emotionally disturbed children.

Defense Mechanisms  A defense mechanism is a largely unconscious way of reducing anxiety by distorting perceptions of reality. When repress feelings or desires, they become unaware of it.

Examples - Defense Mechanisms  Denial. The mechanism by which people refuse to accept reality or recognize the true source of their anxiety.  Sublimation. The mechanism by which socially unacceptable impulses are redirected into acceptable ones.  Rationalization. The mechanism by which people reinterpret undesirable feelings or behavior to make them appear acceptable

Jung’s Analytical Psychology  Carl Gustav Jung( )  Collective Unconscious  Archtypes

Adler’s Fulfillment Approach  Alfred Adler( ), focused on human values and social interactions.  Structure of Personality.  Fictional Finalism.  Development of Personality

Questions????

Thank you