Introduction to Psychology Personality

A person’s unique and relatively stable behavior patterns The various styles of behavior an individual habitually reflects

Personality vs. Social Psychology Personality: emphasis on the individual; personal traits; dispositions Social: the role of the situation; how external conditions shape behavior

Trait Theory Gordon Allport Traits: a stable, enduring quality that a person shows in most situations

Common Traits Traits common to a culture Americans: independent, competitive Eastern cultures: interdependence, altruism

Individual Traits Traits defining a person’s unique qualities

Cardinal Traits All of one’s qualities/actions can be traced back to one specific trait (rare) Example: Mother Theresa: compassion

Personality “Types” People who have several traits in common Type A personality

Big 5: Costa & McCrae Five factor model Derived from factor analysis 10,000 participants: narrowed the list to five traits Questionnaire

Big Five Openness to Experience Conscientiousness Extraversion Agreeableness Neuroticism

Sample Questions I see myself as someone who: Is talkative Is original and comes up with new ideas Can be moody Is sometimes shy Is emotionally stable and not easily upset Is curious about many different things

Stability of Personality Traits Fairly stable after age 30 Some discrepancies in this finding

Critique “psychology of the stranger” Why five traits?

Dan McAdams: Life History Approach Level 1: traits Level 2: goals, strivings Level 3: life story: reflexive understanding of the self We live “storied lives”

Individualistic vs. Collectivistic Cultures Individualistic: emphasis on success, personal achievement Collectivistic: emphasis on altruism, contribution to the group Self-esteem is derived differently

Psychoanalytic Approach Freud Id/ego/superego: personality works in a dynamic system Unconscious conflicts/urges shape personality

Psychosexual Stages Oral stage: 1 st year of life Erogenous zone: mouth Fixation: Oral dependent: gullible, passive, needy Oral aggressive: exploits others; manipulative, nasty

Psychosexual Stages Anal stage: age 1-3 Erogenous zone: anus; potty training Fixation: Anal retentive: compulsive, stingy, orderly, compulsively clean Anal expressive: disorderly, destructive, messy, excessive spending, dislikes authority

Psychosexual Stages Phallic Stage: age 3-6 Oedipal Complex/Electra Complex Boys: castration anxiety Girls: penis envy Resolution: identification with the same-sex parent

Psychosexual Stages Latency: age 6-puberty: psychosexual development is dormant Genital: puberty: desire for adult sexual relationships

Freudian Defense Mechanisms Repression: pushing thoughts/conflicts out of consciousness Displacement: changing the recipient of our feelings to express them more safely

Freudian Defense Mechanisms Sublimation: redirecting sexual urges/other emotions toward productive and prosocial activities Reaction Formation: behaving the opposite of how we actually feel

Freudian Defense Mechanisms Projection: transferring your feelings/beliefs to others Identification: identifying with/taking on the characteristics of another; often, an aggressor

Carl Jung Neo-Freudian The conscious and unconscious should be in balance; like the ebb and flow of the tides

Carl Jung Persona: the “mask” we show the world; our public self Shadow: our repressed “dark side”; the opposite of what we take ourselves to be Acknowledge the shadow or it may overtake you

Carl Jung Personal Unconscious: mental storehouse for an individual’s thoughts/feelings/memories Collective Unconscious: unconscious images/ideas that we all share archetypes

Alfred Adler Individual Psychology: individuals are unique and subjective: how do we make meaning of our experiences?

Alfred Adler Fulfillment Model We are trying to overcome perceived inferiorities We develop a sense of inferiority in infancy/early childhood: the felt minus

Alfred Adler Overcoming inferiority: striving for superiority Inferiority complex: we are crippled by our perceived shortcomings

Alfred Adler Organ inferiority: a physical problem/abnormality may be the root of our sense of inferiority Circus performers Adler’s health problems in childhood

Alfred Adler Birth Order First born: receives full attention, then is dethroned Problem children, neurotic, criminal behavior, conservative, authoritative, leaders

Alfred Adler Middle child: may feel envious, neglected Tries to find a place in the family Rebellious or revolutionary Creative Concerned for the underdog

Alfred Adler Youngest: Pampered, dependent Tries to compete in many areas, lacks focus Optimistic: “everyone is nice to me”

Alfred Adler Only Children Never has to compete for parental attention Pampered, overly attached to mother May feel rejected Over-inflated sense of personal worth