Understanding Human Personality Chapter 13 Understanding Human Personality

Chapter 13 Preview Type and Trait Personality Theories Psychodynamic Theories Humanistic Theories Social-Learning and Cognitive Theories

Chapter 13 Preview Self Theories Comparing Personality Theories Assessing Personality Recapping Main Points

Personality What is Personality Unique psychological qualities of individual that influence variety of characteristic behavior patterns across different situations and over time

Personality trait What is Personality? Enduring personal quality or attribute that influences behavior across situations

Type Personality Theories Predispositions Descriptions Personality Types Distinct patterns of personality characteristics

Trait Personality Theories Allport’s Trait Approach Three kinds of traits cardinal central secondary Personality structures as determinants of individual behavior Intervening variables

Trait Personality Theories Trait Theories James Cattell’s 16 Factors Hans Eysenck’s Dimensional Theory

Four Quadrants of Eysenck’s Personality Circle Figure 13.2, page 358

Trait Personality Theories Five-Factor Model (Big Five) Factors Extraversion Agreeableness Conscientiousness Neuroticism Openness to experience Attempt to find structure among large list of traits Taxonomy or classification system Used in 56 countries

Evolutionary Perspectives on Trait Dimensions Evolutionary Approach Consider great variation among and within Allport dimensions Diversity of environments People embody both low and high values on each of five dimensions

Traits and Heritability Research Design Family Studies Twin Studies Monozygotic twins Dizygotic twins

Traits and Heritability Behavioral Genetics Study of degree to which personality traits and behavior patterns are inherited

Do Traits Predict Behaviors? Consistency Paradox (Mischel, 2004) Personality ratings are consistent Behavior ratings are not

Evaluation of Type and Trait Theories Advantages Type and Trait theories describe people’s personalities Disadvantages Type and Trait theories do not explain how behavior is generated or how it develops Type and Trait theories only portray static view of personality as it currently exists

Psychology in Your Life Do you believe that YOUR personality can change? After reading information on page 363, answer the above question by using a holding theory or an incremental theory.

Psychodynamic Theories Psychodynamic Personality Theories Personality is shaped by and behavior is motivated by powerful inner forces

Drives and Psychosocial Development Freud Psychoanalysis Concept of Libido Oedipus and Electra Complexes Concept of Fixation

Freudian Psychoanalysis Psychic Determinism Mental and behavioral reactions determined by previous experiences Unconscious Stores repressed urges and primitive impulses

Stages of Psychosexual Development Oral Anal Phallic Latency Genital

Structure of the Personality Id Primitive, unconscious part of the personality Pleasure Principle Superego Internalization of society’s values, standards, and morals Morality Ego ideal Ego Self-preservation activities Directing instinctual drives and urges into appropriate channels Reality Principle

Repression and Ego Defenses Ego Defense Mechanisms Denial of Reality Displacement Fantasy Identification

Repression and Ego Defenses Ego Defense Mechanisms Isolation Projection Rationalization Reaction Formation Regression Sublimation

Evaluation of Freudian Theories Advantages Some aspects continued to modified and improved with empirical scrutiny Some evidence for some of habits of mind Still influences some areas of contemporary psychology Criticisms Vague concepts No operational definitions No predictive reliability Retrospective application No observations of children Traumatic experience minimization Androcentric bias Criticisms Concepts are vague and not operationally defined Does not reliably predict what will occur; it is applied retrospectively Is a developmental theory but never included observations of children Minimizes traumatic experiences Has a androcentric bias

Extending Psychodynamic Theories Do you know the contributions of these people? Alfred Adler Karen Horney Carl Jung Alfred Adler Inferiority and Superiority Individual Psychology: The Creative Self Karen Horney Carl Jung Collective Unconscious Archetypes Analytic Psychology

Unconditional Positive Regard Humanistic Theories Carl Rogers Self-concept Self-actualization Abraham Maslow Unconditional Positive Regard Self-actualization Constant striving to realize potential and to develop inherent talents and capabilities

Features of Humanistic Theories Holistic Explain people’s separate acts in terms of their entire personalities Dispositional Focus on innate qualities within person that exert major influence over direction behavior will take Phenomenological Emphasize individual’s frame of reference and subjective view of reality

Evaluation of Humanistic Theories Advantages Focus on healthy personality that strives for happiness and self-actualization Related to contemporary research related to narrative identities and life stories (psychobiographies) Criticisms Fuzzy terms Theories not about individual personality Ignores important environmental variables that influence behavior

Social-Learning and Cognitive Theories Julian Rotter Expectancy Reward value Locus of control

Social-Learning and Cognitive Theories Walter Mischel’s Cognitive-Affective Personality Theory Encodings Expectancies and beliefs Affects Goals and values Competencies and self-regulatory plans See page 371 for details

Bandura’s Cognitive Social-learning Theory Reciprocal determinism Complex reciprocal interaction exists among individual, his or her behavior, and environment stimuli Each component affects other components

Social-Learning and Cognitive Theories Cantor’s Social Intelligence Theory Choice of life goals Knowledge relevant to social interactions Strategies for implementing goals

Reciprocal Determinism Figure 13.8, page 373

Bandura’s Cognitive Social-learning Theory Self-efficacy Belief that one can perform adequately in particular situation

Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Model

Evaluation of Social Learning Theories Advantages Major contributions to current thinking Better understanding of what person brings to situation and what situation brings out of person Improvements in way teachers educate children Criticisms No personality component No recognition of unconscious motivation Personal constructs and competencies vague Focus on current behavior, not developmental origin Theories overlook emotion as an important component of personality Cognitive theories do not recognize the impact of unconscious motivation Explanations about the way personal constructs and competencies are created are vague Cognitive theories only focus on current behavior, not on its developmental origin

Self-Theories Self-concept Mental model of abilities and attributes Self-enhancement View that own actions and behaviors are positive Helps preserve self-image

Generalized evaluative attitude toward self Self-handicapping Self-Theories Self-esteem Generalized evaluative attitude toward self Self-handicapping Minimize ability deficits as possible attributions for failure

Men’s and Women’s Self-Handicapping Figure 13.8, page 376

Terror Management Theory Self-esteem helps people cope with inevitability of death Symbolic immortality Mortality salience

Cultural and Mortality Salience Figure 13.9, page 378

Self-Theories Cultural Construction of Self Independent construals of self Interdependent construals of self

Evaluation of Self Theories Advantages Capture people’s concepts of their personalities and way wish to be perceived by others Cross-cultural construals of self influence psychologists examination of theoretic universals Criticisms Limitless boundaries Factors for predicting behavior unclear Inconsistent emphasis of self as social construct is not consistent with evidence of inherited personality Limitless boundaries Not clear which factors are most important for predicting behavior Emphasis on the self as a social construct is not consistent with the evidence that facets of personality may be inherited

Critical Thinking in Your Life How is personality conveyed in cyberspace? How do you present yourself in cyberspace? Why might people be more comfortable making personality judgments based on social media content?

Comparing Personality Theories Heredity versus environment Learning processes versus innate laws of behavior Emphasis on past, present, and future Consciousness versus unconsciousness Inner disposition versus outer situation

Assessing Personality Objective Tests Personality Inventories MMPI, MMPI-2, MMPI-2-RF NEO-PI

Assessing Personality Projective Tests Rorschach TAT

Inkblot Similar to Those Used in Rorschach Test Figure 13.10, page 381

Recapping Chapter 13 Main Points Categorizing by Type Describing with Traits Traits and Heredity Do Traits Predict Behavior? Evaluation of Trait Theories Type and Trait Personality Theories

Recapping Chapter 13 Main Points Freudian Psychoanalysis Evaluation of Freudian Theory Extending Psychodynamic Theories Psychodynamic Theories Features of Humanistic Theories Evaluation of Humanistic Theories Humanistic Theories

Recapping Chapter 13 Main Points Mischel’s Cognitive-Affective Personality Theory Bandura’s Cognitive Social-Learning Theory Cantor’s Social Intelligence Theory Evaluation of Social-Learning and Cognitive Theories Social Learning and Cognitive Theories

Recapping Chapter 13 Main Points Dynamic Aspects of Self-Concepts Self-Esteem and Self Presentation The Cultural Construction of Self Evaluation of Self Theories Self Theories Comparing Theories