1. ICSP 254 Theories of Personality
Mahidol University International College

2. Lecture
Students have to present 80 percent of the class by university regulation.
Attendance for the full class period is required.
Please do not be late. If you arrive more than 30 minutes after the class starts, you will be asked to complete extra work to receive full attendance
Laptops are permitted during lecture for note-taking purposes only. I prefer that you take notes by hand because I want to see your faces 

3. Course Website

4. Text Book
Schultz, D.P. & Schultz, S.E. (2012). Theories of Personality. 10th Ed. Cengage.

5. Topics we will cover this trimester
Psychoanalytic
NeoFreudian
Object Relations
Individual
Trait
Social
Humanistic
Biological

6. Grading Everyone can get A’s if you do the work
Week
Percent
In-class Participation
1-11 10
Quizzes
TBA 20
Individual Assignment
2, 4, 6, 8, 10
Group Presentation 12
Final 13 30
Everyone can get A’s if you do the work
I will announce quiz one week in advance
All assignments etc. will not exceed 2 pages

7. Group Paper + Presentation
Group of 2-3
You will watch a movie in class and analyze one character in the movie based on personality theories that you learned about
Pick at least 3 theories and apply to the chosen character
Presentations all on week 12
Paper due by week 13
Paper length 5-10 pages

8. Grading D = 60-64 D+ = 65-69 C = 70-74 C+ = 75-79 B = 80-84 B+ = 85-89

9. The study of Personality
Everyone has one!
You already know how important personality is. Everything you have achieved so far are influenced by your personality and the personalities of the people with whom you interact

10. History of Personality in Psychology
The Study of Consciousness
Wilhelm Wundt and colleagues
Focus on conscious experience
Experimental study with only variables that can be manipulated and controlled
Criticism: Not compatible with complex facet of personality

11. History of Personality in Psychology
The Study of Behavior
John Watson at John Hopkins University
Behaviorism – focus on tangible aspects that can be seen, heard, recorded, and measured (vs. consciousness)
Vending machine: Stimulus  Behavioral responses (based on past learning)
Criticism: ignore other aspects such as feelings and behaviors that are beyond our conscious control

12. History of Personality in Psychology
The Study of Unconscious
Sigmund Freud
Psychoanalysis ≠ Psychology
Develop his theory based on observation of his patients, did NOT use experimental method
Conscious and unconscious in play

13. Definition of Personality
“Personality” derived from Latin word persona (mask used by actors)
The public face we display to people around us; our external and visible characteristics that people can see

14. Let’s ask questions
So, what defines personality? Is it what you think you are? Or what others think about you?
When did your personality develop?
What influences your personality development? Is it nature (genetic) or nurture (how you were raised and your experiences)?
Can you change your personality? Or is it something permanent?

15. Personality is: Enduring and Stable
Personality is relatively enduring, stable, and predictable
Can vary with situation yet it is generally resistant to sudden change
Unique Characteristics
Each of us possess special properties that distinguish us from all others
Personality is the unique, relatively enduring internal and external aspects of a person’s character that influence behaviors in different situations

16. How do you measure Personality?
As a clinical psychologist, if I can’t understand your personality, I cannot correctly diagnose you and ultimately, I cannot be effective therapist.
When you apply for a job at most big companies, they will assess your personality

17. How do you measure Personality?
What 2 properties must all personality tests have?
Reliability – consistency of responses to the test
Methods to assess reliability:
Test-Retest – give the test twice
Equivalent Forms – take two equivalent forms
Split-halves – split the test in half, compare the halves

18. How do you measure Personality?
What 2 properties must all personality tests have?
Validity – extent to which the test is measuring what it is intended to measure
Types of Validity:
Predictive – how well the test predict future behavior
Content – is test individual questions measure what it’s supposed to
Construct – is the test measuring the concept it’s supposed to

19. Lets try some questions
If you take a personality test last week and get the score of 80. Today, you come back to test and score roughly the same. Is this scenario proving the test validity OR reliability?
A patient with Anxiety Disorder diagnosis took an Anxiety test and scored very low (meaning very low level of anxiety). This scenario prove that the test does NOT have validity OR reliability?

20. Types of Assessment Self-Report Projective Techniques
Clinical Interviews
Behavioral Assessment
Thought- and Experience- Sampling

21. Self-Report Inventory
Asking people to report on themselves by answering questions about their behaviors and feelings in various situations
Widely used self-report tests are:
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
California Psychological Inventory (CPI)

22. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
High validity to differentiate between emotionally disturbed vs emotionally healthy person
Disadvantages:
length of test (475+)
highly personal questions

23. Self-Report Inventory
Advantages:
Objectively scored
Do not depend on scorer’s biases
Computer administration (very easy to test and score)
Problems:
Give answer that is socially desirable (make them look good), especially during job application
Not appropriate for:
Low intelligence
Limited reading skills

24. Projective Techniques
Projective Test – a personality test in which subjects are presumed to “project” personal needs, fears, and values onto their description of an ambiguous stimulus
Weakness
Interpretation is subjective
Popular projective tests
Rorschach Inkblot Test
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
Word Association and Sentence Completion “What worries me…”

25. Thematic Apperception Test
19 ambiguous pictures and 1 blank card. Construct a story based on the picture.
The test proven valid for specific aspects of personality such as need for achievement, affiliation, and power

26. Behavioral Assessment
Clinical Interviews
Advantages: observation of additional factors such as general appearance, attitude, preoccupations, etc.
Observer evaluate a person’s behavior
Recorded systematically at intervals of time
Advantages: high validity, uncover materials that was difficult to obtain by other methods
Behavioral Assessment
Thought and Experience Sampling

27. Theory in the Study of Personality
Theories are set of principles used to explain a particular class of phenomena (in our case, behaviors and experiences relating to personality)
Theory provides framework for simplifying and describing data in a meaningful way
Formal Theory vs. Personal Theory
Large # small # of subjects
Objective/unbiased subjective/may be biased
Extensive test to ensure accuracy only want evidence that confirms

28. Topics we will cover this trimester
Psychoanalytic
NeoFreudian
Object Relations
Individual
Trait
Social
Humanistic
Biological

29. Questions about Human Nature
Past
Present
Nurture
Determinism
Nature
Free Will
Past or Present?
Early experience vs. right now/future goals
Historical determinism – personally fixed in early years of life and subject to little change thereafter
Free Will or Determinism?
How much control do we really have
Nature or Nurture?

30. Questions about Human Nature
Uniqueness
Universality
Pessimism
Growth
Optimism
Equilibrium
Unique or Universal?
Unique personality or universal behaviors?
Equilibrium or Growth?
Maintain balance or strive for growth?
Optimism or Pessimism?
Good vs evil, kind vs. cruel

31. Here’s your individual assignment #1
And select “Jung Typology Test”

32. Here’s what I want you to turn in