1. Chapter 15: Defining Personality
The word comes from the Latin persona, meaning “mask.”
Personality
An individual’s distinct and relatively enduring pattern of thoughts, feelings, motives, and behaviors

2. Four major approaches to Personality.
Chapter 15: Personality
Four major approaches to Personality.
Psychoanalysis
The Cognitive Social-Learning Approach
The Humanistic Approach
The Trait Approach

3. Psychoanalysis Freud’s Theory of Personality
Freud’s theory of personality and method of psychotherapy, both of which assume that our motives are largely unconscious

4. Personality: Freud’s Psychodynamic ApproachId
Definition: - Primitive part of personality
- Supplies libido
- Demands immediate pleasure
Level of Unconscious
Consciousness:

5. Personality: Freud’s Psychodynamic Approach
SuperEgo
Definition: Judge or censor
- “Internal parent”
Level of Partly conscious,
Consciousness: mostly unconscious

6. Personality: Freud’s Psychodynamic Approach
Ego
Definition: Executive of personality
- Directs rational behavior
Level of Partly conscious, and partly
Consciousness: unconscious

7. Psychoanalysis Psychosexual Development
Psychosexual Stages
Freud’s stages of personality development during which pleasure is derived from different parts of the body
Oral (the first year of life)
Anal (ages 2-3)
Phallic (ages 4-6)
When Oedipus complex and identification occur
Latency period (ages 7-12)
Genital (starting at puberty)

8. Psychoanalysis The Dynamics of Personality
To minimize the anxiety due to the conflict between the id and the superego, the ego uses defense mechanisms.
Unconscious methods of minimizing anxiety by denying and distorting reality
Repression (forgetting)
Denial (ignoring)
Projection (attributing to others)
Reaction Formation (converting to its opposite)
Rationalization (making excuses)
Sublimation (channeling into acceptable outlets

9. The Cognitive Social- Learning Approach
Cognitive Social-Learning Theory
An approach to personality that focuses on social learning (modeling), acquired cognitive factors (expectancies, values), and the person-situation interaction
Section outline

10. The Cognitive Social-Learning Approach Social-Learning Theory
Modeling
The social-learning process by which behavior is observed and imitated
Locus of Control
The expectancy that one’s reinforcements are generally controlled by internal or external factors
Self-Efficacy
The belief that one is capable of performing the behaviors required to produce a desired outcome

11. The Humanistic Approach
Humanistic Theory
An approach to personality that focuses on the self, subjective experience, and the capacity for fulfillment
Section outline

12. The Humanistic Approach The Personality Theory of Carl Rogers
Figure 15-6 from:
Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

13. The Humanistic Approach Rogers’ Theory
Unconditional Positive Regard
The acceptance and love one receives from significant others is unqualified
Conditional Positive Regard
The acceptance and love one receives from significant others is contingent upon one’s behavior
Figure 15-6 from:
Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

14. The Humanistic Approach Carl Rogers Self-Esteem
A positive or negative evaluation of the self
Self-Schemas
Specific beliefs about the self that influence how people interpret self-relevant information

15. Personality: Trait approach
Personality trait theorists:
- look for general trends in personality
- believe that personality is enduring and stable

16. Personality: Trait approach
What are personality traits?
- A personality trait is a stable, enduring quality that a person shows in most situations.
- A personality trait is who you are MOST of the time.

17. Personality measures: trait approach
NEO Personality Inventory
- Also known as the Five Factor Model (FFM).
- Condenses personality down to 5 “factors”.

18. Personality measures: trait approach
NEO Personality Inventory
- Five factors are: Extroversion
Neuroticism
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Openness to Experience

19. Personality measures: trait approach
NEO Personality Inventory
Extroversion is associated with:
- Positive emotionality
- Sociability
- Risk taking
- Likelihood to enter sales, mgt., or accounting

20. Personality measures: trait approach
NEO Personality Inventory
Neuroticism is associated with:
- subjective discomfort
- anxiety
- emotional stability

21. Personality measures: trait approach
NEO Personality Inventory
Agreeableness is associated with:
- desire for harmony and cooperation
- pro-social and team-related behavior

22. Personality measures: trait approach
NEO Personality Inventory
Conscientiousness is associated with:
- work related behavior (all kinds)
- self-discipline
- thoroughness

23. Personality measures: trait approach
NEO Personality Inventory
Openness to Experience is associated with:
- imagination
- sensitivity and openness to
new ideas
- hypnotic susceptibility

24. Applying personality trait theory
Kurt Lewin’s Life Space Theory
Behavior = (f) Person X Situation
(Environment)
Life space theory postulates that behavior is a function (result or outcome of) of the unique interaction of people and their immediate psychological environment (situation).

25. Consistency of traits: self-monitoring
Self-monitoring: individual differences in people’s ability and motivation to engage in strategic self-presentation.
High self-monitors:
(1) first look to the environment
(2) secondly determine if they’re “being themselves”
Low self-monitors:
(1) first determine if they’re “being themselves”
(2) secondly look to the environment

26. Different types of situations
“Normal” situations
- People’s choices reflect their personalities.
- People believe they have choices about how to behave.
“Extreme” situations
- People’s choices do not necessarily reflect their personalities.
- People often act the same because there are strong expectations about how to behave.