Personality
Definition: An individual’s characteristic
pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.
Each dwarf has a distinct personality.
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My theory of personality is
based on Psychoanalysis…
that attributes our thoughts
and actions to unconscious
motives and conflicts
Free Association
in psychoanalysis is a
method of exploring the
unconscious. I get the
person to relax and say
whatever comes to their
mind, no matter how
trivial or embarrassing!
My view of personality
proposes that childhood
sexuality and unconscious
motivations influence
one’s personality
Psychoanalysis is a
technique used in
treating psychological
disorders by seeking to
expose and interpret
unconscious tensions
I think the Unconscious is a
reservoir of mostly unacceptable
thoughts, wishes, feelings and
memories. However the
contemporary viewpoint states
that the unconscious is simply
information processing of which
we are unaware.
Culver Pictures
Sigmund Freud
(1856-1939)
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Exploring the Unconscious
A reservoir (unconscious mind) of mostly
unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and
memories. Freud asked patients to say whatever
came to their minds (free association) in order to
tap the unconscious.
http://www.english.upenn.edu
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Dream Analysis
Another method to analyze the unconscious
mind is through interpreting manifest and
latent contents of dreams.
The Nightmare, Henry Fuseli (1791)
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the largely
conscious,
“executive” part of
personality;
mediates among the
demands of the id,
superego, and
reality;
operates on the
reality principle,
satisfying the id’s
desires in ways that
will realistically
bring pleasure
rather than pain.
“The referee!”
contains a reservoir of unconscious
psychic energy
strives to satisfy basic sexual and
aggressive drives
operates on the pleasure principle,
demanding immediate gratification
“the lil’ devil”
the part of personality that
presents internalized ideals;
provides standards for
judgment (the conscience)
and for future aspirations;
“the angel”
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Id, Ego and Superego
The Id unconsciously strives to satisfy basic
sexual and aggressive drives, operating on the
pleasure principle, demanding immediate
gratification.
The ego functions as the “executive” and
mediates the demands of the id and superego.
The superego provides standards for judgment
(the conscience) and for future aspirations.
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 Freud believed that personality formed during the first few years of life divided into
psychosexual stages. During these stages the id’s pleasure-seeking energies focus on pleasure
sensitive body areas called erogenous zones.
Freud divided the development of personality into five psychosexual stages.
Oedipus
Complex
a boy’s sexual
desires
toward his
mother and
feelings of
jealousy and
hatred for the
rival father
Identification: the process by which children incorporate their parents’ values into their developing superegos
Fixation: a lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at an earlier psychosexual stage, where conflicts were
unresolved
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Libido => fuels sexual instincts of the ID
ARCHETYPES – specific examples of images/
ideas…KING
PERSONA – public self
ANIMA – female aspects of male personality
“metro”
ANIMUS – male aspects of female personality
“tom boy”
Archive of the History of American Psychology/ University of Akron
Jung believed in the
collective unconscious, which
contained a common reservoir
of images derived from our
species’ past. This is why
many cultures share certain
myths and images such as the
mother being a symbol of
nurturance.
(1875-1961)
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National Library of Medicine
Importance of childhood is
social tension (not sexual like
Freud believes). Most of our
behavior is driven by efforts
to conquer childhood feelings
of inferiority, feelings that
trigger our strivings for
superiority and power. I
believe in
“INFERIORITY
COMPLEX!”
(1870-1937)
Social not Sexual! Fixation on feelings of
inferiority complex => emotional/ social paralysis
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Like Adler, Horney believed in
the social aspects of childhood
growth and development. She
countered Freud’s assumption
that women have weak
superegos and suffer from
“penis envy.”
The Bettmann Archive/ Corbis
“I Sought to balance Freud’s
masculine biases…that women
are infantile and emotional
creatures and as such
incapable of responsibility and
independence is the work of
the masculine tendency to
lower women’s self-respect”
(1885-1952)
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Social, not sexual. ENVIRONMENT shapes personality!
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Rorschach Inkblot Test
– the most widely used projective test
– a set of 10 inkblots designed by Hermann Rorschach
– seeks to identify people’s inner feelings by analyzing their
interpretations of the blots
– maybe used as an icebreaker or to supplement other
information
Lew Merrim/ Photo Researcher, Inc.
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Projective Tests: Criticisms
Critics argue that projective tests lack both
reliability (consistency of results) and validity
(predicting what it is supposed to).
1. When evaluating the same patient, even
trained raters come up with different
interpretations (reliability).
2. Projective tests may misdiagnose a normal
individual as pathological (validity).
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• An individual’s unique constellation of durable dispositions and
consistent ways of behaving (traits) constitutes his or her personality.
•interviewed Freud; did what HE did NOT do…
•described personality in terms of fundamental TRAITS!
•a characteristic pattern of behavior
•a disposition to feel and act, as assessed by self-report
inventories and peer reports
***DID NOT explain the traits, rather just
described them
Examples of Traits
Honest
Dependable
Moody
Impulsive
Allport & Odbert (1936), identified 18,000 words representing traits.14
Personality Type
Personality types, assessed by measures such as the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, consist of a number of traits.
For example, a feeling type personality is sympathetic,
appreciative, and tactful. More research is needed on
this popular test’s validity.
Sympathetic
Appreciative
Tactful
Feeling Type Personality
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Factor analysis is a
statistical approach
used to describe and
relate personality
traits.
Cattell used this
approach to develop a
16 Personality Factor
(16PF) inventory.
Raymond Cattell
(1905-1998)
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Factor Analysis
Cattell found that large groups of traits could
be reduced down to 16 core personality traits
based on statistical correlations.
Superficial
traits
Boisterous
Impatient
Irritable
Excitement
Basic
trait
Impulsive
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Personality Dimensions
Hans and Sybil Eysenck suggested that
personality could be reduced down to two
polar dimensions, extraversion-introversion
and emotional stability-instability.
Used all around the world! =>
Most researchers believe their
dimensions don’t tell the whole story,
thus laying the groundwork for the
“BIG 5.”
**genetically influenced dimensions
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The Big Five Factors -Endpoints
Neuroticism
(emotional stability vs
instability)
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•Personality Inventory
– a questionnaire (often with true-false or agree-disagree
items) on which people respond to items designed to
gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors
– used to assess selected personality traits
– does NOT reveal hidden personality traits (like projective tests)
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) (HATHAWAY)
•the most widely researched and clinically used of all personality tests
•originally developed to identify emotional disorders (still considered its most
appropriate use)
•now used for many other screening purposes
Empirically Derived Test
a test developed by testing a pool of items and then selecting those that discriminate between
groups such as the MMPI
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Humanistic Perspective
Myself and Carl Rogers
believe that personality is
based on the personal
growth of healthy people.
We look through the
person’s eyes (not the
researchers!)
By the 1960s, psychologists became discontent
with Freud’s negativity and the mechanistic
psychology of the behaviorists.
Humanistic Perspective
 Abraham
Maslow (19081970)
 studied selfactualization
processes of
productive
and healthy
people (e.g.,
Lincoln)
Problem
centered,
rather than
self-centered!
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•Self-Actualization
–
–
the ultimate psychological need that arises after
basic physical and psychological needs are met and
self-esteem is achieved
the motivation to fulfill one’s potential
http://www.ship.edu
Ted Polumbaum/ Time Pix/ Getty Images
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Carl Rogers (1902-1987)
• focused on growth and fulfillment of individuals
genuineness
Acceptance
empathy
growth promoting climate required
• an attitude of total acceptance toward another
person=> nurtures growth in ALL human relationships!
Self-Concept
• all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in an answer to the
question, “Who am I?”
**positive breeds positive self esteem
**negative => fall short of “ideal self”
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Michael Rougier/ Life Magazine © Time Warner, Inc.
Individualism
giving priority to one’s own goals over
group goals and defining one’s identity
in terms of personal attributes rather
than group identifications
Collectivism
giving priority to the goals of one’s
group (often one’s extended family or
work group) and defining one’s identity
accordingly
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Exploring the Self
Value Contrasts Between Individualism and Collectivism
Concept
Individualism
Collectivism
Self
Independent
(identity from individual traits)
Interdependent
identity from belonging)
Life task
Discover and express one’s
uniqueness
Me--personal achievement and
fullfillment; rights and liberties
Maintain connections, fit in
What matters
Coping method
Change reality
We-group goals and solidarity;
social responsibilities and
relationships
Accommodate to reality
Morality
Defined by individuals
(self-based)
Defined by social networks
(duty-based)
Relationships
Many, often temporary or casual;
confrontation acceptable
Few, close and enduring;
harmony valued
Attributing
behaviors
Behavior reflects one’s personality
and attitudes
Behavior reflects social
and roles
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Assessing the Self
In an effort to assess personality, Rogers asked
people to describe themselves as they would like
to be (ideal) and as they actually are (real). If the
two descriptions were close the individual had a
positive self-concept.
All of our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in an
answer to the question, “Who am I?” refers to Self-Concept.
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Social-Cognitive Perspective
“The Social-Cognitive Perspective
RULES!I view behavior as influenced
by the interaction between persons and
their social context! In other
words..the importance of external
events and how we interpret them.
Did you know…
…I define Reciprocal Determinism as
the interacting influences between
personality and environmental
factors!”
Albert Bandura
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The three factors, behavior, cognition, and
Bandura called the process of interacting with
environment, are interlocking determinants of
our environment reciprocal determinism.
each other.
Stephen Wade/ Allsport/ Getty Images
The Social Cognitive Perspective
proposes that our personalities are
shaped by the interaction of personal /
cognitive factors (our thoughts and
feelings), our environment, and our
behaviors. The influences are mutual!
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I’m going to
win this game
for my team!
We will be so lucky
if we win this
game!
Locus of Control
(Rotter)
-people evaluate
situations
as either internally or
externally controlled
Internal Locus
-you control your own fate
-hard work, skill will pay off
External Locus
-not in control of your own fate
-determined by chance, luck, & others
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Personal Control
Social-cognitive psychologists emphasize our
sense of personal control, whether we control
the environment or the environment controls
us.
External locus of control refers to the perception
that chance or outside forces beyond our
personal control determine our fate.
Internal locus of control refers to the perception
that we can control our own fate.
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Learned Helplessness
 the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or
human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events
 Can be the blame/ cause for “sports curses”
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Behavior - BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL
Behavior emerges from an interplay of external
and internal influences.
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