ICSP 254
Theories of Personality
Mahidol University International College
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 
Course Website
http://www.deardramy.com/for-students.html
Text Book
• Schultz, D.P. & Schultz, S.E. (2012). Theories of
Personality. 10th Ed. Cengage.
Topics we will cover this trimester
Psychoanalytic
NeoFreudian
Object
Relations
Individual
Trait
Social
Humanistic
Biological
Grading
Week
Percent
In-class
Participation
1-11
10
Quizzes
TBA
20
Individual
Assignment
2, 4, 6, 8, 10
20
Group
Presentation
12
20
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
Group Paper + Presentation
• Group of 2-3
• Presentations all on week 12
• You will watch a movie in class
and analyze one character in the
movie based on personality
theories that you learned about
• Paper due by week 13
• Pick at least 3 theories and apply
to the chosen character
• Paper length 5-10 pages
Grading
• D
=
60-64
• D+
=
65-69
• C
=
70-74
• C+
=
75-79
• B
=
80-84
• B+
=
85-89
• A
=
90+
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
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
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
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
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
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?
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
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
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
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
Lets try some questions
1. 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?
2. 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?
Types of Assessment
Self-Report
Projective
Techniques
Behavioral
Assessment
Clinical
Interviews
Thought- and
ExperienceSampling
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)
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
• High validity to differentiate
between emotionally disturbed
vs emotionally healthy person
• Disadvantages:
length of test (475+)
highly personal questions
Self-Report Inventory
Advantages:
Problems:
• Objectively scored
• Give answer that is socially
desirable (make them look
good), especially during job
application
• Do not depend on scorer’s
biases
• Computer administration (very
easy to test and score)
Not appropriate for:
• Low intelligence
• Limited reading skills
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…”
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
Clinical Interviews
• Advantages: observation of additional factors such as
general appearance, attitude, preoccupations, etc.
Behavioral Assessment
• Observer evaluate a person’s behavior
Thought and Experience Sampling
• Recorded systematically at intervals of time
• Advantages: high validity, uncover materials that was difficult
to obtain by other methods
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
Topics we will cover this trimester
Psychoanalytic
NeoFreudian
Object
Relations
Individual
Trait
Social
Humanistic
Biological
Questions about Human Nature
Past
Free Will
Present
Determinism
• 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?
Nature
Nurture
How much control do we really have
• Nature or Nurture?
Questions about Human Nature
Uniqueness
Universality
• Unique or Universal?
Unique personality or universal behaviors?
• Equilibrium or Growth?
Equilibrium
Growth
Maintain balance or strive for growth?
• Optimism or Pessimism?
Optimism
Pessimism
Good vs evil, kind vs. cruel
Here’s your individual assignment #1
http://www.humanmetrics.com/
And select “Jung Typology Test”
Here’s what I want you to turn in