Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Influences on Personality
Theme and Variation on
Topic 3. Theories of Personality
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Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Comparing the Lecture and the Book…
• Chapter 3: Theories of
Personality
•
1. What are Perspectives on
Personality?*
2. What is the…Biological
Perspective?
3. …the Intrapsychic Perspective?
4. …the Sociocultural Perspective?
5. …the Temporal-Developmental
Perspective?
6. How Does One Cope with Multiple
Theories?
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Lecture 3: Influences on
Personality
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Levels of concepts
Biological influences
Psychodynamic influences
Classic traits (biological)
Conditional traits
(situational)
6. Developmental influences
7. (If time) Integration
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Why Study Theoretical Perspectives?
• They collect together theoretical issues
concerning personality that have emerged
throughout history
• Understanding them provides a context
for what you will encounter.
• Personality psychologists are informed by
them
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Three Levels of Psychological Theory
• Personality Perspectives – Reflect broad areas of interest
such as:
– biological underpinnings
– psychological processes
• Personality Theories – Sets of related assumptions about
personality such as:
– Psychodynamic theory
– Humanistic theory
• Micro-Theories – Specific sets of testable hypotheses
– People forget threatening information quickly
– People’s traits influence their behavior
• All Theoretical Levels are Informed by Empirical Findings
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Major Perspectives
Concepts of
Personality
Biological
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
IntraPsychic
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Social
Developmental
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Major Perspectives and Theories
Concepts of
Personality
Biological
PsychoEvolutionary
BioSocial
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
IntraPsychic
PsychoDynamic
Developmental
Social
Trait
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
SocialCognitive
CrossCultural
PsychoSocial
HumanisticPositive
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
The Biological Perspective
This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:
• any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network;
• preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any image;
• any rental, lease, or lending of the program.
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Overview of Biopsychology
• Concerns biological explanations and substrates
for psychological phenomena
• Major Theories:
– Psychoevolutionary
– Biopsychological
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Central Ideas of Evolutionary Theory
• Organisms with certain features
better adapt to hostile forces of
nature
• Behaviorally, we all face certain
questions: Who is my ally? My
foe? Who should I marry?
• Individuals who answer those
questions best are better adapted.
• Better adaptation more likely
survival and reproduction
• Genes controlling better adaptation
increase in the gene pool.
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
An Example
• Giraffes once had shorter
necks
• Giraffes with taller necks
better found food (highgrowing leaves)
• They are therefore more likely
to reproduce
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Second Example
• Early human’s larger brains led
to
– Better thinking, communication
– greater capacity to acquire
resources
• Larger brains led to greater
reproductive success; then
– Develop of language
– Further selection
• Brains nearly tripled in size
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Central Ideas of Biopsychology
• Genetics Influence the Brain
• The Brain Influences Behavior
Through:
–
–
–
–
Brain Structure
Neurotransmitters
Hormones
Immune Function
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Genetic Influences as Viewed
through Twin Studies
Relationship
Mono- Dizygotic
zygotic
twins,
twins
siblings
Genetic
Material in
Common
100%
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
50%
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Cousins,
aunts,
uncles
Strangers
25%
0%
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Correlations Between Pairs of Individuals for Four
Personality Traits
Trait
Mono.
Twins
reared
together
Mono.
Twins
reared
apart
Sibs.
Reared
together
Sibs.
Reared
apart
Intell.
.86
.72
.47
.24
Extrav.
.54
.30
.06
.04
Neurot.
.41
.25
.24
.28
Open.
.51
.43
.14
.23
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Intrapsychic Perspectives:
Psychodynamic and Trait Theory
This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:
• any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network;
• preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any image;
• any rental, lease, or lending of the program.
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Psychodynamic Theory
• Views the person as caught between
– Biological needs
– Requirements of society
• Individual must compromise between the
two
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Central Psychodynamic Ideas
• Central idea(s):
– Parts of personality
• Basic motives
• These drive thoughts
and action
– Status of thoughts
• Some conscious;
• Some unconscious
Conscious
– Parts dynamically
struggle with one
another
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Unconscious
Threatening ideas
are avoided and
become unconscious
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Psychodynamic Perspective:
Example
• A key insight: People can become selfaware and change
• …The person free associates until
unconscious motives are uncovered…
• The person will be mentally healthier by
making the unconscious conscious
– Irrational behavior (symptoms) will be reduced
– Repeated unhelpful patterns will be identified
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Central Ideas of the Trait Approach
• There are consistencies in personal
behavior
• These consistencies are important parts of
personality – referred to as traits
• Personality is the search for and
understanding of traits
• Key figure: Gordon Allport
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Openness
Example: The Big Five Traits
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Extraversion
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Neuroticism
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Traits Can Be Identified Through Factor Analysis
Test items (Are you…?)
I
II
III
IV
V
Anxious
.50
.20
.02
.14
.10
Distressed
.60
.10
.02
.10
-.13
Calm
-.45
.02
-.04
-.10
-.05
Open-minded
.02
.70
.10
-.10
-.07
Strait and narrow
.10
-.60
.10
-.10
-.10
Warm-hearted
-.10
.04
.80
-.12
.00
Stand-offish
.20
.00
-.70
.15
.12
Orderly
.12
-.14
.03
.87
.00
Spontaneous
.13
-12
.21
-.60
.60
Outgoing
-.12
.10
.30
.12
.80
Enjoy solitude
.12
.20
-.35
-.05
-.70
Hostile
.35
.07
-.50
.15
.05
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Central Social-Cognitive Ideas
• Personality is made up of cognitive
structures
• Those cognitive structures are learned and
influence how a person thinks
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Social Cognitive Approach
Conditional Aggression
in Children
Level of Aggression
• Conditional Traits
• Given X, I am
aggressive
• Given Y, I am
cooperative
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Child 1
Child 2
Adult Peers
Presence of Adult
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Conclusions
• Trait theory focuses on consistent qualities of
the individual (traits)
• Social cognitive theory explains how consistency
is modulated by context (if-then)
• Many of those consistencies are in an
individual’s comfort zone; some are not.
• Psychodynamic theory explains how certain
repeated, problematic (uncomfortable) styles,
can finally be observed and changed.
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
The Temperal-Development
Perspective
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Psycho-Social Stage Theories
• Children and adults’
personality develop
according to patterns such
as life stages.
• Each stage or pattern
involves the achievement of
certain goals
• Erik Erikson, for example,
described eight stages of
growth.
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Humanistic Theory: Central Ideas
• The person is
motivated to grow in a
healthy fashion
• The person develops
toward selfactualization
• Key figures: Carl
Rogers, Abraham
Maslow
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
SelfActualization
Esteem Needs
Belonging Needs
Safety Needs
Physiological Needs
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Humanistic Perspective
• Example:
…A person given a warm, unconditionally
accepting environment, will learn about their real
needs and achieve mental health
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Integrating Perspectives
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
Problem: Can the Perspectives be Integrated?
• Is one theory correct?
– Comparative analyses are challenging
– No one theory or perspective seems to stand
out
• Should you commit to one?
– The language of a theory can put up artificial
barriers
– Commitment to one is limiting
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
The Systems Approach Here
• The different perspectives can be translated into
a common language.
– Freud’s (conscious portion of the) ego
(psychdynamic)
– Allport’s proprium (trait theory)
– James’ self as knower (general psychology)
– (Multiple authors) self control (social-cognitive)
• All describe a conscious control center of
personality.
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
The Systems Approach Here
• The different perspectives share concerns
that can be described by some basic
topics:
– What is personality?
– What are its parts?
– What is its organization?
– How does it develop?
• Theories are then drawn upon to answer
questions about these topics, as needed.
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach
Part 1: Exploring Personality
Chapter 3: Theories of Personality
Influences on Personality
~end~
This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:
• any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network;
• preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any image;
• any rental, lease, or lending of the program.
Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon
Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach