Implicit Personality Theories Overview
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Questions and Answers

What are implicit personality theories?

Theories about the personalities of others, made based on personal intuition.

Why do we form these implicit personality theories?

To help understand both others and ourselves.

What is an implicit theory?

Common or everyday assumptions about a subject.

What are lay definitions of personality?

<p>Definitions of personality that base themselves on observed levels of physical appearance and interactions with others.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Gordon Alport (1961) - what did he introduce to personality psychology?

<p>One of the first to focus on qualities and characteristics, considered how these individualistic characteristics are consistently changing and adapting.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the idiographic approach to personality?

<p>To focus on the individual by taking into account all of their uniqueness and develop an in-depth understanding of them.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a problem with the idiographic approach?

<p>Little generalization can be made.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the nomothetic approach to personality?

<p>To focus on similarities between groups of individuals, so that you can identify basic structures of personality.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a problem with the nomothetic approach?

<p>Can lead to superficial understanding.</p> Signup and view all the answers

O.C.E.A.N - By Gordon Alport and colleagues refers to what?

<p>Openness to new experiences, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Social Deconstructionists - What do they believe?

<p>That personality is very dependent on the individual's situation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Personality theorists - what do they believe?

<p>That personality dictates how we behave no matter the context.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the 1st strand of personality theorizing?

<p>The clinical approach - developed from studies of the mentally ill.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Franz Anton Mesmer (1734 - 1815) - What was his contribution?

<p>Developed treatment based on magnets and was influential in the field of hypnosis.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the 2nd strand of personality theorizing?

<p>Individual Differences emphasis on personality.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Francis Galton - what was his contribution?

<p>Known as the father of Individual Differences as a topic.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do you have to consider when critically evaluating theories?

<p>Description, Explanation, Empirical Validity, Testable concepts, Comprehensiveness, Parsimony, Heuristic Value, Applied Value.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Implicit Personality Theories

  • Implicit personality theories are mental frameworks for understanding others' personalities based on personal intuition and experiences.
  • These theories help individuals make sense of social interactions and self-awareness.

Definitions and Approaches

  • Implicit theories consist of common assumptions or beliefs about personality, often informally held and shaped by everyday experiences.
  • Lay definitions are observable perceptions about personality based on physical appearance and social interactions.
  • The idiographic approach emphasizes individual uniqueness, allowing for a deep understanding of personality but limits generalizability.
  • The nomothetic approach focuses on common traits across groups, aiding in identifying personality structures, though may result in superficial insights.

Key Personalities and Theories

  • Gordon Alport was a pioneering figure who linked the mind and body, proposing that personality involves stable internal traits that adapt over time.
  • His O.C.E.A.N model identifies five major traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism, considered vital to understanding personality.

Social and Theoretical Perspectives

  • Social Deconstructionists argue personality is largely shaped by situational contexts, while personality theorists assert that stable traits govern behavior regardless of context.
  • The clinical approach to personality arose from the study of mental illness, linking psychological treatment to personality assessment.

Historical Contributions

  • Franz Anton Mesmer contributed to personality theory by developing hypnotic techniques and positing the existence of a magnetic fluid affecting health.
  • Francis Galton, known as the father of Individual Differences, introduced innovative measures such as questionnaires and statistical methods to assess personality traits.

Critical Evaluation of Theories

  • When critiquing personality theories, consider criteria such as description accuracy, explanatory power, empirical validity, testability, comprehensiveness, parsimony, heuristic value, and applied relevance.

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Description

Explore the concepts of implicit personality theories, which shape how we perceive and interact with others based on intuition and life experiences. Learn about different approaches, key figures like Gordon Alport, and the balance between individual uniqueness and shared traits in personality assessment.

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