Personality Psychology

• Personality psychology explores individual differences in behavior, thoughts, and emotions
• Personality psychology seeks to understand how personality traits develop and influence actions
• Personality psychology studies how traits remain stable or change over time
• Different approaches (or paradigms) focus on specific aspects of personality due to its complexity
• Approaches include traits, biological influences, psychoanalysis, humanistic factors, or cognitive processes

Differentiation Between Approaches

• Trait Approach focuses on identifying and measuring stable personality characteristics
• Biological Approach examines genetic, neurological, and evolutionary factors
• Psychoanalytic Approach explores unconscious motivations and childhood experiences
• Humanistic Approach centers on personal growth, free will, and self-actualization
• Cognitive/Behavioral Approach studies how thoughts and learning experiences shape personality

Types of Data

• Self-Report (S-Data) involves information provided by the person themselves, such as questionnaires
• S-Data offers direct insight and is easy to collect
• S-Data can be affected by bias and social desirability
• Informant Report (I-Data) involves reports from people who know the individual
• I-Data provides an external perspective based on real-world behavior
• I-Data may be limited in knowledge and potential bias
• Life Outcomes (L-Data) includes real-life facts about a person, such as job history or criminal record
• L-Data is objective and has real-world relevance
• L-Data can be influenced by external factors unrelated to personality
• Behavioral Data (B-Data) includes observations of behavior in real or experimental settings
• B-Data is objective and allows controlled testing
• B-Data may be limited to specific situations and may not generalize

Reliability, Validity, and Generalizability

• Reliability refers to the consistency of measurement
• Validity refers to the accuracy of whether the test measures what it claims to
• Generalizability refers to the applicability of findings across different populations and settings
• Aggregation involves combining multiple observations to reduce error and increase reliability

Research Designs

• Case Studies involve in-depth analysis of an individual
• Correlational Studies examine relationships between traits without manipulating variables
• Experimental Studies manipulate variables to establish cause-and-effect relationships

Person-Situation Debate & Interactionism

• Person-Situation Debate argues whether personality traits or situational factors drive behavior
• Interactionism recognizes that personality and situations interact to shape behavior

Qualities of Judge, Target, and Judgable Trait

• A Good Judge has high intelligence, empathy, and social skills
• A Good Target exhibits consistent, transparent behavior
• Judgable Traits, such as extraversion and agreeableness, are easier to observe
• Realistic Accuracy Model (RAM) explains how accurate personality judgments occur

Four Ways to Study Personality via Traits

• Single-Trait Approach examines one trait in depth
• Many-Trait Approach examines multiple traits at once
• Essential-Trait Approach identifies the most important traits
• Typological Approach groups people into personality types

Self-Monitoring

• High Self-Monitoring adjusts behavior to fit situations
• Low Self-Monitoring acts consistently regardless of context

Big Five Traits & Characteristics

• Openness includes being creative and open to new experiences
• Conscientiousness includes being organized and responsible
• Extraversion includes being outgoing and social
• Agreeableness includes being compassionate and cooperative
• Neuroticism includes being prone to stress and emotional instability
• Lexical Hypothesis suggests that important personality traits become embedded in language over time

Personality Stability, Development, and Change

• Heterotypic Continuity involves personality traits manifesting differently at different ages

Person-Environment Transactions

• Active transactions involve seeking environments that fit personality
• Reactive transactions involve responding differently to the same environment based on personality
• Evocative transactions involve personality eliciting certain responses from others

McAdams’ Narrative Identity Layers

• Traits are basic dispositional traits
• Personal Concerns include life goals and motivations
• Life Stories involve personal narratives shaping identity
• Methods of Personality Change include therapy, major life events, and intentional efforts
• Cohort Effects refer to personality differences based on generational influences