Personality Theories Overview

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Questions and Answers

What do trait theories primarily focus on in understanding personality?

The moral values inherited from culture

The developmental stages of personality

Stable characteristics that influence behavior (correct)

The influence of unconscious forces

Which of the following is NOT one of the five dimensions of the Five Factor Model (FFM)?

Openness

Extraversion

Neuroticism

Self-esteem (correct)

Freud's theory divides the psyche into three structures. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

Ego

Persona (correct)

Superego

What is the primary function of defense mechanisms according to psychoanalytic theories?

To distort reality to reduce anxiety Signup and view all the answers

What does the preconscious level of consciousness contain?

Thoughts that can easily become conscious Signup and view all the answers

Which component of personality operates on the pleasure principle according to Freud?

Id Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a criticism of psychoanalytic theories?

It overemphasizes unconscious influences Signup and view all the answers

What aspect is central to humanistic theories of personality?

Each individual's unique perception of the world Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes conscientiousness in the Five Factor Model?

Highly organized and responsible Signup and view all the answers

Repression, as a defense mechanism, primarily functions to:

Prevent painful thoughts from entering consciousness Signup and view all the answers

What term refers to positive behavior toward a person that is contingent on certain behaviors?

Conditional Positive Regard Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a characteristic of self-actualization?

It is an innate tendency toward personal growth. Signup and view all the answers

What is a common criticism of humanistic theories?

They are overly simplistic and naive. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of personality do biological theories primarily focus on?

Genetic factors Signup and view all the answers

In individualistic cultures, the emphasis is primarily on:

Needs and goals of the individual Signup and view all the answers

What defines gender in the context of personality?

Sociocultural meanings added to biological sex Signup and view all the answers

What does a structured interview rely on?

A prearranged plan and specific questions Signup and view all the answers

What is the halo effect?

A bias leading to generalizations from a first impression Signup and view all the answers

What does reliability in testing refer to?

The consistency of scores upon repeated testing of the same individual Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a situational test?

Simulating real-life situations for observation Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Personality Lecture Overview

Personality is defined as an individual's unique, relatively stable, and enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Lecture Overview

Trait Theories: Focus on relatively stable personal characteristics.
- Early trait theorists include Allport, Cattell, and Eysenck.
- A modern trait theory is the Five-Factor Model (FFM) by McCrae & Costa, which describes personality in terms of five dimensions: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories: Explore how unconscious mental forces influence behavior.
- Freud is the founding father of psychoanalytic theory.
Humanistic Theories: Emphasize each individual's unique way of perceiving and interpreting the world.
- Key figures include Rogers and Maslow.
Biological Theories: Investigate the role of brain structures, neurochemistry, and genetics in personality.
How Sex, Gender, and Culture Affect Personality: Analyze the impact of biological sex, social gender roles, and cultural values on personality development.

Trait Theories

Traits: Relatively stable and consistent personal characteristics.
- Early theorists: Allport, Cattell, Eysenck.
- Modern theory: Five-Factor Model (FFM) by McCrae & Costa, with five dimensions:
  - Openness: ranging from originality and imagination to conventionality and practicality.
  - Conscientiousness: ranging from responsibility and organization to irresponsibility and laziness.
  - Extraversion: ranging from talkativeness and outgoingness to quietness and passivity.
  - Agreeableness: ranging from trust and kindness to suspicion and ruthlessness.
  - Neuroticism: ranging from anxiety and moodiness to calmness and even-temperedness.

Evaluating Trait Theories

Pro: Describes and organizes personality characteristics using a limited number of traits (FFM).
Con: Fails to explain trait development, change, and which traits change. Ignores situational effects.

Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories

Psychoanalytic theories attempt to understand individual differences by exploring unconscious mental forces.
The founding father of psychoanalytic theory is Freud.
Levels of Consciousness:
- Conscious: thoughts in your current mind.
- Preconscious: thoughts that can easily become conscious.
- Unconscious: thoughts beyond normal awareness.
Personality Structures:
- Id (innate): operates on the pleasure principle.
- Ego (rational): operates on the reality principle.
- Superego (conscience): operates on the morality principle.
Defense Mechanisms: The ego's strategies to reduce anxiety by distorting reality.
- Examples: repression, rationalization, projection.

Evaluating Psychoanalytic Theories

Pro: Highlights the unconscious influences on behavior and the development of defense mechanisms.
Con: Difficult to test empirically, overemphasizes biology and the unconscious, lacks adequate empirical support, and is sexist and lacks cross-cultural support.

Humanistic Theories

Each individual creates their personality based on their unique way of perceiving and interpreting the world.
Rogers' Self-Concept: Emphasizes the importance of the self-concept, and the matching of self-concept to one's experienced life.
- Congruence (positive match): Well-adjusted individuals.
- Incongruence (poor match): Poorly adjusted individuals.
Conditional vs. Unconditional Positive Regard:
- Conditional: Positive behavior contingent on certain actions.
- Unconditional: Positive behavior regardless of actions.
Maslow's Self-Actualization: Individuals have an innate tendency towards personal growth and realizing their full potential.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: A pyramid of human needs, from basic physiological needs to self-actualization needs.

Evaluating Humanistic Theories

Pro: Many humanistic concepts are integrated into therapy.
Con: Naive assumptions, poor testability, limited evidence, and a narrow focus.

Biological Theories

Personality is affected by several factors including three main contributors:
- Brain Structures
  - frontal lobe.
- Neurochemistry
  - important chemicals; neurotransmitters & hormones.
- Genetic Factors
Biopsychosocial Model: Genetic factors, Nonshared environmental factors, Shared environmental factors, and Unknown factors play a role in shaping personality. (40-50%, 27%, 7%, and 16-26% respectively).

How Sex, Gender and Culture Affect Personality

Sex: Refers to biological differences in maleness and femaleness, including physical anatomy, secondary sex characteristics, and brain differences.
Gender: Refers to psychological and sociocultural meanings added to biological sex. This has an impact on almost every aspect of an individual's life in forming their personality.
- Examples: Gendered differences in math skills, aggression levels, and parental interaction with children.
Gender Roles: Societal expectations for appropriate male, and female behavior.
Culture:
- Individualistic cultures: Emphasize the individual's needs and goals.
- Collectivistic cultures: Emphasize the needs and goals of the group.

Personality Assessment

Interview:
- Structured interview: Uses a prearranged plan of questions.
- Unstructured interview: Conversation is informal with topics discussed as they arise.
Limitations of Interviews: Halo effect (making a favorable first impression influencing evaluation).
Direct Observation: Assessing behavior through direct surveillance in a variety of situations.
Other Assessments:
- Behavioral assessment: Recording the frequency of specific behaviors.
- Situational test: Creating real-life situations to stimulate someone's reactions.
- Paper-and-pencil questionnaires: Measures consisting of questions to reveal personality aspects. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) is a well-known example.
Reliability: Does a test give similar scores each time it is given to the same person?
Validity: Does the test measure what it claims to measure?

Projective Tests

Psychological tests that use ambiguous or unstructured stimuli, so the person needs to make up stories or describe the stimuli/images.
- Example: Rorschach Inkblot Test, Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).

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Description

This quiz examines various theories of personality, including trait theories, psychodynamic approaches, humanistic perspectives, and biological influences. Explore how these frameworks help illuminate human behavior and individual differences in characteristics and patterns. Test your knowledge on key figures and concepts within each theory.