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Personality involves several factors: Instinctual drives, food, sex, aggression, Unconscious processes, Early childhood influences (re: psychosexual stages) especially the parents Personality development depends on the interplay of instinct and environment during the first five years of life. Parental behavior is crucial to normal and abnormal development. Personality and mental health problems in adulthood can usually be traced back to the first five years.
Freud's Theory
Freud saw the personality structured into three parts (i.e., tripartite), the id, ego, and superego (also known as the psyche), all developing at different stages in our lives. These are systems, not parts of the brain, or in any way physical. The id is the primitive and instinctive component of personality.
Tripartite Theory of Personality
develops in order to mediate between the unrealistic id and the external real world (like a referee).
Ego
incorporates the values and morals of society which are learned from one's parents and others. It is similar to a conscience, which can punish the ego through causing feelings of guilt.
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This approach assumes behavior is determined by relatively stable traits which are the fundamental units of one's personality. Traits predispose one to act in a certain way, regardless of the situation. This means that traits should remain consistent across situations and over time, but may vary between individuals.
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Eysenck proposed a theory of personality based on biological factors, arguing that individuals inherit a type of nervous system that affects their ability to learn and adapt to the environment.
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are sociable and crave excitement and change, and thus can become bored easily. They tend to be carefree, optimistic and impulsive. They are more likely to take risks and be thrill seekers. Eysenck argues that this is because they inherit an under aroused nervous system and so seek stimulation to restore the level of optimum stimulation.
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on the other hand lie at the other end of this scale, being quiet and reserved. They are already over-aroused and shun sensation and stimulation. Introverts are reserved, plan their actions and control their emotions. They tend to be serious, reliable and pessimistic.
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A person's level of neuroticism is determined by the reactivity of their sympathetic nervous system. A stable person's nervous system will generally be less reactive to stressful situations, remaining calm and level headed.
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Eysenck later added a third trait / dimension - Psychoticism - e.g., lacking in empathy, cruel, a loner, aggressive and troublesome. This has been related to high levels of testosterone.
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Cattell disagreed with Eysenck's view that personality can be understood by looking at only two or three dimensions of behavior.
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Allport's theory of personality emphasizes the uniqueness of the individual and the internal cognitive and motivational processes that infiuence behavior. For example, Intelligence, temperament, habits, skilis, attitudes, and traits.
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Adorno et ai. (1950) proposed that prejudice is the results of an individual's personality type. They piloted and developed a questionnaire, which they called the F-scale (F for fascism).
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