General Psychology: Personality - Lecture Notes

General Psychology – Ch. 11: Personality Outline Overview of Personality Humanistic Approaches Psychodynamic Perspective Humanism Humanistic Approaches Self-Actualization (Abraham...

General Psychology – Ch. 11: Personality Outline Overview of Personality Humanistic Approaches Psychodynamic Perspective Humanism Humanistic Approaches Self-Actualization (Abraham Biological Approaches Maslow) Trait Theory Self-Concept (Carl Rogers) Social-Cognitive Perspective Culture Influences Biological Approaches Freud’s Psychodynamic Theory Heritability Psychodynamic Theory Temperament o Easy & Difficult Psychoanalysis o Dimensions of Temperament Unconscious Motives o Reactivity Personality Structure o Self-Regulation o Id § Libido Trait Theory o Ego Traits o Super-ego The Big Five Defense Mechanisms o Openness to Experience o Denial o Conscientiousness o Displacement o Extroversion o Projection o Agreeableness o Rationalization o Neuroticism o Reaction Formation Genetic Influences on Traits o Regression o Cross-Cultural Replication o Repression o Animal Research o Sublimation o Heredity & Temperament Psychosexual Stages o Oral Environment & Culture Influences o Anal Social-Cognitive Perspective o Phallic o Reciprocal Determinism § Oedippus/Electra Complex Culture o Latency o Individualist Cultures. o Genital o Collectivist Cultures Other Psychodynamic Theories Interactionism Carl Jung o Collective Unconscious o Archetypes Evaluating Psychodynamic Theories Validated Concepts General Psychology Personality  Personality A unique and stable pattern of feeling, thinking and behaving (p. 360). “what makes us unique individuals” (p. 360). “long term, stable, and not easily changed” (p. 360). “Distinctive and relatively stable pattern of behaviors, thoughts, motives, and emotions that characterizes an individual” (Wade & Tavris, 2017, p. 501). Gordon Allport: “Personality is the dynamic organization within the individual of those psycho-physical systems that determine his characteristic behavior and thought” (Allport, 1961).  Overview of Personality Psychodynamic Perspective Humanistic Approaches Biological Approaches Trait Theory Social-Cognitive Perspective Culture Influences  Psychodynamic Perspective Psychodynamic Theories Explain behavior and personality in terms of unconscious motives. Psychoanalysis A theory of personality and a method of psychotherapy developed by Sigmund Freud; it emphasizes unconscious motives and conflicts. Unconscious Motives Emotions & conflict outside of awareness  Personality Structure (Freud) Conscience Morality Social Standards Internalized societal expectations Pleasure Principle Satisfaction of biological needs Driven by libido (sexual energy) and aggressive Reality Principle instincts. Reason Self-control Balances conflict between Id & Superego Engler, 2009  Defense Mechanisms (Freud) Unconscious protective behaviors that work to reduce anxiety. Used by the ego to restore balance between the id and superego. Protect the ego from being overwhelmed by anxiety. Involve Denial/Distortion of reality. Used by everyone but overuse can be problematic. Spielman, Jenkins & Lovett (2020) Psychosexual Stages of Development (Freud) Sexual energy takes different forms as a child matures. Pleasure-seeking behaviors are focused on a different Erogenous Zone (parts of the body). Each stage produces frustration, conflict & anxiety. Child may become fixated (stuck) in a stage if conflict is not resolved. Freud’s Psychosexual Stages served as basis for Erickson’s 8 Stages. Psychosexual Stages of Development (Freud) Stage Age Erogenous Zone Major Conflict Adult Fixation Oral 0 - 1 Mouth Being weaned from Oral Fixation: smoking, Stage Pleasure from eating bottle or breast. overeating, nail biting. & sucking Anal 1 - 3 Anus Toilet Training Anal-Retentive: stingy, stubborn, Stage Pleasure from bowel 1st time child is expected to need for order and neatness & bladder movements control bodily urges; Anal-Expulsive: Messy, careless, disorganized, prone to emotional outbursts Phallic 3 - 6 Genitals Desire for the opposite- Vanity, Over-ambition Stage sex parent; jealousy toward the same-sex parent (Oedipus complex for boys/Electra complex for girls) Latency 6 - 12 None Sexual feelings are None Stage dormant; child focus on school, friendships, hobbies. Genital 12 Genitals None: Normal/Healthy None Stage Adult sexuality  Other Psychodynamic Theories Carl Jung Collective Unconscious Universal memories and experiences of human kind, represented in the symbols, stories, and images (archetypes) that occur across all cultures. Archetypes Universal, symbolic images that appear in myths, art, stories, and dreams. They reflect the collective unconscious.  Evaluating Psychodynamic Theories Validated Concepts Unconscious Processes Defense Mechanisms Importance of early childhood relationships and trauma  Humanistic Approaches Humanism Emphasizes personal growth, resilience, and the achievement of human potential. Self-Actualization (Abraham Maslow) Striving for, and achievement of, our fullest potential Self-Concept (Carl Rogers) Our thoughts and feelings about ourselves. Our response to the question: “Who am I?” Striving for congruence between real and ideal self.  Biological Approaches Heritability Proportion of difference among people that is attributed to genetics (p. 378). Heritability of personality traits is about 50%. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Standard_deviation_diagram.svg  Biological Approaches Temperament Physiological dispositions to respond to the environment in certain ways. Present in infancy, relatively stable over time; assumed to be innate. Easy Temperament (Ch. 9) Positive emotions, adapt well to change, capable of regulating emotions. Difficult Temperament (Ch. 9) Negative emotions, difficulty adapting to change and regulating emotions. Dimensions of Temperament Reactivity: Response to new or challenging environmental stimuli Self-Regulation: Ability to control that response  Trait Theory Trait Stable tendency to think, feel, and behave in a specific way (p. 360, Allport, Funder). Describe patterns of behavior AND are assumed to be internal causal mechanisms (Allport, Funder). Our personalities are made up of the same traits; we differ in the degree to which each trait is expressed on a continuous dimension.  Trait Theory: The Big Five (O.C.E.A.N.) Trait Description Low Score High Score Extraversion Sociability, assertiveness, Quiet, reserved, Outgoing, warm; excitement-seeking, and withdrawn (note: seeks adventure. emotional expression NOT shyness). Neuroticism Tendency to experience Calm, even- Emotional negative emotions. tempered, secure. instability; prone to negative emotions Agreeableness Tendency to be pleasant, Critical, rude, Helpful, trusting, cooperative, trustworthy, uncooperative. empathetic. and good-natured Conscientiousness Competence, self- Impulsive, Hardworking, discipline, thoughtfulness, careless, dependable, and achievement-striving disorganized. organized. Openness Extent to which people are Practical, Curious, wide range open to imagination, conventional, of interests, feelings, actions, and ideas. prefer routine. independent.  Genetic Influences on Traits Cross-Cultural Replication Big Five replicated in many different languages and cultures. Animal Research Evidence has been found for most of the Big Five factors in 64 different species. Heredity & Temperament Research  Social-Cognitive Perspective Social-Cognitive Theory (Bandura) Personality traits are the result of learning history, and cognition (expectations and beliefs). Reciprocal Determinism (Bandura) Interaction between cognitive processes, behavior, and situational factors/context * Cognitive Factors Include learned characteristics, including beliefs, expectations, and personality characteristics. Spielman, Jenkins & Lovett (2020)  Culture Influences Culture Shared [attitudes, values], beliefs, customs, art, and traditions of a particular society (p. 384) Individualist Cultures Value independence, competition, and personal achievement. E.g. Western nations (U.S. England, and Australia) People display more personally oriented personality traits. Collectivist Cultures Value social harmony, respectfulness, and group needs over individual needs. E.g. Asia, Africa, and South America. People display more socially oriented personality traits.  Interactionism: Nature vs. AND Nurture Interactionism: Situational Factors (Culture, Environment) & Personal Factors (Genetics, Traits) are necessary for understanding behavior. Stimulus Person Response Conscious & Unconscious Processes Environmental Physical Experiences Cognition, Memory, Decision Making Behavior Affect, Mood Interpersonal Verbal Needs, Drives, Motivation, Goals Relationships Communication Temperament & Traits Sensation & Perception Non-Verbal Society/Culture Communication Genetics & Biology