12.5 & 12.6 - Humanism + Traits and Factors

Humanistic perspectives

Emphasized the unique and positive qualities of human experience and potential

Abraham Maslow and self actualization: reaching our fullest potential (the more good nature that is expressed)

Carl Rogers’ Person-centered perspective: people are basically good, and given the right environment their personality will develop fully and normally

Positive Psych

Uses scientific methods to study human potential and how to promote well-being (helped overturn myths such as money and happiness)

Flow: feeling of full immersion in an activity = being in the zone > y axis is challenging, x axis is what we need to achieve it

Trait Perspective

Personality traits: labels applied to specific attributes of personality (18,000 descriptions tallied by early studies)

Factor Analysis: reveals statistical similarities among wide variety of items (finds the correlations between them)

Five Factor Model

A trait based approach to personality measurement that includes: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism

Openness to Experience

High: open to new experience, willing to try new things, looking at the world in different perspectives, nonconformist

Low: less willing to consider other perspectives, not willing to try new things, maintain the status cue, often traditionalists

Conscientiousness

High: very organized, disciplined, detail & take oriented, at the expense of spontaneity

Low: disorganized, messy in their lives, not as successful students, not good at meeting deadlines

Extraversion

High: extroverts, very social, life of the party, have lots of friends, risk seeking (skydiving, rollercoasters)

Low: introvert; more shy and reserved, need to recharge their batteries

Agreeableness

High: avoid conflict, great efforts to get along with others, functional in team settings, cooperative

Low: set in their ways, can be stubborn, assertive, have more of a backbone

Neuroticism

High: emotionally volatile, anxious, catastrophiez situations

Low: more emotionally stable, balance their emotions

Traits vs States

state: a temporary or physical psychological engagement that influences behaviour

Four general aspects of situations: locations, associations, activities & subjective states