Theories of Personality

Psychoanalytic theory

personality is shaped by childhood experiences person’s unconscious thoughts/desires, feelings, and past memories (esp. experiences in childhood)

Instinctual drives that motivate human behavior

libido and death instinct

projection

putting own feelings of inadequacy on another

regression

defence mechanism where one regresses to position of child in problematic situations

sublimation

defence mechanism where unwanted impulses are transformed into something less harmful

Freud’s “id”

unconscious, develops after birth and demands immediate gratification

Freud’s “ego”

part of conscious and unconscious. Involved in our perceptions, thoughts, and judgements, and seeks long-term gratification

Freud’s “superego”

– develops around age of 4, and it’s our moral conscience. Also part of conscious and unconscious minds

Humanistic theory (Carl Rogers)

focuses on conscious. humans are seen as inherently good. The most basic motive of all people is self-actualization, innate drive to maintain and enhance oneself to full potential. people have free will, grows towards self-actualization as long as there are no obstacles.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

physiological needs → safety → love → self-esteem → self-actualization

Biological theory

important components of personality are inherited, or determined in part by our genes.

Behaviorist theory (B F Skinner)

personality is the result of learned behavior patterns based on a person’s environment – it’s deterministic, in that people begin as blank states and the environment completely determines their behavior/personalities. Do not take thoughts and feelings into account. Environment → BEHAVIOR

Trait theory

Straightforward way to describe personality – puts it in patterns of behavior. Description of traits instead of explaining them

Myers Briggs personality test

based on Carl Jung’s theory, characterizes you in one of 16 personality types

Social cognitive theory

theory of behavior change that emphasizes interactions between people and their environment, cognition is also important

Pathological defense mechanisms

distorts reality, denial = person pretends something hasn’t happened. Most important defense mechanism

Cardinal traits

characteristics that direct most of person’s activities – the dominant trait that influence all of our behaviors, including secondary and central traits

Central traits

Less dominant than cardinal. ex. honesty, sociability, shyness

Secondary trait

preferences or attitude

Immature defense mechanism

projection (throw your attributes to someone else) and passive aggression (Passive way to express your anger)

Neurotic defense mechanism (3RID)

intellectualization, rationalization, regression, repression, displacement, reaction formation

Intellectualization

taking intellectual aspects and detaching to the emotional aspects of the situation. Separating emotion from ideas

Rationalization

making yourself believe you were not on fault – avoids blame to oneself. Can have false logic or false reasoning.

Regression

acting like a baby in some situations ex. throwing temper tantrum, start whining.

Repression

unconscious process where thoughts pushed down to unconscious

Displacement

person anger at someone but displaces it to someone else (a safer target). Ex: mother who is mad at her husband gets mad at her child

Reaction formation

unconscious feelings that make person to complete opposite.

Mature

Humor, sublimation, suppression, altruism