Personality Chapter 13

Personality

Our characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting

Popular personality tests

(MBTI, Enneagram) often lack validity/reliability

Classical perspectives

Psychodynamic/psychoanalytic, Neo-Freudian, Humanistic (People like Freud and Carl Jung)

Psychoanalytic theory

Freud's theory that human behavior = consciousness + unconscious mind. Personality = conflict between impulse and restraint; id, ego, superego (many of his ideas debated on due to lack of research)

Freud's belief about personality

Developed in earliest years of life, going through ‘psychosexual stages’. Unresolved conflict in a stage leads to fixation (which impacted personality)

Id

Unconscious energy, focused on satisfying basic desires (survive, reproduce, and aggress) Seeks immediate gratification. I want, I need.... (The CHILD)

Ego

Mostly conscious energy that seeks to satisfy the id’s impulses in realistic ways. Makes peace between the Id and Superego (The ADULT)

Superego

Voice of our moral compass (conscience) Forces the ego to consider how we ought to behave. You cannot or must not. (The MATURED ADULT)

Freud's theories supported by research

Concept of unconscious (ex. implicit memories, priming, etc.). Most of it is not

Freud's terminology in everyday life

Freudian slip, Oedipus complex, libido, dreams having meaning, etc.

Humanistic theory of personality

Key figures: Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow. Focuses on individual's potential for growth and self-actualization rather than curing mental illness. Emphasizes personal responsibility and free will

What are introverts like?

Gain energy from time alone. More sensitive to levels of stimulation

What are extraverts like?

Draw energy from spending time with others. Seek out stimulation. Less behavior inhibition

Big 5 Personality Traits

The Big Five personality traits are openness, conscientiousness (responsible, hardworking), extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (emotional stability). These traits are used to describe human personality and behavior across various situations.