Course Overview and Future of Personality Psychology

Hypotheses

• null

• Alternative

Null hypothesis

There is no effect

Alternative hypothesis

There is an effect

P value

The chance that you discovered what you did if the null hypothesis is true

• Chance that what you found was purely a coincidence

What is personality the study of

The study of human nature, individual differences, individual uniqueness

Human nature

What people are like in general

Individual differences

How and why people differ

Individual uniqueness

What makes a person unique and different from all others

Foundations of personality Psych

• research methods

• Personality assessment and judgement

Trait approach

• big five and person situation debate

• Personality stability and Change

Biological approach of personality psych

• anatomy, physiology, and genes

• Evolution and animal personality

Psychodynamic approach of personality psych

Basics and neo Freud

• strange situation —> babies and separation anxiety

Phenomenological approach

• narratives and humanistic

• Cultural

• Focused on being the best possible person we can be

Learning approach

From behaviorism to cognition

Building blocks of personality psych

• emotion

• The self

Life outcomes of personality psych

• love

• Work

• Health

Why do we become who we are

Theoretical approaches help us explain who, what, when, why, and how

Why do we become we are? (Trait)

Characteristic ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving are biologically based, predict our behaviors, and are conistent over time and across situations

Why do we become who we are (biological)

Anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, genes, and evolutionary history

Why do we become who we are (phenomenological)

Subjective experience, intrinsic striving to find meaning, purpose, and self actualization

Why do we become we are (psychodynamic)

Subjective experience, intrinsic striving to find meaning, purpose, and self actualization

Why do we become who we are (learning)

Rewards and punishments, modeling, expectancies, and cognitive schemas and scripts

Which theoretical approach is correct

• six blind men approach an elephant and have different ideas of what it is based on what they are directly touching

• Only by combining all the approaches can we get the full picture

Key future directions of personality psychology

1. Redefining what personality is

2. Integration of development and dynamics

3. Personality interventions

4. Culture, context, and generalizability

5. Building connections within psychological science and beyond

Redefining what personality is

• historical overreliance on

  • The big five taxonomy (personality is much more than the big five)

  • Quantitative approaches (personality more than a set of numbers)

Integration of personality development and dynamics

• often studied separately

  • How do people remain the same or change over long periods of time

  • How do peoples personality expressions fluctuate throughout the day, week, or month?

• How do everyday personality fluctuations contribute to long term personality development

• What implications does this have for changing personality

Personality interventions

• majority of people want to change their personality

  • Ex. 87-97% of US college students want to change their personality (mostly increase conscientiousness and decrease neuroticism)

• Intervention definition and types (in different cards)

• Research shows that personality can and does change in response to intervention

Intervention

The act of interfering with the outcome or course of a condition or process (as to prevent harm or improve functioning)

Diff types of interventions

• clinical (ex. Therapy) and non-clinical interventions (ex. Self help books)

• Theoretical approaches

  • Biological

  • Learning

  • Humanistic

• Volitional personality change

Biological personality intervention

Drug intervention

Learning approach personality intervention

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Humanistic approach personality interventions

Acceptance and commitment therapy

Volitional personality change

Trying to change your own personality through your own actions

Culture, context, and generalizability

• vast majority of studies are comprised of predominantly highly-educated, White US American (or Western European) samples [only represents ~12% of global population]

• We know very little about personality in other cultures and contexts — aka we know very little about human personality in general

• Slowly changing

Building connections within and beyond

• “Personality psych is the last refuge of the generalist” - Dr. Bill

• Repairing old wound with social psychology (ex. Person-situation debate)

• Building deeper connections to other areas of psychology (ex. Developmental, cognitive, clinical)

  • Ex. Developmental —> temperament

• Expanding connections to other disciplines (ex. Sociology, medicine)

• Addressing misperceptions (ex. ‘Personality cannot be changed’, MBTI as a valid tool, personality psych is the study of personal responsibility)