Personality

personality

an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

What did Freud believe the way to relieve mental distress was?

he believed that tapping the unconscious was the pathway to relieving mental distress

Freud’s view of personality

personality is the result of the conflict between our impulses and restraint

we have impulses that are aggressive and sexual which are not acceptable per social norms so we need to control these urges

the 3 interacting components of personality

id, ego, superego

superego and id are in conflict; ego reconciles the differences/conflicts between the two

id

unconscious

driven to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives

pleasure principle → immediate gratification

ego

largely conscious

“executive” → mediates demands of the id, ego, superego, and reality

reality principle → satisfy id’s desires that will bring pleasure not pain

superego

moral compass

affects ego by encouraging it to consider what is ideal; how we ought to behave

perfectionist

judges actions; produces either positive feeling or negative feelings

pleasure principle

immediate gratification

reality principle

satisfy id’s desires that will bring pleasure, not pain

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages

Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital

oral (0-18 months)

pleasure centers on the mouth - sucking, biting, chewing

anal (18-36 months)

pleasure focuses on bowel and bladder elimination; coping with demands for control

phallic (3-6 years)

pleasure zones is the genitals; coping with incestuous sexual feelings

latency (6 to puberty)

a phase of dormant sexual feelings

genital (puberty on)

maturation of sexual interests

criticisms of Freud’s view of personality

development is lifelong; not just in childhood

underestimated the influence of peers

suppressed sexuality → psychological disorder?

theory does NOT allow for testable hypotheses

repression of trauma fairly atypical

early study of personality focused on:

biological urges and conflicts between id and superego (psychodynamic/psychoanalytic)

objective measures of functioning (behaviorist)

humanistic psychologists study:

self-determination (in control of your actions) and self-realization (can achieve your goals)

used self-report

humanistic theories

view personality with a focus on the potential for healthy personal growth

Abraham Maslow’s view of personality

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs → self-actualization

Carl Roger’s view of personality

person centered perspectives

we are basically good and have the ability to grow

environmental components necessary for one to have the ability to grow

1. genuineness → real, authentic, transparent, disclosing

2. acceptance → we have value even in light of our shortcomings

   1. unconditional positive regard

3. empathy → sharing of feelings/experience

   perceived self vs. ideal self

unconditional positive regard

an attitude of total acceptance toward another person

self-concept

all of our thoughts and feelings about ourselves

how is self-concept related to our conception of ideal self vs. perceived self

ideal self vs. actual self

alike → positive self-concept

not alike → negative self-concept

criticisms of humanistic psychology

concepts are vague and subjective (ideals just based off of Rogers’ and Maslow’s personal beliefs of what is best?)

focused on individualism → what is right/best for you (what about others?)

maybe naive to believe that people are basically good

Gordon Allport

he defined personality in terms of behavior patterns

traits

characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act, as assessed by self-report inventories and peer reports

the 3 traits Eysenck used to describe personality

extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism

(biological basis or psychoticism)

conscientiousness

disorganized, careless, impulsive

organized, careful, disciplined

agreeableness

ruthless, suspicious, uncooperative

soft-hearted, trusting, helpful

neuroticism (emotional stability vs. instability)

calm, secure, self-satisfied

anxious, insecure, self-pitying

openness

practical, prefers routine, conforming

imaginative, prefers variety, independent

extraversion

retiring, sober, reserved

sociable, fun-loving, affectionate

are our traits consistent across time and situation?

most psychologists would answer yes, and it seems to become more stable the older we get

while traits may be consistent, the way we act in different situations may not be

do personality inventories do a good job of predicting behavior?

personality inventories do not do so well in predicting behavior

current situation will affect how one acts

Moes & Tellinghuisen’s ideas to guide our thinking about personality theory from a Christian perspective

we are individuals, but relationships are important

our personality is stable, but there is evidence from research and from the Bible that personalities are malleable

sin can affect our personality, but with Christ’s help and accountability from the Christian community we can make changes

we are not just influenced by our past; we have the ability to “prospect,” or think about our future