personality short version

Personality

A person’s unique and consistent pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

Trait

A characteristic describing a habitual way of behaving, thinking, and feeling

What influences personality?

Genetics, environment, culture, unconscious factors, inner self

Projective tests

Tests using ambiguous stimuli to reveal unconscious motives

Examples of projective tests

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), Rorschach Inkblot Test

Problem with projective tests

Subjective interpretation; low reliability

Objective tests

Standardized self-report questionnaires with fixed responses

Why are objective tests better?

More reliable and valid; scored consistently

Factor analysis

Statistical method that groups correlated traits into factors

MMPI

Most widely used personality test to identify psychological problems

MMPI-2

Revised version of MMPI with 567 questions

Purpose of MMPI

Measures abnormal behaviors and psychopathology

MMPI validity scales

Detect if someone is faking responses (e.g., “fake good”)

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Test measuring how people perceive the world and make decisions

MBTI categories

Extrovert/Introvert, Thinking/Feeling, Sensing/Intuition, Judging/Perceiving

Personality disorders

Rigid, long-lasting patterns that deviate from cultural expectations

Big Five traits

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism (OCEAN)

Are Big Five traits stable?

Yes, generally stable over a lifetime

Eysenck’s personality dimensions

Extraversion, Emotional Stability, Psychoticism

Heritability

Proportion of variation in traits due to genetic differences

Genetic influence on personality

About 40–50%

Temperament

Innate emotional reactivity present from infancy

Nonshared environment

Experiences unique to the individual; strongest environmental influence

Shared environment

Experiences shared within a family; less impact on personality

Peer influence

Strong effect on personality, especially during adolescence

Reciprocal determinism

Interaction between behavior, environment, and personal factors

Social-cognitive perspective

Personality shaped by interaction of internal thoughts and external situations

Culture

Shared rules, values, and beliefs guiding behavior

Individualist cultures

Value independence and personal goals

Collectivist cultures

Value group harmony and relationships

Monochronic cultures

Value schedules and deadlines

Polychronic cultures

Value relationships over time schedules

Psychodynamic theory

Explains personality through unconscious drives and conflicts

Psychoanalysis

Freud’s therapy focusing on unconscious conflicts

Id

Pleasure principle; seeks immediate gratification

Ego

Reality principle; mediates between id and superego

Superego

Moral standards and conscience

Defense mechanisms

Unconscious strategies to reduce anxiety

Repression

Pushing anxiety-provoking thoughts into the unconscious

Projection

Attributing one’s own unacceptable thoughts to others

Displacement

Redirecting emotions to a safer target

Reaction formation

Acting opposite of true feelings

Regression

Reverting to earlier developmental behavior

Denial

Refusing to accept reality

Sublimation

Channeling impulses into positive activities

Rationalization

Justifying behavior with acceptable reasons

Freud’s stages

Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital

Fixation

Being stuck at a stage due to unresolved conflict

Carl Jung

Developed idea of collective unconscious and archetypes

Collective unconscious

Shared universal memories and symbols

Alfred Adler

Focused on inferiority complex and goal-directed behavior

Inferiority complex

Feeling of inadequacy motivating behavior

Karen Horney

Emphasized cultural influences and basic anxiety

Basic anxiety

Feelings of insecurity from childhood

Erik Erikson

Focused on social development and identity crisis

Identity crisis

Period of self-exploration and uncertainty

Humanistic psychology

Focus on growth, potential, and free will

Abraham Maslow

Hierarchy of needs leading to self-actualization

Self-actualization

Achieving one’s full potential

Maslow’s hierarchy

Physiological, Safety, Belongingness, Esteem, Self-actualization

Carl Rogers

Emphasized self-concept and unconditional positive regard

Unconditional positive regard

Love and acceptance without conditions

Conditional positive regard

Love dependent on behavior

Rollo May

Focused on existentialism and responsibility

Existentialism

Belief in free will and responsibility for choices

Criticism of psychodynamic theory

Lacks scientific testability; based on small samples

Criticism of humanistic theory

Hard to measure concepts; overly optimistic