4.5

🧠 Learning Objective 4.5

Compare four approaches to personality:
Trait approaches, Cognitive-Affective Theories, Pancha Kosha Theory (Eastern), and Biological Approaches.

1⃣ Trait Perspectives of Personality

Key Theorists & Concepts

• Hans Eysenck (1944):

  • Three dimensions: Introversion–Extraversion, Neuroticism–Stability, Psychoticism–Normality.

  • Personality seen as biologically based.

• Raymond Cattell (1965):

  • Source traits (underlying) vs. surface traits (observable).

  • Developed 16 Personality Factors (16 PF) test.

• Gordon Allport (1937, 1961):

  • Personality is unique and dynamic.

  • Three levels of personal dispositions:

    • Cardinal (dominant traits), Central (core traits), Secondary (situational traits).

• McCrae & Costa (1985, 1987): Five-Factor Model (FFM)/Big Five (OCEAN)

  • Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism.

  • Traits show continuity across lifespan; cross-cultural findings mixed.

  • Trends: Neuroticism & Extraversion ↓ with age; Agreeableness & Conscientiousness ↑.

• HEXACO Model (Ashton & Lee): Adds sixth factor = Honesty–Humility.

  • Six factors: Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Openness.

  • May fit collectivist cultures better than Big Five.

Childhood Influences

• ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences): ↑ Neuroticism, ↑ Openness (by abuse type), ↓ Conscientiousness & Agreeableness (Grusnick et al., 2020).

• PACEs/PCEs (Protective & Compensatory Experiences): Supportive relationships & enriching resources → ↑ resilience, agreeableness, honesty-humility, altruism (Morris & Hays-Grudo, 2023).

2⃣ Cognitive-Affective Theories of Personality

Epstein’s Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory (CEST)

• Two parallel systems:

  • Rational (conscious, logical) and Experiential/Automatic (preconscious, emotional).

• Personality change occurs through:

  1. Using rational system to retrain automatic system,

  2. Emotionally significant experiences, or

  3. Direct communication with the automatic system.

Mischel & Shoda’s Cognitive-Affective Personality System (CAPS)

• Explains why people act differently across situations.

• Personality = stable patterns of “if situation A → behavior X; if situation B → behavior Y.”

• Behavioral signatures show consistent situation-behavior patterns even as behavior varies.

3⃣ Pancha Kosha Theory of Personality (Eastern/Indian Model)

Source: Satpathy (2018)

• Personality = five nested “sheaths” (koshas) of mind-body system, like Russian dolls:

  1. Annamaya Kosha – Physical body (nourished by food)

  2. Pranamaya Kosha – Vital energy/breath (bioenergy)

  3. Manomaya Kosha – Mind/mental sheath (education and emotion)

  4. Vijnamaya Kosha – Intellect/ego (reason, discrimination)

  5. Anandamaya Kosha – Bliss (emotional and spiritual fulfillment)

• Personality is dynamic and transformative, moving from lower to higher self → self-realization and bliss.

• Emphasizes Indigenous psychology and culture-specific theories of personality.

4⃣ Biological Approaches to Personality & Mental Illness

Core Idea: Genetics + Brain Processes + Neurochemistry interact with environment to shape personality and psychopathology.

Research Methods (Table 4.6):

• sMRI: Brain structure (shape, size).

• fMRI/rsfMRI: Brain function (blood flow, network activity).

• dMRI: Molecular diffusion in tissues.

• PET Scans: Metabolic/biochemical function (e.g., dopamine levels).

• Molecular assays & DNA sequencing: Identify genes, proteins, mutations.

Findings

• Personality neuroscience links Big Five traits to dimensions of psychopathology (Latzman et al., 2021).

• Psychiatric disorders may be extreme manifestations of personality traits (McNaughton, 2020).

• Gene-Environment Interaction: Environment influences gene expression (Perlstein & Waller, 2022).

• Predictive Models: Early life adversity + dopamine factors + impulsivity predict early-onset psychiatric problems (Iqbal et al., 2022).

• Traumatic stress → lasting brain changes (amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex) (Bremner, 2022).

Clinical Application

• DSM-5-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2022) used for diagnoses, but social workers focus on the whole person and environment.

• Emphasis on holistic assessment, cultural context, and person-in-environment perspective (Walsh, 2019).

✳ Integration Across Theories

💡 Key Takeaway

Personality is a complex interaction of traits, cognitions, biology, and culture.
Social workers should adopt an integrative, person-in-environment, and culturally sensitive view of clients.