PSYCH105 Theories of Personality

WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION TO PERSONALITY THEORY

Objectives

  • Define and discuss personality and theory.

  • Differentiate between various personality theories:

    • Psychodynamic Theories

    • Existential-Humanistic Theories

    • Dispositional Theories

    • Biological-Evolutionary Theories

What is Personality?

  • Definition: Personality refers to a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics contributing to consistency and individuality in behavior (Roberts & Mroczek, 2008).

  • Variability in Species: Individual differences in behavior, termed personality, can also be observed in non-human species (e.g., octopi, birds, pigs).

  • Etymology: The term "personality" comes from the Latin word "persona", which originally referred to the masks worn by actors, indicating a false appearance. It has evolved to represent deeper psychological traits.

  • Key Features:

    • Traits contribute to individual differences in behavior, consistency over time, and stability across situations. inside

    • Traits can be unique to an individual, common to groups, or universal across species.

    • Characteristics encompass unique qualities like temperament, physique, and intelligence. outside

What is a Theory?

  • Definition: A scientific theory is a set of assumptions that enables the formulation of testable hypotheses.

  • Utility of Theory: Useful theories should:

    1. Generate testable hypotheses.

    2. Organize research data into meaningful structures.

    3. Be falsifiable.

    4. Guide action.

    5. Be internally consistent.- aligns with the fiery hypothesis hindi mag iiba

    6. Be parsimonious (simple)

      • written in a simple manner

Different Perspectives in Theories of Personality

1. Psychodynamic Theories

  • Origin: Initiated by Freud, focusing on early childhood experiences and unconscious motives.

  • Unconscious Mind: Emphasizes the unconscious as a powerful influence over personality.

  • Unlike Carl based on his theory collective unconscious

  • Childhood experiences based on thier relationship w/ their care givers

  • Sometimes the event is emotional heavy to be pushed back and lumabas sa unconscious

  • Psychoanalysis: Utilizes methods like dream interpretation for therapeutic purposes.

2. Humanistic-Existential Theories

  • Focus: Positivity and psychological growth; emphasizes happiness, meaning, and personal development.

  • Positive psychology

  • Search for meaning/ human potential

  • Assumptions:

    • Individuals strive for well-being and psychological health.

    • Negative experiences (failure, death awareness) can lead to personal growth.

3. Dispositional Theories

  • Core Idea: Long-term tendencies (traits) define personality.

  • Five Main Trait Dimensions: (Ocean)

    • Conscientiousness

    • Agreeableness

    • Neuroticism

    • Openness to Experience

    • Extraversion

4. Biological-Evolutionary Theories

  • Overview: Personality and behavior influenced by genetic and neurological differences, shaped by evolutionary forces.

  • Nature vs. Nurture: Behavior is a product of biological inheritance and environmental factors.

  • Genetic mapping

5. Learning/Social-Cognitive Theories

  • Behavior Focus: Emphasizes observable behavior rather than internal mental states.

  • Focus on the present

  • Learning through Observation: Human behavior is learned through environmental reinforcement.

Research in Personality Theory

Reliability and Validity in Measurement

  • Reliability: Consistency of a measuring instrument's results.

  • Validity: Accuracy of an instrument in measuring what it's intended to measure.

    • Types of Validity:

      • Construct Validity: Measures hypothetical constructs.

      • Predictive Validity: Predicts future behaviors based on scores.

Approaches to Personality Research

  • Idiographic Approach: In-depth study of individual subjects.

    • Specific/small group

  • Nomothetic Approach: Generalization from large sample comparisons.

    • Larger number of people/ general

Major Methods in Personality Research

1. Clinical Method

  • Case Study: Detailed analysis of individual cases in the context of their emotional issues.

2. Experimental Method

  • Purpose: Determines the effect of specific variables on behavior.

  • Cause and effect

3. Virtual Research Method

  • Conducting studies online for broader subject reach.

4. Correlational Method

  • Investigates relationships across variables without manipulation.

Questions on Human Nature

  1. Free Will or Determinism?

  2. Nature vs. Nurture?

  3. Past vs. Present?

  4. Uniqueness vs. Universality?

  5. Equilibrium vs. Growth?

  6. Optimism vs. Pessimism?

WEEK 2: FREUD'S PERSONALITY THEORY

Objectives

  • Define and discuss Freud's theory of personality.

  • Understand the levels of mental life, divisions of the mind, dynamics of personality, defense mechanisms, and development stages.

Biography of Sigmund Freud

  • Date of Birth: March 6, 1856.

  • Freud's background influenced his theories; he did not have close relations with his father and experienced pivotal moments with his mother.

Levels of Mental Life

  • Unconscious

    • Drives and instincts beyond awareness influencing behavior.

    • Childhood experiences

  • Preconscious

    • Contains memories not in awareness but retrievable.

  • Conscious

    • Current thoughts and feelings in awareness.

Divisions of the Mind

  1. Id:

    • Instinctual drives; seeks immediate gratification.

    • Pleasure principle

  2. Ego:

    • Mediates between id and reality; decision-making function.

    • Contact with reality

  3. Superego:

    • Moral conscience; idealistic standards.

Dynamics of Personality

  • Drives (Trieb): Motivational forces; primarily sex (Eros) and aggression (Thanatos). Impulses

  • Sex- Pleasure, not limited to genital satisfaction.

    Key Idea: The entire body is invested with libido, especially erogenous zones like the mouth, anus, and genitals, which produce sexual pleasure.

  • Aggression (Destructive Drive) - Return to an inorganic state (ultimate aim = death/self-destruction).

Forms: Aggression can manifest in teasing, gossip, sarcasm, humor, humiliation, or enjoying others' suffering.

  • Anxiety- A felt, unpleasant state with physical sensations that warn of danger.

Characteristics:

Unpleasant but often vague.

Always experienced emotionally and physically.

Type:

Neurotic Anxiety: Fear of losing control due to internal conflicts.

Defense Mechanisms

  1. Repression

    • Pushing distressing thoughts to the unconscious.

  2. Reaction formation- Reaction

    • A repressed impulse becomes conscious by adopting a behavior that is the exact opposite of the original impulse

    • Key Characteristics:

      • Exaggerated behavior.

      • Often obsessive or compulsive in nature.

  3. Displacement: Redirecting emotions to safer targets.

  4. Projection: Attributing one's unacceptable thoughts to others.

  5. Regression- During stress or anxiety, a person reverts to behaviors or habits from an earlier developmental stage.

  6. Fixation: Excessive attachment to an earlier psychosexual stage.

  7. Introjection- Incorporating the positive qualities of another person into one's own personality.

  8. Sublimation- Repressing sexual desires (genital aim of Eros) and redirecting the energy into cultural, social, or creative activities.

Stages of Development

  1. Oral Phase- mouth

  2. Anal Phase-

  3. Phallic Phase

  4. Latency Period

  5. Genital Period

Applications of Psychoanalytic Theory

  • Techniques like free association, dream analysis, and slips provide insights into the unconscious mind.

WEEK 3: ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Objectives

  • Define Carl Jung's Analytical Psychology.

  • Differentiate Jung’s approach from Freud’s.

Biography of Carl Jung

  • Born July 26, 1875.

  • Developed concepts of collective unconscious and archetypes.

Key Concepts

  1. Collective Unconscious: Shared memories and archetypes among humanity.

  2. Archetypes: Universal symbols and motifs (e.g., persona, shadow, anima).

WEEK 4: PSYCHOANALYTIC SOCIAL THEORY

Objectives

  • Define Karen Horney’s Psychoanalytic Social Theory.

  • Discuss concepts of basic hostility, basic anxiety, and neurotic needs.

Biography of Karen Horney

  • Born September 15, 1885.

  • Advocated for the influence of culture on personality.

Basic Concepts

  • Basic Hostility: Repressed feelings of anger towards parents leading to anxiety.

  • Neurotic Needs: Healthy versus unhealthy drives in pursuit of love and security.

WEEK 5: ERIKSON'S POST-FREUDIANT THEORY

Objectives

  • Differentiate Erikson’s Theory from Freud’s.

  • Understand Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development.

Biography of Erik Erikson

  • Born June 15, 1902.

  • Developed the stages of psychosocial development, emphasizing identity formation over a lifespan.

Stages of Psychosocial Development

  1. Infancy: Trust vs. Mistrust

  2. Early Childhood: Autonomy vs. Shame

  3. Play Age: Initiative vs. Guilt

  4. School Age: Industry vs. Inferiority

  5. Adolescence: Identity vs. Role Confusion

  6. Young Adulthood: Intimacy vs. Isolation

  7. Adulthood: Generativity vs. Stagnation

  8. Old Age: Integrity vs. Despair

WEEK 6: MASLOW'S HOLISTIC DYNAMIC THEORY

Objectives

  • Define and discuss human motivation.

  • Understand Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Biography of Abraham H. Maslow

  • Born April 1, 1908.

  • Developed the Hierarchy of Needs model.

Hierarchy of Needs

  • Five levels:

    1. Physiological Needs: Basic survival.

    2. Safety Needs: Security and stability.

    3. Love and Belongingness Needs: Interpersonal relationships.

    4. Esteem Needs: Self-worth and recognition.

    5. Self-Actualization Needs: Realizing personal potential.

WEEK 7: ROGERS’ PERSON-CENTERED THEORY

Objectives

  • Define and understand Rogers’ person-centered approach.

Biography of Carl Rogers

  • Born January 8, 1902.

  • Developed an empathic and humanistic approach to therapy.

Key Concepts

  • Actualizing Tendency: Fundamental drive towards growth.

  • Self-Concept: Individual perception of oneself.

WEEK 8: MAY–EXISTENTIAL THEORY

Objectives

  • Discuss Rollo May's existential theory.

Biography of Rollo May

  • Born April 21, 1909.

  • Emphasized human existence as central to psychology.

Key Concepts

  • Being-in-the-World (Dasein): Unity of person and environment.

  • Existence and Essence: Emphasis on personal experience and choice.

WEEK 9: ALLPORT – PSYCHOLOGY OF INDIVIDUAL

Objectives

  • Understand Allport’s Trait Theory.

Biography of Gordon Allport

  • Born November 11, 1897.

  • Recognized the pivotal role of conscious motivation.

Allport’s Definition of Personality

  • "Dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine characteristic behavior."

WEEK 10: FIVE FACTOR THEORY

Objectives

  • Discuss McCrae and Costa's Five Factor Theory.

Key Components of Five-Factor Theory

  1. Basic Tendencies: Influential traits determined biologically.

  2. Characteristic Adaptations: Behaviors and coping mechanisms shaped by traits.

  3. Self-Concept: Framework of personal identity.

WEEK 11: BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS

Objectives

  • Discuss conditioning and Skinner’s theories.

Biography of B.F. Skinner

  • Born March 20, 1904.

  • Developed operant conditioning.

Types of Conditioning

  1. Classical Conditioning: Learning through association.

  2. Operant Conditioning: Learning through consequences.

WEEK 12: PERSONAL CONSTRUCT THEORY

Objectives

  • Define constructs and understand Kelly’s theory.

Biography of George Kelly

  • Born April 28, 1905.

  • Founded Personal Construct Theory.

Key Concepts

  • Constructs: Mental frameworks for understanding experiences.

  • Constructive Alternativism: Flexibility in interpreting experiences.

WEEK 13: MODELING THEORY

Objectives

  • Define Bandura’s modeling theory.

Biography of Albert Bandura

  • Born December 4, 1925.

  • Introduced observational learning concepts.

Key Concepts

  • Observational Learning: Learning through watching others.

WEEK 14: FACETS OF PERSONALITY

Objectives

  • Discuss various psychological factors affecting personality.

Key Factors in Personality Development

  1. Genetic Influences: Traits inherited from parents.

  2. Environmental Influences: Impact of culture and upbringing.

  3. Learning Factors: Effects of reinforcement and modeling on behavior.

  4. Parental Influence: Role of parenting styles on personality.

  5. Developmental Factors: Personality maturation across the lifespan.

WEEK 15: SENSATION SEEKING

Biography of Marvin Zuckerman

  • Noted psychologist; studied sensation seeking.

Sensation Seeking Concepts

  • Sensation Seeking Scale: Measures individual differences in sensation-seeking behaviors.

WEEK 16: LEARNED HELPLESSNESS AND POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Biography of Martin Seligman

  • Focused on positive psychology and learned helplessness.

Key Concepts

  • Learned Helplessness: The phenomenon where individuals perceive a lack of control in their lives, leading to emotional distress.

  • Positive Psychology: Study of factors contributing to happiness and well-being.

WEEK 17: PERSONALITY IN PERSPECTIVE

Key Influences on Personality

  1. Genetic Factors: Inherited traits that shape personality.

  2. Environmental Factors: Cultural impacts on behavior and personality development.

  3. Learning Factors: How experiences influence traits and behaviors.