Personality – a set of unique behaviors, attitudes and emotions that characterize a
particular individual
Idiographic methods – personality techniques that look at the individual, such as case
studies, interviews, and naturalistic observations.
Nomothetic methods – personality techniques such as tests, surveys, and observations
that focus on variables at the group level, identify universal trait dimensions or
relationships between different aspects of personality
Psychoanalytic/psychodynamic approach – originated with Sigmund Freud, who
emphasized unconscious motivations and conflicts, and the importance of early
childhood experiences.
Three levels of the mind – related to Freudian Personality Theory
Conscious – includes everything we are aware of
Preconscious – contains information and feelings we can easily recall, but are not at this
time in conscious awareness
Unconscious – contains wishes, impulses, memories, and feelings generally inaccessible
to the conscious mind
Three major systems of personality according to Freud
Id (in unconscious) – contains everything psychological that is inherited and psychic
energy that powers all three systems. Id is “give me, I want”, irrational, self centered,
and guided by the pleasure principle
Ego (partly conscious, partly unconscious) – mediates between instinctual needs and
conditions of the environment to maintain our life and ensure species lives on; guided by
the reality principle
Superego – ( partly conscious, partly unconscious) – is composed of the conscience
that punishes us by making us feel guilty, and ego – ideal that rewards us by making us
feel proud of ourselves
Defense Mechanisms – extreme measures that protect the ego from threats and anxiety;
operate unconsciously and deny, falsify, or distort reality
See my lecture for the definition of many of the defense mechanisms
You can read about Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Development in the book. There is
no need to go over this theory more than once.
Carl Jung’s Personality Theory – emphasized the influence of our past on our
personality with his collective unconscious – the powerful and influential system that
contains universal memories and ideas that all people have inherited from ancestors.
Archetypes – inherited memories or common themes found in all cultures, religions, and
literature, both ancient and modern
Individuation – psychological process by which we become an individual; a unified
whole, including conscious and unconscious processes
Alfred Adler’s theories – emphasized social interest as the primary determinant of
personality. We strive for superiority and try to compensate for inferiority complexes.
Karen Horney – attacked Freud’s male bias. She thought females were envious of the
male social status.
Erikson – believed that development continued throughout the lifespan. See
development chapter for his stages.
Humanistic theories:
Carl Rogers: terms associated with Rogers include: self concept,
incongruence/congruence, genuineness, empathy, unconditional positive regard
Maslow is associated with self actualization and the hierarchy of needs
Other humanistic terms include: self esteem and self fulfilling prophecy
Behaviorist theories and terms
Conditioning
Observational learning
Determinism
Social Cognitive Theories
Bandura’s reciprocal determinism and self efficacy
George Kelly’s personal constructs theory
Julian Rotter’s locus of control
Walter Mischel’s theory addressed the person-situation debate.
Personality Signature an individual's pattern of situation-behavior reactions proposed by
Mischel to predict behavior
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Studied by 19 people
