PSYCH lecture 9

Introduction to Personality in Psychology

• Overview of the psychodynamic approach originally developed by Sigmund Freud in the late 1800s.

  • Emphasizes unconscious forces in driving human behavior (psychodynamic).

  • Psychoanalysis is the therapeutic extension of psychodynamic views.

• Modern psychological sciences have moved away from Freud's theories.

The Lexical Hypothesis and Trait Approach

• Introduction to the trait approach as a major method for understanding personality today.

• Focus on the lexical hypothesis, which states:

  • Language captures key differentiations in human personality across various cultures and times.

  • Developed through a long historical context where numerous adjectives described human characteristics.

• Paul Costa and Robert McCrae (1985) and Gordon Allport's historical research and factor analysis helped condense vast personality lexicons into fundamental traits.

The Big Five Personality Traits

1. Openness to Experience

   • High: imaginative, broad interests, open to new experiences.

   • Low: down-to-earth, practical, traditional, set in ways.

   • Most individuals fall in the middle.

2. Conscientiousness

   • High: self-disciplined, organized, and responsible.

   • Low: disorganized, careless.

   • Reflects control of impulses and ability to resist temptation.

3. Extraversion

   • High: sociable, enthusiastic, active.

   • Low: reserved, quiet, prefer solitude or small groups.

4. Agreeableness

   • High: compassionate, good-natured, eager to cooperate.

   • Low: skeptical, competitive, critical.

5. Neuroticism

   • High: prone to negative emotions, sensitive, emotional.

   • Low: secure, calm, emotionally stable.

Understanding and Measuring the Big Five Traits

• Usage of the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) for quick assessments of one's personality attributes related to the Big Five.

• Each trait is measured by pairs of adjectives indicating high or low ends of the spectrum.

Importance of Personality Traits

• Traits contribute significantly to understanding individual behaviors and predicting outcomes in various contexts (e.g., academic performance, health behaviors).

• Example: Those high in conscientiousness often show higher academic success and reliability.

Impact of Personality on Health and Stress

• Research links personality traits to physical and mental health outcomes:

  • Traits can influence stress responses based on individual perceptions.

  • High neuroticism correlates with increased exposure to daily stress and emotional responses like anger and depression.

Coping Mechanisms and Personality

• Different personality traits affect how individuals cope with stress:

  • Active vs. passive coping strategies.

  • Individuals high in neuroticism may engage more in both types of coping than those low in neuroticism.

Conclusion

• The Big Five is a widely accepted model in capturing the essence of personality traits, though other models exist, such as the HEXACO model, which incorporates honesty and humility as an additional trait.

• The trait approach provides a unique perspective on personality compared to Freud's psychodynamic approach, focusing on healthy, functioning individuals and their unique combinations of traits.