PQ's for CH 1-6

Introduction to Personality Theories

Key Theorists in Personality Psychology

• Sigmund Freud (Psychoanalysis)

  • Integrated philosophical speculation with the scientific method to create theories on personality.

  • Developed a grand theory attempting to explain all personalities.

  • Emphasized the role of the unconscious in shaping behavior.

• Alfred Adler (Individual Psychology)

  • Focused on social interest and feeling of oneness with humanity.

  • Introduced the concept of striving for superiority.

• Carl Jung (Analytic Psychology)

  • Developed the idea of the collective unconscious and archetypes.

• Melanie Klein (Object Relations Theory)

  • Explored the infant's early emotional experiences and their interpersonal relationships.

• Karen Horney (Psychoanalytic Social Theory)

  • Highlighted the influence of social and cultural factors on personality development.

Definitions and Conceptual Frameworks

Understanding Personality

• No single definition; characterized by relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics.

• Derived from Latin "persona," meaning a mask projected in social roles.

Key Terms in Personality Psychology

• Personality: A consistent pattern of behavior derived from traits and unique characteristics.

• Traits: Stable dispositions contributing to individual differences in behavior and emotional reactions.

• Temperament: Emotional reactivity and intensity, affecting individual behavior.

Theoretical Constructs in Personality Psychology

The Role of Theories in Personality Psychology

• Theories are generalized assumptions used to generate and test hypotheses about behavior.

• Hypothesis: An educated guess that is specific enough to be tested scientifically.

• Logical Deductive Reasoning: Formulating hypotheses by starting with broad theories and arriving at specific conclusions.

• Inductive Reasoning: Generalizing from specific observations to broader theories.

Development and Validation of Theories

• Theories are adjusted as new hypotheses emerge based on observational and empirical data.

• Taxonomy: A classification of concepts that can evolve into broader theories.

• Epistemology: The study of knowledge and its nature in psychological contexts; involves both speculation and empirical observation.

Freudian Concepts of Personality

Mental Structures in Freud’s Theory

• Id: Unconscious, operating on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification.

• Ego: Mediates between the id and reality, operating on the reality principle, allowing for logical planning and decision-making.

• Superego: Represents moral standards and ideal principles derived from parental and societal expectations.

Development of Personality through Psychosexual Stages

• Stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital, focusing on different sources of pleasure and conflict in childhood.

  • Each stage has critical events that shape personality traits.

• Oedipus Complex: A child's feelings of desire for their opposite-sex parent and jealousy toward their same-sex parent.

Defense Mechanisms

• Repression: Pushing unwanted memories into the unconscious.

• Projection: Ascribing one’s own unacceptable feelings to another person.

• Displacement: Redirecting emotions to a safer target.

Additional Theoretical Perspectives on Personality

Adlerian Individual Psychology

• Focuses on the drive for social connectedness, self-improvement, and striving for superiority.

• Recognizes the impact of feelings of inferiority as motivational forces.

• Emphasizes social interest as a key to psychological health.

Jungian Analytical Psychology

• Centers on the concept of the collective unconscious and archetypes that shape behavior and personality.

• Archetypes: Fundamental human motifs that influence behavior and thought patterns.

Klein’s Object Relations Theory

• Explains how early experiences with caregivers influence personality development.

• Focuses on the emotional responses to early interactions, likening them to the infant's experiences of "good" and "bad" objects (e.g. mother’s breast).

Horney's Psychoanalytic Social Theory

• Highlights the role of interpersonal relationships and societal influences on personality.

• Proposes that basic anxiety stems from unmet needs for love and security in childhood.

Conclusion

• The study of personality and its development is diverse, integrating multiple theories and perspectives that highlight the subconscious processes, early experiences, and social contexts that shape human behavior.

Introduction to Personality Theories

Key Theorists in Personality Psychology

Sigmund Freud (Psychoanalysis)

• Integrated philosophical speculation with the scientific method to create comprehensive theories on personality that remain influential today.

• Developed a grand theory attempting to explain all personalities through the dynamics of the mind.

• Emphasized the role of the unconscious in shaping behavior, proposing that our unconscious drives and experiences influence our thoughts, feelings, and actions significantly.

• Introduced mechanisms of defense that protect the ego from anxiety arising from conflicts between the id and superego.

Alfred Adler (Individual Psychology)

• Focused on the importance of social interest, which is the concern for the well-being of others, and the feeling of oneness with humanity as pivotal for personality development.

• Introduced the concept of striving for superiority, suggesting that individuals are motivated by an intrinsic desire to overcome feelings of inferiority developed in childhood.

• Emphasized the significance of birth order and its potential effects on personality traits and behaviors.

Carl Jung (Analytic Psychology)

• Developed the idea of the collective unconscious, a part of the unconscious mind containing shared memories and archetypes, which are universal, symbolic images influencing human behavior and culture.

• Identified different personality types through his concepts of introversion and extraversion, which remain popular in personality assessments today.

Melanie Klein (Object Relations Theory)

• Explored the infant's early emotional experiences, emphasizing the significance of the mother-child relationship and how these dynamics shape personality.

• Introduced the idea of internal objects, where mental representations of important figures influence an individual's interpersonal relationships.

Karen Horney (Psychoanalytic Social Theory)

• Highlighted the influence of social and cultural factors on personality development, arguing that traditional Freudian theories were too male-centric.

• Proposed the idea of basic anxiety stemming from feelings of helplessness in childhood and how it drives the need for affection and approval.

Definitions and Conceptual Frameworks

Understanding Personality

• No single definition; personality is characterized by relatively permanent traits, behaviors, and unique characteristics that define an individual.

• The word ‘personality’ is derived from the Latin "persona," meaning a mask projected in social roles; this underscores the idea that individuals often present different sides of themselves in various contexts.

Key Terms in Personality Psychology

• Personality: A consistent pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are unique to an individual and relatively enduring over time.

• Traits: Stable dispositions contributing to individual differences in behavior and emotional responses, such as extroversion or conscientiousness.

• Temperament: Refers to the innate aspects of an individual's personality, including emotional reactivity and intensity, which affect individual behavior and interaction styles.

Theoretical Constructs in Personality Psychology

The Role of Theories in Personality Psychology

• Theories serve as generalized frameworks that are employed to generate and test hypotheses about human behavior, helping psychologists to understand and predict individual differences.

• Hypothesis: An educated guess that is specific enough to be tested scientifically, often derived from broader theoretical principles.

• Logical Deductive Reasoning: Involves starting with a broad theory and deriving specific, testable predictions.

• Inductive Reasoning: Involves forming broader theories based on specific observations and empirical data.

Development and Validation of Theories

• Theories evolve as new hypotheses emerge, emphasizing the importance of observational and empirical data in refining our understanding of personality.

• Taxonomy: A classification of concepts that organizes related behaviors and traits, allowing for clearer theoretical expansion and understanding.

• Epistemology: The study of the nature, origin, and limits of knowledge, relevant in psychological contexts as it blends speculation with empirical observation to validate theories.

Freudian Concepts of Personality

Mental Structures in Freud’s Theory

• Id: Represents the primal desires and demands of the individual, operating on the pleasure principle and seeking immediate gratification, regardless of reality or consequences.

• Ego: Acts as a mediator between the id and reality, operating on the reality principle, allowing for logical planning, decision-making, and delaying gratification when necessary.

• Superego: Encompasses moral standards and ideal principles derived from parental and societal expectations, acting to constrain the desires of the id and regulate behavior according to societal norms.

Development of Personality through Psychosexual Stages

• Freud proposed that personality develops through a series of psychosexual stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital, with each stage focused on different sources of pleasure and conflict during childhood.

• Each stage has critical events that shape personality traits, with unresolved conflicts potentially leading to fixation and personality issues in adulthood.

• Oedipus Complex: A significant concept indicating a child's feelings of desire for their opposite-sex parent and jealousy towards their same-sex parent during the phallic stage, impacting adult relationships.

Defense Mechanisms

• Repression: The process of pushing unwanted memories and feelings into the unconscious, thus protecting the individual from distress and anxiety.

• Projection: Attributing one’s own unacceptable feelings or impulses to another person, which allows the individual to avoid feeling threatened by their own thoughts.

• Displacement: Redirecting emotions from a threatening target to a safer one, helping individuals cope without confronting the original source of their anxiety.

Additional Theoretical Perspectives on Personality

Adlerian Individual Psychology

• Focuses on the drive for social connectedness, self-improvement, and the mutual exchange of social interests as fundamental aspects of personality.

• Recognizes feelings of inferiority as motivational forces that can lead to striving for superiority, thus influencing individual behavior and social relationships.

• Emphasizes social interest as a key to achieving psychological health and well-being.

Jungian Analytical Psychology

• Centers on the concept of collective unconsciousness, which consists of memories, experiences, and instincts shared among all humans, influencing human behavior and personality.

• Archetypes: Fundamental human motifs or symbols that influence behavior and thought patterns, such as the Hero or the Mother, shaping narratives across cultures and time.

Klein’s Object Relations Theory

• Delves into early experiences with caregivers, focusing on how these relationships and the emotional responses to them contribute to personality development.

• Emphasizes how infants experience ‘good’ and ‘bad’ objects based on their interactions (e.g., the nurturing mother vs. the rejecting mother), shaping their future interpersonal relationships.

Horney's Psychoanalytic Social Theory

• Highlights the role of interpersonal relationships and societal influences on personality, arguing that these factors significantly affect individual psychological development.

• Proposes that basic anxiety arises from unmet needs for love and security during childhood, influencing how individuals relate to others and their coping mechanisms in adulthood.

Conclusion

The study of personality and its development is diverse, integrating multiple theories and perspectives that highlight the subconscious processes, crucial early experiences, and social contexts that shape human behavior. Understanding these diverse theories provides valuable insights into individual differences and the complexities of human nature.