Personality Psychology Notes

Essence of Personality

Personality psychology became formalized in the late 1930s, spearheaded by Gordon Allport. It emphasizes the whole person, motivation, dynamics, and individual differences.

The study of personality focuses on understanding individual differences and how different parts of a person integrate into a whole.

The Concept and Definition of Personality

Personality often sums up everything about an individual, defining them separately from others. It stems from the Latin word "persona", referring to a mask used by actors.

Personality includes individual attributes, social, and emotional qualities. It is relatively stable, predictable, and resistant to sudden changes but can vary with situations. Personality includes the idea of human uniqueness.

Allport defined personality as "the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his characteristic behavior and thought."

  • Dynamic organization: Personality is constantly changing but in an organized manner.
  • Psychophysical: Involving both mind and body.
  • Systems: Potential for activity.
  • Within the individual: Residing within a person across time and situations.
  • Determine: Personality activates specific behaviors and thoughts.
  • Characteristic behavior and thought: Typical and unique to the individual.

Levels of Personality Analysis

  1. Like all others (human nature level): Traits and mechanisms typical of the species.
  2. Like some others (individual and group differences): Ways in which people are similar to some but different from others.
  3. Like no others (individual uniqueness): Unique qualities not shared by anyone else.

Personality, Character, Temperament

Personality encompasses behaviors, interests, thoughts, beliefs, experiences, and traits. Modern models consider biology as its foundation.

  • Temperament: Inborn, biologically based aspects of personality.
  • Character: Develops through everyday experiences.
  • Personality: Encompasses thought and behavioral patterns.

Temperament involves emotional, motor, and attentional reactivity and self-regulation, influenced by genes, maturation, and experience.

Character represents ethical, moral, and social attitudes and beliefs influenced by temperament, social, and educational habits.

Personality relates to outer appearance and behavior, while character involves moral excellence. A culture rich in personality but low in character can be dangerous.

Character vs. Personality

  • Character: Based on principles, focuses on how to “actually be,” revolves around integrity, fidelity, compassion, contribution, responsibility, justice and courage.
  • Personality: Based on techniques, focuses on how to “appear to be,” revolves around image creation, public relation, communication and management.

Determinants of Personality

Personality is a result of heredity, environment, and situation. Heredity provides raw materials shaped by the environment.

Genetic influences account for approximately 40–60% of the variance in personality traits. Twin studies show environmental factors account for about 50% of the variance.

The determinants of personality are grouped into: biological, cultural, family, social, and situational factors.

Situational factors and demands can exert a strong influence on behavior.

Questions About Human Nature

Important questions include:

  • Free will vs. determinism
  • Nature vs. nurture
  • Past vs. present
  • Uniqueness vs. universality
  • Equilibrium vs. growth
  • Optimism vs. pessimism

These address core aspects of what it means to be human and influence different personality theories.