Intro to psyc Lecture 10

Introduction

  • Not covered in the book.

  • Reasons for inclusion in the lecture:

    • Relevance to treatment approaches in psychopathology.

    • Historical perspective.

  • Agenda for the lecture includes:

    • Measurement of personality.

    • Stability of personality and potential for change.

    • Exclusion of discussion on self-awareness of personality as this is not covered in the source material.

Understanding Personality

  • People exhibit variability in personality traits.

    • Examples: Some are outgoing and social; others are silent and shy.

  • Personality theory focuses on individual differences rather than universal principles.

  • Definition of Personality:

    • A person's characteristics comprising thoughts, emotional responses, and behaviors.

  • Importance of studying personality:

    • Enables predictions about an individual's behavior based on personality traits.

Determinants of Personality

  • Personality is influenced by the interaction between genes and environment.

Genetic Influences on Personality

  • Evidence indicates that personality traits are partly determined by genetic factors.

  • Key Comparison:

    • Monozygotic twins (identical) share 100% of their genes.

    • Dizygotic twins (fraternal) share 50% of their genes.

  • Correlation in personality traits is greater between identical twins than between fraternal twins, indicating a genetic link to personality traits.

    • Correlation measurement: Higher correlation in identical twins suggests genetic influence.

  • Genes and Personality Traits:

    • Specific links between genes and personality traits are relatively small.

    • Many traits exhibit polygenic inheritance.

  • Environmental influence can result in epigenetic changes leading to different expressions of personality traits.

Examples of Genetic Influences

  1. Sensation Seekers:

    • Defined as individuals with a low level of arousal who seek out stimulating experiences.

    • Linked to norepinephrine and dopamine levels, which are affected by genetic makeup.

    • Extroversion is a personality trait associated with sensation seeking, suggesting a genetic role in extroversion traits.

  2. Inhibited Temperaments:

    • Characterized by anxiety in novel social situations.

    • Neurobiological studies show heightened amygdala responses in individuals with inhibited temperaments.

    • These individuals tend to score high on neuroticism and low on extroversion, indicating genetic ties to emotional reactivity.

Environmental Influences on Personality

  • Cultural Differences:

    • Studies have found minimal impact of culture on personality traits.

    • Findings suggest that growing up in different cultures does not significantly alter core personality traits.

  • Family Influences:

    • Research indicates that differences in upbringing among siblings, including adopted versus biological children, often show zero correlation in personality traits.

    • Severe environmental conditions (e.g., abuse, poverty) might have substantial effects on personality, though further evidence is needed to understand this.

  • Birth Order Research:

    • Historical beliefs suggested personality variations based on birth order (e.g., youngest sibling being more rebellious).

    • Recent evidence indicates no significant differences attributed to sibling order.

Conclusion on Determinants of Personality

  • Interaction between genetic predispositions and environmental influences shapes personality.

  • Both factors must be considered to understand individual differences comprehensively.

Different Approaches to Personality

1. Psychodynamic Approach

  • Founded by Sigmund Freud.

    • Key Idea: Personality arises from unconscious conflicts and childhood experiences.

  • Core Concepts:

    • Three subsystems of personality:

    • Id: Primitive urges (biological drives, pleasure principle).

    • Ego: Pragmatic mediator adhering to reality (reality principle).

    • Superego: Moral watchdog, internalized societal standards.

  • Defense Mechanisms:

    • Repression: Suppressing uncomfortable thoughts to avoid anxiety.

    • Displacement: Redirecting emotions to safer targets.

    • Reaction Formation: Behaving contrary to one's true feelings.

    • Rationalization: Justifying unacceptable behavior.

    • Projection: Attributing one’s own unacceptable desires to others.

  • Psychosexual Stages:

    • Oral Stage: Pleasure from mouth (infancy).

    • Anal Stage: Pleasure from anus (potty training).

    • Phallic Stage: Pleasure centered around genital exploration (3-6 years).

    • Latency Stage: Dormant sexual feelings (6-puberty).

    • Genital Stage: Maturation of sexual interests (puberty onward).

  • Oedipus and Electra Complexes:

    • Key conflicts during the phallic stage, leading to adult relationship characteristics.

  • Criticisms: Lack of empirical support, insufficient predictions, and romanticizing psychology.

2. Trait Approach

  • Aim: Systematic classification of personality traits.

  • Gordon Allport and Raymond Cattell contributed to personality trait research.

  • Cattell's 16 Personality Dimensions vs. the Big Five Model:

    • Big Five Traits: Extroversion, Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Openness to Experience.

    • HEXACO model: Adds Honesty-Humility as the sixth dimension.

  • Trait Perspective: Personality consists of stable characteristics defining behavior across situations.

3. Cognitive Behavioral Approach

  • Focus: Interaction of cognition, behavior, and environment in shaping personality.

    • Emphasizes learned experiences in developing personality traits.

  • Theories:

    • Radical Behaviorism: Any person can be shaped by environment/learning.

    • Cognitive-Behavioral Theory: Recognizes cognitive processes; includes concepts like

    • Locus of Control: Internal vs. external perception of control over life events.

    • Early studies indicated a relationship between self-control (e.g., marshmallow test) and future personality traits.

4. Humanistic Approach

  • Key Thinkers: Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers.

  • Humanistic perspective: Focus on personal growth and self-actualization.

    • Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Lower-level needs must be met before higher levels can be pursued (self-actualization).

    • Promotes the idea of positive regard and supportive parenting for personality development.

  • Criticisms: Vague concepts and underestimation of genetic influences leading to personality traits.

Measuring Personality

  • Different assessment methods:

    • Projective Tests: Assess unconscious processes (e.g., Rorschach Inkblot Test, TAT).

    • Objective Tests: More reliable methods (e.g., NEO Personality Inventory for Big Five).

  • Reliability and validity differ significantly across testing methods.

Stability of Personality

  • Discussion on whether personality traits remain stable over time.

  • Situational Consistency and Situationism:

    • Original theories posited that behavior varies significantly based on context.

    • Recent studies show evidence of more stability, especially across the same situations.

  • Age-related Changes:

    • Personality generally stabilizes with age.

    • Common trends include:

    • Reduced neuroticism

    • Increased agreeableness and conscientiousness

    • Stability across life situations highlighted by consistent behavioral traits.

  • Life events (e.g., study abroad) can have significant effects on personality.

    • Potential for personal development through experiences, indicating personality can evolve under certain conditions.

Conclusion

  • The lecture emphasizes the intertwined roles of genetics and environment in shaping personality.

  • It highlights the variances in modeling personality and the implications for understanding psychological disorders.

  • Future discussions will address how these theories play out in clinical settings.