Ch 11 - Self and Personality_STUDENT

Definition of Personality
- A combination of attributes, motives, values, and behaviors unique to each individual.
- Key components include:
  - Dispositional traits
  - Characteristic adaptations
  - Narrative identities

Self-Concept
- Perceptions of our attributes and traits, which can be positive, negative, realistic, or unrealistic.
Self-Esteem
- Overall evaluation of worth as a person, which is based on self-concept.
Identity
- Overall sense of who we are and how we fit into society.

Dispositional Traits
- Assumption that personality is stable across different contexts.
- Traits are distinguishable ways in which a person differs from others and are used for self-description and describing others.

Characteristic Adaptations
- Situation-specific and changeable ways of adapting to roles and environment, including:
  - Motives
  - Goals
  - Plans
  - Self-concepts
Narrative Identities
- Life stories created from past, present, and future experiences, encompassing:
  - Characters (people)
  - Major events and defining moments.

Emerging Self
- Infants develop a sense of self through body perceptions and interactions.
- By 2-3 months, infants understand that their actions cause things to happen.
Cognitive Development
- Social interactions lead to realizing the separation between self and caregiver.
- Joint Attention
  - Evident around 9 months; infants focus on where caregivers direct their attention.
Self-Recognition
- Ability to recognize oneself in a mirror/picture by 18 months, illustrated through the lipstick test.
- Development of Categorical Self: infants classify themselves based on visible characteristics (e.g., "like me" vs. "not like me").

Requires:
- Cognitive Development: Brain maturation is essential.
- Social Interaction: Secure attachments foster better self-awareness.

Definition
- Early, genetically and environmentally influenced tendencies to respond predictably; based on nine dimensions of behavior.
- Influences childhood behavior significantly, but less so in adulthood.
Types of Temperament
- Easy Temperament: Happy, adaptable, regular habits.
- Difficult Temperament: Active, irritable, negative reactions to change, frequent crying.
- Slow-to-Warm-Up Temperament: Inactive, moody, slow to adapt but mild responses to new situations.
- Behavioral Inhibition: Shyness and restraint in unfamiliar situations; predisposed to anxiety disorders.

The degree to which a child's temperament aligns with societal expectations.
Parenting behaviors can influence the effectiveness of matching temperament to environmental demands.

As children gain language skills, they articulate more about their self-concepts, focusing on:
- Concrete and physical characteristics: possessions, accomplishments, etc.
- Using personal pronouns (I, me, mine) to express identity but lacking psychological qualities.
By age 8, children begin to express psychological and social characteristics:
- Characterize themselves with traits and form social identities.
- Increased capability for social comparison leads to evaluations based on peers.

Chapter 11 - Personality and Self

Definition of Personality: A combination of attributes, motives, values, and behaviors unique to each individual.

Key components include:

Dispositional Traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism (Big 5)
Characteristic Adaptations: Specific motives, goals, plans, and self-concepts that evolve.
Narrative Identities: Individual life stories that reflect personal experiences and defining moments.

Traits tend to remain stable but may show changes influenced by life experiences and age.

Temperament types in infancy include:

Easy Temperament: Happy, adaptable, regular habits.
Difficult Temperament: Active, irritable, negative reactions to change, frequent crying.
Slow-to-Warm-Up Temperament: Inactive, moody, slow to adapt but mild responses to new situations.

Explores the evolution of self-concepts throughout childhood and adolescence, leading to adult identity formation.

Self-Concept: Perceptions of our attributes and traits.
Self-Esteem: Overall evaluation of worth as a person, based on self-concept.

Research indicates different patterns of self-esteem across ages, often influenced by social roles and life transitions.

Men typically report higher self-esteem than women, with differences influenced by sociocultural factors.

Defined as shyness and restraint in unfamiliar situations, leading to predisposition towards anxiety disorders.

The alignment between a child's temperament and societal expectations, affecting developmental outcomes. Parenting behaviors play a crucial role in influencing this fit.