Personality and Self: A Transition Lesson

Conceptual Framework of Personality and the Self

• Personality and self are distinct yet interconnected concepts within psychological study.

• Personality is composed of traits and specific characteristics that define an individual.

• The Self refers to the totality of an individual and their identity.

Definitions and Etymology of Personality

• The term personality originates from the Latin words persona or personare, which referred to the masks worn by actors in ancient Greek plays.

• Personality is defined as the unique, relatively enduring internal and external aspects of a person’s character that influence behavior across different situations.

• It is a stable set of tendencies and characteristics that determine the commonalities and differences in the psychological behavior of people. These behaviors have continuity over time and are not simply the result of social or biological pressures at a specific moment.

• Personality represents those characteristics of a person, or people in general, that account for consistent patterns of behavior.

• It is a configuration of individual characteristics, including appearances, abilities, motives, emotions, and experiences, that determines a person's unique adjustment to their environment.

• Personality is a pattern of habits, attitudes, and traits that determines individual characteristics and behavior.

• The term also denotes the outstanding impressions an individual gives to others or the specific social skills a person possesses.

The Filipino Perspective: Pagkatao

• Social Psychologist Virgilio Enriquez, recognized as the Father of Filipino Psychology, posits that the closest Filipino term for personality is Pagkatao.

• Pagkatao is characterized by several interrelated cultural and social values:

  • Paggalang at pagmalasakit (Respect and concern)

  • Pagtulong at pagdamay (Helping and empathizing)

  • Pagpuno sa kakulangan (Filling in the gaps or shortcomings of others)

  • Pakikiramdam (Shared inner perception or sensitivity to others)

  • Gaan ng loob (Ease of mind/inner comfort with another)

  • Pakikipagkapwa (Shared identity/interaction with the shared self)

  • Paninindigan (Commitment, conviction, or stance)

Determinants of Personality: Nature versus Nurture

• The development of personality is influenced by both hereditary (genetic) and environmental factors.

Hereditary and Genetic Determinants

• Children are predisposed through heredity to develop specific patterns of personality.

• The functioning of the autonomic nervous system is a significant determinant in personality development.

• Hormones have a direct impact on the formation and expression of personality.

Environmental Determinants

• The family and home environment play a critical role in shaping personality.

• Specific developmental outcomes based on care:

  • Infants and young children deprived of love, care, and close physical contact with parents or adults typically react negatively.

  • As these deprived individuals grow, they may become apathetic, aggressive, immature, and undisciplined.

• Peers significantly influence the personality of children as they socialize outside the home.

• The culture of the specific location where a family resides serves as a determining factor for personality traits.

Erroneous and Pseudo-Scientific Methods of Assessment

• Many common methods used to assess personality are considered erroneous or rely on superficial indicators:

  • Mannerisms

  • Style

  • Physical Appearance

  • First Impressions

  • Nationality

  • Behavioral Expression

Pseudo-Scientific Methods

• Several historical or discredited methods are classified as pseudo-scientific:

  • Physiognomy: Evaluating personality based on physical features.

  • Phrenology: Assessing personality by the size and shape of the skull.

  • Graphology: Determining character through analysis of handwriting.

  • Astrology: Relating personality to the positions of stars and the activities of planets.

Valid Methods of Assessing Personality

Objective and Self-Report Measures

• Woodworth Personal Data Sheet (WPDS): An early instrument designed to identify emotionally unstable military recruits.

• Self-Report Inventories: Standardized tests where individuals report on their own behavior and feelings:

  • Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

  • California Psychological Inventory (CPI)

  • Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS)

  • Personality Research Form (PRF)

Performance and Projective Measures

• Performance or Situational Tests: These require the examinee to perform a specific task while the examiner observes to measure personality traits.

• Projective Techniques: Assessment techniques where judgment of personality is made based on how an individual provides structure to unstructured or incomplete stimuli.

• Specific Projective Tests:

  • Rorschach Inkblot Test: Consists of $10$ inkblots presented to the subject one at a time.

  • Holtzman Inkblot: Created to eliminate statistical problems associated with the Rorschach test.

  • Thematic Apperception Test (TAT): Involves individuals describing ambiguous scenes to reveal their emotions, motivations, and personality components.

Legal Framework: Republic Act No. 10029

• Known as the Philippine Psychology Act of $2009$.

• Psychometrician: A natural person holding a valid certificate of registration and professional identification card issued by the Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology and the Professional Regulation Commission.

• Authorized activities for psychometricians (conducted under the supervision of a licensed professional psychologist):

  • Administering and scoring objective and structured personality tests (excluding projective tests and higher-level psychological tests).

  • Interpreting the results of objective/structured tests and preparing written reports.

  • Conducting preparatory intake interviews of clients for psychological intervention sessions.

Major Theories of Personality

Theory Based on Body Chemistry

• This ancient typology attributes personality to an excess of specific bodily fluids:

  • Sanguine: Caused by excess blood; results in a cheerful, happy, and optimistic personality.

  • Phlegmatic: Caused by excess phlegm; results in a slow-moving, unexcited, calm, and cautious personality.

  • Melancholic: Caused by excess black bile; results in a depressed and pessimistic personality.

  • Choleric: Caused by excess yellow bile; results in a quick-to-anger, violent, easily provoked, and aggressive personality.

Theoretical Perspectives

• Psychodynamic Theories: Views human behavior as the result of unconscious motives that mold the personality.

• Humanistic Theories: Focuses on the individual’s capacity to make choices, create a unique style of life, and actualize themselves in their own way.

• Dispositional Theories: Explains personality in terms of internal characteristics (traits) presumed to determine behavior.

• Learning Theories: Comprised of five main schools of thought:

  • Behaviorism

  • Cognitivism

  • Constructivism

  • Experientialism

  • Social Contextual Learning

Connection Between Personality and the Self

• The transition from personality to self involves differentiating between different modes of existence:

  • Authentic Self: The true, genuine expression of the individual.

  • Fictional Self: A constructed or non-genuine persona.