Different Concepts of Personality
Theory | Theorists |
Psychodynamic / Psychoanalytic | Sigmund Freud (1923) Carl Jung (1912) |
Humanistic | Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers (1950s) |
Trait | Hans Eysenck (1957) Mcrae and Costa (1987) |
Parts of the Mind:
Conscious
→ Thoughts of which the person is aware
Preconscious
→ Dream state and recent experiences that can be recalled if wished
Unconscious:
→ Instincts that are sexual or aggressive in nature, trauma, fears, passions. The person is not aware of them
→ The unconscious level of the mind protects the mind against distress, ensuring that negative information does not become conscious
Freud’s Perception on Personality:
Freud states that personality is composed of three elements known as the:
→ Id - self wants (instincts)
→ Ego - balance between id and superego (reality)
→ Superego - community good (morality)
These elements conflict with one another but conflict is resolved by the ego in a healthy personality
Id | Ego | Superego |
Present at birth | Formed by the age of 3 | Formed by the age of 5 |
Operates on the pleasure principle. Does not consider the needs of others (selfish) | Seeks pleasure like the Id but operates on the reality principle | Operates on the morality principle |
Satisfies instinctual needs that for survival must be gratified immediately | Finds a practical way to satisfy the demands of the Id in a socially acceptable way | Motivates people to behave in a socially responsible way |
Has no concept of right and wrong | Has no concept of right and wrong | Has a concept of right and wrong, taught by caregivers |
Operates in the unconscious | Operates in the conscious, preconscious and unconscious | Operates in the conscious, preconscious and unconscious |
Composed of two drives, Eros (survival instincts: psychic drive and desires) and Thanatos (death instincts: aggression) | Works to balance the sexual and aggressive drives of the Id with the moral ideal of the superego | Composed of the conscience (guilt) and ego-ideal (self respect and pride) |
Ego Defence Mechanisms
When the ego experiences tension when trying to satisfy the id and the superego, it will employ the unconscious to protect itself.
Defence mechanisms are this protection, preventing the conscious mind from becoming aware of unacceptable memories thoughts or feelings related to unfulfilled wishes
Defence Mechanism Process | |
Repression | Threatening or scary thoughts are kept from awareness |
Denial | Refusal to acknowledge reality |
Intellectualisation | Unacceptable emotions are avoided by focusing on the intellectual aspects rather than the personal impact of a problem |
Projection | Unacknowledged feelings are attributed to others |
Reaction Formation | Turning unacceptable feelings into their opposites |
Sublimation | Unacceptable feeling change into socially acceptable ones |
Rationalisation | Actions or feelings are explained away |
Displacement | Unacceptable feeling are directed towards another together |
Passive Aggression | Socially unacceptable anger expressed as lack of cooperation |
Regression | Retreating to a former stage of development |
Psycho-sexual Development of Personality
In childhood there are 5 stages of psychological development, during the pleasure seeking energy of the id focuses on particular erogenous (produces excitement) zones.
→This psycho-sexual energy or libido is the driving force of behaviour and the more of it that is expended, the greater the development
Each stage is associated with a particular conflict that must be resolved before the person can successfully move on to the next stage
→ Failure to resolve these conflicts causes a fixation which is an ongoing focus on a previous stage. The person remains in this stage until there is resolution of the conflict
→ Takes a positive approach
→ A person centered approach to personality where it is more important to understand the meaning a person constructs rather than to try describe their personality traits
In person-centered therapy, the therapist listens, empathises and allows the client to find their own answers to their problems
Abraham Maslow:
Proposed that human growth and behaviour are motivated by a number of needs.
→ There are two types of needs: deficiency and growth
His theory is a model of personality development.
He developed a hierarchy of the most fundamental of the needs showing that deficiency needs had to be met before other growth needs could be satisfied.
Deficiency and Growth Needs
Once a particular need has been fulfilled, the person is free to reach to the next need.
→ Individuals are motivated to fill needs.
Deficiency Needs:
→ Arise due to deprivation and are filled to avoid unpleasent consequences
Physiological Needs
Security Needs
Love and Belonging Needs
Growth Needs:
→ Do not come from a lack of something but from the desire to grow as a person
Self Actualisation:
The desire for self-fulfilment.
A self actualised person is:
→ reality centered
→ independent of the environment
→ creative
→ dedicated to a mission in life
→ aware of peak experiences
→ accepting of human nature
→ benevolent and altruistic
→ ethical and moral
Strengths of the Maslow Perspective
Positive approach that started the positive psychology movements with individuals usuing free will and motivation. Past traumatic experiences can be overcome
His idea of self-concept was adopted by other therapists as being beneficial in their work with clients as this could help them change lifes
His theory has stood the test of time, being applicable in many areas of life, such as workers being motivated to fulfill their needs
Weaknesses of Maslow’s Approach
Poor testability because personal growth and self-actualisation are difficult to measure
Unrealistic view of human nature as even Maslow found self-actualisation people very hard to find
Inadequate evidence because not enough empirical research was conducted by Maslow (only personal observation and biographical analysis of mainly historical males, with few females included)
Lack of evidence that lower needs must be met before higher needs
He prescribed two important elements in the environment needed for self actualisation, which are:
→ Acceptance by others
Acceptance is described as unconditional positive regard.
→ The person is loved no matter what they do.
→ Empathy from others
Empathy includes being listened to and understood by others
Self concept is made up from three selves:
→ Ideal self (who we want to be)
→ Self image (the way we see ourselves)
→ Self worth / self esteem (how we judge our value)
(remember social media effect)
Incongruence / Congruence:
→ Incongruence:
Self image and ideal stuff do not overlap much so the person is unhealthy and poorly adjusted and self actualisation is hard to reach
→ Congruence
Self image and ideal self overlap a large amount so the person is healthy and well adjusted and self actualisation is easier to reach
Rogers considered that people are born ‘good’ and that they behave badly only when their self concept is poor.
→ Self concept is “the organised consistent set of perceptions and beliefs about oneself”
How one sees, values, thinks and feels about themself
Traits are enduring psychological characteristics that influence a person’s behaviour in certains areas
The trait approach focuses on differences between individuals
→ This approach focuses on identifying and measuring these individual personality characteristics (often numerically)
The combination and interaction of various traits form a personality that is unique to each individual
An individual may place at any point on the continuum for each trait
→ The location where they fall determines how that person responds to various situations
McCrae and Costa’s 5 Factor Model of Personality (FFM)
The Five-Factor Theory explains the role of the ‘Big Five’ in personality.
→ This approach proposes that personality traits are inherited with learning and the environment of little importance
→ The five personality factors / higher order traits are the trait dimensions for:
Openness - Intellect
→ Imaginative, curious, intellectual, open to non-traditional values
VS
→ Conforming, practical, conventional
Conscientiousness - Indirectedness
→ Reliable, responsible, self-disciplined, ethical, hard-working, ambitious
VS
→ Disorganised, unreliable, lax, impulsive, careless
Extroversion - Introversion
→ Outgoing, friendly, enthusiastic, fun loving, impulsive
VS
→ Solitary, shy, serious, reserved, happy in own company
Agreeableness - Antagonism
→ Sensitive, warm, tolerant, easy to get along with, concerned with others’ feelings and needs
VS
→ Cold, suspicious, hostile, callous
Neuroticism - Emotional Stability
→ Proneness to anxiety, worry, guilt, emotional instability
VS
→ Relaxed, calm, secure, emotionally stable
Each trait dimension is made up from higher order traits under which lower order traits are classified
→ E.G Extroversion / Introversion
Personality can be described as a hierarchy of traits with high order traits and low order traits acting as adjectives of said high order trait.
Strengths
Useful to identify traits then target them for counselling, career, guidance or diagnosing personality disorders
Testable (falsifiable) - evidence based
Weaknesses
Does not explain how personality develops.
Analyses personality at a given point in time, not allowing for change over time.
The situation can change personality & this approach does not allow for this.
Theory | Theorists |
Psychodynamic / Psychoanalytic | Sigmund Freud (1923) Carl Jung (1912) |
Humanistic | Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers (1950s) |
Trait | Hans Eysenck (1957) Mcrae and Costa (1987) |
Parts of the Mind:
Conscious
→ Thoughts of which the person is aware
Preconscious
→ Dream state and recent experiences that can be recalled if wished
Unconscious:
→ Instincts that are sexual or aggressive in nature, trauma, fears, passions. The person is not aware of them
→ The unconscious level of the mind protects the mind against distress, ensuring that negative information does not become conscious
Freud’s Perception on Personality:
Freud states that personality is composed of three elements known as the:
→ Id - self wants (instincts)
→ Ego - balance between id and superego (reality)
→ Superego - community good (morality)
These elements conflict with one another but conflict is resolved by the ego in a healthy personality
Id | Ego | Superego |
Present at birth | Formed by the age of 3 | Formed by the age of 5 |
Operates on the pleasure principle. Does not consider the needs of others (selfish) | Seeks pleasure like the Id but operates on the reality principle | Operates on the morality principle |
Satisfies instinctual needs that for survival must be gratified immediately | Finds a practical way to satisfy the demands of the Id in a socially acceptable way | Motivates people to behave in a socially responsible way |
Has no concept of right and wrong | Has no concept of right and wrong | Has a concept of right and wrong, taught by caregivers |
Operates in the unconscious | Operates in the conscious, preconscious and unconscious | Operates in the conscious, preconscious and unconscious |
Composed of two drives, Eros (survival instincts: psychic drive and desires) and Thanatos (death instincts: aggression) | Works to balance the sexual and aggressive drives of the Id with the moral ideal of the superego | Composed of the conscience (guilt) and ego-ideal (self respect and pride) |
Ego Defence Mechanisms
When the ego experiences tension when trying to satisfy the id and the superego, it will employ the unconscious to protect itself.
Defence mechanisms are this protection, preventing the conscious mind from becoming aware of unacceptable memories thoughts or feelings related to unfulfilled wishes
Defence Mechanism Process | |
Repression | Threatening or scary thoughts are kept from awareness |
Denial | Refusal to acknowledge reality |
Intellectualisation | Unacceptable emotions are avoided by focusing on the intellectual aspects rather than the personal impact of a problem |
Projection | Unacknowledged feelings are attributed to others |
Reaction Formation | Turning unacceptable feelings into their opposites |
Sublimation | Unacceptable feeling change into socially acceptable ones |
Rationalisation | Actions or feelings are explained away |
Displacement | Unacceptable feeling are directed towards another together |
Passive Aggression | Socially unacceptable anger expressed as lack of cooperation |
Regression | Retreating to a former stage of development |
Psycho-sexual Development of Personality
In childhood there are 5 stages of psychological development, during the pleasure seeking energy of the id focuses on particular erogenous (produces excitement) zones.
→This psycho-sexual energy or libido is the driving force of behaviour and the more of it that is expended, the greater the development
Each stage is associated with a particular conflict that must be resolved before the person can successfully move on to the next stage
→ Failure to resolve these conflicts causes a fixation which is an ongoing focus on a previous stage. The person remains in this stage until there is resolution of the conflict
→ Takes a positive approach
→ A person centered approach to personality where it is more important to understand the meaning a person constructs rather than to try describe their personality traits
In person-centered therapy, the therapist listens, empathises and allows the client to find their own answers to their problems
Abraham Maslow:
Proposed that human growth and behaviour are motivated by a number of needs.
→ There are two types of needs: deficiency and growth
His theory is a model of personality development.
He developed a hierarchy of the most fundamental of the needs showing that deficiency needs had to be met before other growth needs could be satisfied.
Deficiency and Growth Needs
Once a particular need has been fulfilled, the person is free to reach to the next need.
→ Individuals are motivated to fill needs.
Deficiency Needs:
→ Arise due to deprivation and are filled to avoid unpleasent consequences
Physiological Needs
Security Needs
Love and Belonging Needs
Growth Needs:
→ Do not come from a lack of something but from the desire to grow as a person
Self Actualisation:
The desire for self-fulfilment.
A self actualised person is:
→ reality centered
→ independent of the environment
→ creative
→ dedicated to a mission in life
→ aware of peak experiences
→ accepting of human nature
→ benevolent and altruistic
→ ethical and moral
Strengths of the Maslow Perspective
Positive approach that started the positive psychology movements with individuals usuing free will and motivation. Past traumatic experiences can be overcome
His idea of self-concept was adopted by other therapists as being beneficial in their work with clients as this could help them change lifes
His theory has stood the test of time, being applicable in many areas of life, such as workers being motivated to fulfill their needs
Weaknesses of Maslow’s Approach
Poor testability because personal growth and self-actualisation are difficult to measure
Unrealistic view of human nature as even Maslow found self-actualisation people very hard to find
Inadequate evidence because not enough empirical research was conducted by Maslow (only personal observation and biographical analysis of mainly historical males, with few females included)
Lack of evidence that lower needs must be met before higher needs
He prescribed two important elements in the environment needed for self actualisation, which are:
→ Acceptance by others
Acceptance is described as unconditional positive regard.
→ The person is loved no matter what they do.
→ Empathy from others
Empathy includes being listened to and understood by others
Self concept is made up from three selves:
→ Ideal self (who we want to be)
→ Self image (the way we see ourselves)
→ Self worth / self esteem (how we judge our value)
(remember social media effect)
Incongruence / Congruence:
→ Incongruence:
Self image and ideal stuff do not overlap much so the person is unhealthy and poorly adjusted and self actualisation is hard to reach
→ Congruence
Self image and ideal self overlap a large amount so the person is healthy and well adjusted and self actualisation is easier to reach
Rogers considered that people are born ‘good’ and that they behave badly only when their self concept is poor.
→ Self concept is “the organised consistent set of perceptions and beliefs about oneself”
How one sees, values, thinks and feels about themself
Traits are enduring psychological characteristics that influence a person’s behaviour in certains areas
The trait approach focuses on differences between individuals
→ This approach focuses on identifying and measuring these individual personality characteristics (often numerically)
The combination and interaction of various traits form a personality that is unique to each individual
An individual may place at any point on the continuum for each trait
→ The location where they fall determines how that person responds to various situations
McCrae and Costa’s 5 Factor Model of Personality (FFM)
The Five-Factor Theory explains the role of the ‘Big Five’ in personality.
→ This approach proposes that personality traits are inherited with learning and the environment of little importance
→ The five personality factors / higher order traits are the trait dimensions for:
Openness - Intellect
→ Imaginative, curious, intellectual, open to non-traditional values
VS
→ Conforming, practical, conventional
Conscientiousness - Indirectedness
→ Reliable, responsible, self-disciplined, ethical, hard-working, ambitious
VS
→ Disorganised, unreliable, lax, impulsive, careless
Extroversion - Introversion
→ Outgoing, friendly, enthusiastic, fun loving, impulsive
VS
→ Solitary, shy, serious, reserved, happy in own company
Agreeableness - Antagonism
→ Sensitive, warm, tolerant, easy to get along with, concerned with others’ feelings and needs
VS
→ Cold, suspicious, hostile, callous
Neuroticism - Emotional Stability
→ Proneness to anxiety, worry, guilt, emotional instability
VS
→ Relaxed, calm, secure, emotionally stable
Each trait dimension is made up from higher order traits under which lower order traits are classified
→ E.G Extroversion / Introversion
Personality can be described as a hierarchy of traits with high order traits and low order traits acting as adjectives of said high order trait.
Strengths
Useful to identify traits then target them for counselling, career, guidance or diagnosing personality disorders
Testable (falsifiable) - evidence based
Weaknesses
Does not explain how personality develops.
Analyses personality at a given point in time, not allowing for change over time.
The situation can change personality & this approach does not allow for this.
