Personality

Definitions

People and perspectives

Personality defined: per sona

What makes us recognizably the same from time to time and from place to place

Patterns of behavior and thinking (Carlson) “...your characteristic pattern of thinking,

feeling, and acting” (Myers). Setting may influence personality, but

strong or rigid personalities are consistent.

Personality

An individual’s pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting that persists across

time and situations

Personality and psychology

Biology of personality? Personality development? Personal learning styles? Individual differences?

Trait theories

Personality can best be understood as a pattern of enduring characteristics, called traits.

Allport: Personality word analysis• The five-factor model (“The big five”)• Neuroticism or emotional stability,

extraversion, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness

Factor analysis-based trait theories Cattell and the 16PF

• Source traits and surface traits• Examples: Cool-warm, concrete-abstract,

expedient-conscientious

Eysenck’s three factors• Extraversion• Neuroticism• Psychoticism

The psychosexual development model of Sigmund Freud Oral, anal, and phallic stages Latency Genital stage Identification: Oedipus and Electra Development vs. fixation Defense mechanisms

• Denial, projection, repression, sublimation, reaction formation

Criticisms of Freudian psychoanalysis Social conflict, not sexual: Horney and

Adler--Id, ego, and super-ego Development is different Sexual repression and psychological

disorders But: Repression is currently controversial A Christian critique?

Biological factors

Temperament and heredity Reactivity of brain centers Drug influences

Humanistic views of personality

Maslow and self-actualization Carl Rogers and RESUPR Self psychology

• Self-concept• Self-esteem• Self-serving bias

Social-Cognitive theories

Bandura’s reciprocal determinism Locus of control (Rotter) Learned helplessness (Seligman)

Personality testing

Personality questionnaires and inventories• MMPI-2, 16PF, EPQ• Myers-Briggs?

Projective tests• Thematic Apperception Test• Rorschach Test