The Pursuit of Personality The Pursuit of Personality

Psychology’s central quest?Psychology’s central quest?

personalitypersonality

• Again, a concept we’ve all discussed, Again, a concept we’ve all discussed, wondered about, made predictions on ….wondered about, made predictions on ….

• But we cannot readily agree as to But we cannot readily agree as to whatwhat it it is.is.

• Our characteristic pattern of thinking, Our characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling and acting, feeling and acting, oror

• The stable ways in which our mood and The stable ways in which our mood and behaviors differ from one anotherbehaviors differ from one another

Four major approachesFour major approaches

• Psychodynamic – Psychodynamic – the interplay of the interplay of conflicting forces, many unrecognized, conflicting forces, many unrecognized, within uswithin us

• Trait – Trait – the study of consistent personal the study of consistent personal characteristicscharacteristics

• Humanistic – Humanistic – we make conscious we make conscious decisions about the direction of our livesdecisions about the direction of our lives

• Learning – Learning – reinforcement shapes usreinforcement shapes us

psychodynamicspsychodynamics

• Originated by Sigmund Freud (1855-1938)Originated by Sigmund Freud (1855-1938)• Dreamed of being a scientistDreamed of being a scientist• Pushed into psychiatryPushed into psychiatry• Mainly treated middle-aged Jewish womenMainly treated middle-aged Jewish women• Used “talking” therapy with patientsUsed “talking” therapy with patients• Developed first theory of personalityDeveloped first theory of personality• Unsurpassed fame but little current Unsurpassed fame but little current

influence?influence?

psychoanalysispsychoanalysis

• A basic concept with two, related, A basic concept with two, related, meaningsmeanings

• 1) 1) An explanation for how conscious An explanation for how conscious and unconscious forces interact to and unconscious forces interact to produce personality, produce personality, andand

• 2) 2) A method to treat psychological A method to treat psychological problems problems

More basicsMore basics

• The Unconscious – The Unconscious – a pool of a pool of memories, emotions and thoughts, memories, emotions and thoughts, many many illogicalillogical and and irrationalirrational, that , that unknowinglyunknowingly affect behavior affect behavior

• Like an iceberg below the water-lineLike an iceberg below the water-line

• Many of these hidden memories and Many of these hidden memories and desires have been repressed (desires have been repressed (purposely purposely forgotten) forgotten) due to their traumatic nature due to their traumatic nature

Developmental stagesDevelopmental stages

• PsychosexualPsychosexual in nature in nature• Traces how our basic desires, Traces how our basic desires,

sex/libido sex/libido and and aggression,aggression, are are changed and expressed as we growchanged and expressed as we grow

• Freud claimed that we are obsessed Freud claimed that we are obsessed with the pleasures of each stagewith the pleasures of each stage

• If thwarted at a stage, trouble follows If thwarted at a stage, trouble follows due to a due to a fixation fixation at that stageat that stage, , expressed through expressed through defense mechanismsdefense mechanisms

At the beginningAt the beginning

• The The Oral Oral stage – pleasure derived stage – pleasure derived through stimulation of the mouththrough stimulation of the mouth

• The first year or so The first year or so

• If If fixated, fixated, problems show up through problems show up through excessive talking, eating, smoking, excessive talking, eating, smoking, or any other activity involving the or any other activity involving the mouthmouth

The controversial anal stageThe controversial anal stage

• Pleasure comes from retaining and Pleasure comes from retaining and expelling feces expelling feces

• If there is psychic trauma from the If there is psychic trauma from the course of toilet training ….course of toilet training ….

• Two types of Two types of fixations:fixations:

Retentive – excessively neat & Retentive – excessively neat & controllingcontrolling

Explosive – just the opposite Explosive – just the opposite

much more controversymuch more controversy

• The The Phallic Phallic stage – stage – pleasure from our pleasure from our genitalsgenitals

• Infantile sexuality – Infantile sexuality – the claim that at the the claim that at the age of 5 we have powerful sexual desiresage of 5 we have powerful sexual desires

• The The Oedipus complex – Oedipus complex – boys lust for boys lust for their motherstheir mothers

• Dad, standing in the way, is both resented Dad, standing in the way, is both resented and feared – and feared – castration anxietycastration anxiety

But what about girls?But what about girls?

• They are just as sexualThey are just as sexual

• The The Electra complex – Electra complex – girl’s desire girl’s desire for dad and ill-will towards momfor dad and ill-will towards mom

• Girls also experience Girls also experience penis envypenis envy

• Freud was never satisfied with his Freud was never satisfied with his explanation for female psychosexual explanation for female psychosexual development even though women development even though women were the great majority of his patientswere the great majority of his patients

A sudden haltA sudden halt

• From the ages of seven or eight, we From the ages of seven or eight, we suppress these raging desires and suppress these raging desires and slowly begin to identify with our slowly begin to identify with our same-sex parentsame-sex parent

• From then until our early teens our From then until our early teens our sexual energies lie dormant in the sexual energies lie dormant in the Latent stageLatent stage

Finally ..Finally ..

•At 14 or 15 our sexual At 14 or 15 our sexual capabilities are ripecapabilities are ripe

•The The Genital StageGenital Stage

•But are we really ready for But are we really ready for mature sexual relationships?!?mature sexual relationships?!?

Could this be true?Could this be true?

•Questionable evidenceQuestionable evidence

•Small, non-representative sampleSmall, non-representative sample

•Very vague, cannot falsifyVery vague, cannot falsify

•Never really looked at real Never really looked at real childrenchildren

•No verificationNo verification

Personality’s structurePersonality’s structure

• The idThe id

• At birth, our considerable psychic energy At birth, our considerable psychic energy resides in our resides in our idid

• The inner reptile, composed of our basic The inner reptile, composed of our basic biological drivesbiological drives

• Completely selfish, it demands Completely selfish, it demands immediate gratificationimmediate gratification

• Never constrained by the limits of realityNever constrained by the limits of reality

The egoThe ego

• Arises after the primal Arises after the primal idid

• The voice of realityThe voice of reality

• Operates in the world of laws, morals Operates in the world of laws, morals and ethicsand ethics

• Must postpone the Must postpone the id’s id’s satisfaction to satisfaction to an appropriate time and placean appropriate time and place

• As if that weren’t enough, it must pacify As if that weren’t enough, it must pacify it’s other demanding “boss”, the ….it’s other demanding “boss”, the ….

The super-egoThe super-ego

• Takes form during the long Takes form during the long latent latent stage stage as we assimilate our same-sex as we assimilate our same-sex parent’s world viewparent’s world view

• The internalization of our parent’s and The internalization of our parent’s and society’s moralssociety’s morals

• Just as unreasonable and Just as unreasonable and uncompromising as the uncompromising as the idid

• More tyrant than conscienceMore tyrant than conscience

Freud reconsideredFreud reconsidered

• Fraud or genius?Fraud or genius?

• Shortcomings:Shortcomings:

1) no empirical proof, 1) no empirical proof, not that he carednot that he cared

2) too much 2) too much unconscious unconscious and and sexsex

3) male-oriented3) male-oriented

4) derived from work with mentally ill 4) derived from work with mentally ill

5) therapy – long and ineffective5) therapy – long and ineffective

A genius A genius

• First integrated, comprehensive theoryFirst integrated, comprehensive theory

• Superb ability to organize and synthesizeSuperb ability to organize and synthesize

• First to pay attention to childhood and First to pay attention to childhood and developmentdevelopment

• Unrivalled in influenceUnrivalled in influence

• Recent findings support some conceptsRecent findings support some concepts

• Stressed great care andStressed great care and

sensitivity towards patientssensitivity towards patients

• A devoted sonA devoted son

• A fatherA father

• A motto that works for all of us:A motto that works for all of us:

“ “To love and to work.”To love and to work.”

The neo-FreudiansThe neo-Freudians

• Theorists who accepted some aspects Theorists who accepted some aspects of Freud’s approach but modified othersof Freud’s approach but modified others

• Many fell under his magnetic influence Many fell under his magnetic influence only to drift (or be pushed) awayonly to drift (or be pushed) away

• Sex and the id declined in importanceSex and the id declined in importance

Karen Horney 1885-1952Karen Horney 1885-1952

• A feminine perspectiveA feminine perspective• Rejected emphasis on sex – people Rejected emphasis on sex – people

talked to her about financial concernstalked to her about financial concerns• Anxiety Anxiety causedcaused sex problems, not sex problems, not

reversereverse• Destroyed concept of Destroyed concept of penis envypenis envy• Stressed the importance of society and Stressed the importance of society and

cultureculture• ““Hostility” – preshadowing attachment?Hostility” – preshadowing attachment?

Anna Freud 1885-1982Anna Freud 1885-1982

• Worked closelyWorked closely with her fatherwith her father• Elaborated Elaborated defense mechanismsdefense mechanisms• Actually Actually investigated childhoodinvestigated childhood• Coined the term Coined the term ““separation anxiety”separation anxiety”

Defense mechanismsDefense mechanisms

• Maladaptive techniques we use to Maladaptive techniques we use to ward off anxietyward off anxiety

• Denial – Denial – refusing to believe refusing to believe information that causes anxietyinformation that causes anxiety

• Rationalization – Rationalization – nonsensically nonsensically justifying bad decisions or outcomesjustifying bad decisions or outcomes

• Displacement – Displacement – redirecting redirecting responses towards less threatening responses towards less threatening targetstargets

More defensesMore defenses

• Regression – Regression – reverting to a more reverting to a more primitive level of behaviorprimitive level of behavior

• Projection – Projection – accusing another of accusing another of having your faultshaving your faults

• Reaction formation – Reaction formation – presenting presenting yourself as the opposite of what you yourself as the opposite of what you areare

• Sublimation – Sublimation – channeling channeling undesirable desires into good worksundesirable desires into good works

Carl Yung – 1875-1961Carl Yung – 1875-1961

• Initially Freud’s Initially Freud’s

““crown prince”crown prince”

• Later, a bitter splitLater, a bitter split

• Much more positive Much more positive

• Discussed the spiritualDiscussed the spiritual

and mysticaland mystical

• Introduced intriguing conceptsIntroduced intriguing concepts

The collective unconsciousThe collective unconscious

• From his exhaustive reading of world From his exhaustive reading of world mythology, noticed similarities in mythology, noticed similarities in many fundamental conceptsmany fundamental concepts

• Claimed that we all share a Claimed that we all share a common common pool of images and ideas accumulated pool of images and ideas accumulated through the centuriesthrough the centuries

• Fascinating, but contradicted by Fascinating, but contradicted by geneticsgenetics

• The MandalaThe Mandala

Introversion vs. extroversionIntroversion vs. extroversion

• Some people are just naturally Some people are just naturally outgoingoutgoing

• Others are shy and reservedOthers are shy and reserved

• He thought we possessed both He thought we possessed both qualities, in differing degreesqualities, in differing degrees

• Now viewed as traits, corroborated by Now viewed as traits, corroborated by the most demanding of statistical the most demanding of statistical criteriacriteria

The inner journey towards The inner journey towards developmentdevelopment

• First to argue that we all strive to be First to argue that we all strive to be more complete and unifiedmore complete and unified

• A life journey changes from a “Quest A life journey changes from a “Quest for Becoming” to a “Quest for for Becoming” to a “Quest for Meaning”Meaning”

• Composed of opposing forces, we Composed of opposing forces, we strive for reconciliation and the strive for reconciliation and the merging of these opposing currentsmerging of these opposing currents

• His final dream His final dream

Alfred Adler 1870-1937Alfred Adler 1870-1937

• The first to departThe first to depart

• Again, sexAgain, sex

• Invented Invented IndividualIndividual

Psychology – Psychology – the studythe study

of a person as a wholeof a person as a whole

• First - mental health as a positive state First - mental health as a positive state

• Social Interest – Social Interest – our desire for the our desire for the welfare of otherswelfare of others

Striving for superiorityStriving for superiority

• Adler, often injured as a child, claimed Adler, often injured as a child, claimed that we all possess a that we all possess a “Striving for “Striving for SuperioritySuperiority””

• We all want to be better at what we doWe all want to be better at what we do

• We are conscious of our needs and goal-We are conscious of our needs and goal-directeddirected

• Trouble arises from “Trouble arises from “The Inferiority The Inferiority Complex” Complex” seeing ourselves as weak and seeing ourselves as weak and ineffectualineffectual