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Chapter Preview Personality is one’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting. Psychodynamic theories focus on the unconscious and early childhood experiences. Sigmund Freud, in his psychoanalytic perspective, proposed that childhood sexuality and unconscious motives influenced personality. For Freud, conflict between pleasure-seeking biological impulses and social restraints centered on three interacting systems: id, ego, and superego. Freud believed that children develop through psychosexual stages and that people’s later problems are rooted in how they resolve conflicts associated with these stages. The neo-Freudians agreed with Freud’s basic ideas but placed more emphasis on the conscious mind and on social influences. Today, psychodynamic theorists agree with many of Freud’s views but not his idea that sex is the basis of personality. Contemporary research confirms that, more than most of us realize, our lives are guided by unconscious information processing. The humanistic perspective emphasized the growth potential of healthy people. Abraham Maslow believed that if basic human needs are met, people will strive to actualize their high- est potential. Carl Rogers suggested that being genuine, accepting, and empathic helps others to develop a positive self-concept. The trait perspective attempts to describe the predispositions that underlie our actions. Through factor analysis, researchers have isolated five distinct dimensions of personality. People’s specific behaviors vary across situations as their inner dispositions interact with particular environments. However, their average behavior across many situations is predictable. The social-cognitive perspective emphasizes how internal personal factors combine with the environment to influence behavior. More than other perspectives, it builds from psycho- logical research on learning and cognition and reminds us of the power of the social situation. Researchers assess how people’s behaviors and beliefs both affect and are affected by their situations. Currently, the self is one of Western psychology’s more vigorously researched topics. Studies confirm the benefits of positive self-esteem but also point to the possible hazards of unrealistically high self-esteem. Compared with defensive self-esteem, secure self-esteem depends less on exter- nal evaluations and enables us to lose ourselves in relationships and purposes larger than self. Individualist and collectivist cultures have different effects on personal identity. Yet, despite our many cultural differences, we humans are more alike than different. 93 CHAPTER12 Personality Presentation on theme: "Personality traits are internal characteristics that are stable, consistent over time, and displayed through multiple situations. Trait theories predict."— Presentation transcript:1
2 Personality traits are internal characteristics that are stable, consistent over time, and displayed through multiple
situations. Trait theories predict how people will act or think based on their specific traits. For example, a person who is described as caring is caring in the classroom as well as at home. In addition, no two people display the exact same list of traits. 3 Types Versus Traits People often confuse personality
traits with personality types. Traits provide a list, or number, of descriptors that are used to describe a person, whereas types address whether a person “fits” that particular type, or whether he or she has certain characteristics. For example, if a person is the feeling type, then that person displays affection, sympathy, and dependability. If a person is not the feeling type, then that person does not display those traits. The problem with using types to describe a person is that they are
vague and general. Types are not as specific as traits. 4 58.1 – Explain how psychologists use traits to describe personality. 5 58.1 – Explain how psychologists use traits to
describe personality. 6 58.1 – Explain how
psychologists use traits to describe personality.
7 58.1 – Explain how psychologists use traits to describe personality.
8 58.1 – Explain how psychologists use traits to describe personality.
9 58.2 – Describe personality inventories, and discuss their strengths and weaknesses as trait-assessment tools. Assessing Traits
Personality inventories are questionnaires designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors, assessing several traits at once. the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is the most widely researched and clinically used of all personality tests.
10 58.3 – Identify the traits that seem to provide the most useful information about personality variation. The Big-Five Model of Personality Paul
Costa and Robert McCrae, in turn, felt that Raymond Cattell identified too many traits and Hans Eysenck too few. As a result, they used factor analysis to develop the big-five model of personality. These factors were openness (to experience), conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. 1) Openness (to experience): curious, insightful, imaginative, structured, creative 2) Conscientiousness: organized, reliable, hardworking 3)
Extraversion: active, energetic, affectionate 4) Agreeableness: forgiving, generous, trusting 5) Neuroticism: anxious, tense, vulnerable 11
58.3 – Identify the traits that seem to provide the most useful information about personality variation. 12 58.4 –
Discuss whether research supports the consistency of personality traits over time and across situations. Evaluation of the Trait Approach The trait theory is excellent at labeling behavior, but is doesn’t explain why a person acts in a certain way. As In the example mentioned earlier, a personal ad is good at describing an individual, but fails to explain why the person is caring or helpful. This perspective also does not consider how social situations could affect a
person’s traits. For example, would a lack of money affect whether a person is dependable? Even though the big-five model of personality is widely accepted by most personality researchers, it fails to explain why a person possess those traits. The Person-Situation Controversy Walter Mischel points out that traits may be enduring, but the resulting behavior in various situations is different. Therefore, traits are not good predictors of behavior. However,
trait theorists argue that behaviors from a situation may be different, but average behavior remains the same. Therefore, traits matter. How do psychologists use traits to describe personality?Trait theorists attempt to describe personality in terms of stable and enduring behavior patterns, or dispositions to feel and act. One technique trait theorists use to identify basic traits is factor analysis, a statistical procedure that identifies clusters of behaviors that tend to appear together.
What are the big five personality factors and why are they scientifically useful?The most prominent scientifically validated set of global personality traits is the Big Five, which consists of the dimensions of Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. These broad traits reflect the biggest differences between people in their motivations.
Does research support the consistency of personality traits over time and across situations Why or why not?Does research support the consistency of personality traits over time and across situations? A person's average traits persist over time and are predictable over many different situations. But traits cannot predict behavior in any one particular situation.
What was Freud's view of personality and its development?Freud proposed that we use defence mechanisms to cope with anxiety and maintain a positive self-image. Freud argued that personality is developed through a series of psychosexual stages, each focusing on pleasure from a different part of the body.
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