Personality Assessment and Theory

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Personality Assessment and Theory

• NOTE We will be skipping the chapters on Gender
  and Sexuality and Motivation at this time.

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Personality Assessment

• PersonalityRelatively stable and enduring
  patterns of thoughts, feelings, and actions.
• Interviews
• Observation
• Objective Tests
• MMPI-2
• 16PF
• Projective Tests
• Rorschach Inkblot Test
• Thematic Apperception Test

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Trait Theories

• TraitA relatively stable and consistent
  characteristic that can be used to describe
  someone
• Factor AnalysisStatistical procedure for
  determining the most basic units or factors in a
  large array of data
• Five-Factor Model (FFM)Trait theory that
  explains personality in terms of a Big Five
  modelopenness, conscientiousness, extraversion,
  aggreeableness, and neuroticism

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Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories

• Freud
• Levels of consciousness
• ConsciousIn Freudian terms, thoughts or motives
  that a person is currently aware of or is
  remembering
• PreconsciousFreuds term for thoughts or motives
  that one can become aware of easily
• UnconsciousFreuds term for thoughts or motives
  that lie beyond a persons normal awareness but
  that can be made available through psychoanalysis.

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Freuds Personality Structure

• IdAccording to Freud, the source of instinctual
  energy, which works on the pleasure principle
  (seeking immediate pleasure) and is concerned
  with immediate gratification.
• EgoIn Freuds theory, the rational part of the
  psyche that deals with reality by controlling the
  id while also satisfying the superego (from the
  Latin ego meaning I)

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Freuds Personality Structure

• Reality principleAccording to Freud, the
  principle on which the conscious ego operates as
  it tries to meet the demands of the id and the
  superego and the realities of the environment.
• SuperegoIn Freuds theory, the part of the
  personality that incorporates parental and
  societal standards of morality

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Ego Defense Mechanisms

• When the ego fails to satisfy both the id and the
  superego, anxiety occurs. In order to avoid the
  discomfort of anxiety, the ego distorts reality
  by the use of defense mechanisms.

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Ego Defense Mechanisms

• Repressionpreventing painful or dangerous
  thoughts from entering consciousness
• SublimationWorking off unmet desires or
  unacceptable impulses in activities
• DenialProtecting oneself from an unpleasant
  reality by refusing to perceive it
• RationalizationSubstituting socially acceptable
  reasons

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Ego Defense Mechanisms

• IntellectualizationIgnoring the emotional
  aspects of a painful experience by focusing on
  abstract thoughts, words or ideas
• ProjectionTransferring unacceptable motives or
  impulses to others
• Reaction formationRefusing to acknowledge
  unacceptable urges, thoughts or feelings by
  exaggerating the opposite state

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Ego Defense Mechanisms

• RegressionResponding to a threatening situation
  in a way appropriate to an earlier age or level
  of development
• DisplacementSubstituting a less threatening
  object for the original object or impulse

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Psychsexual Stages of Development

• In Freudian theory, five developmental periods
  during which particular kinds of pleasures must
  be gratified if personality development is to
  proceed normally

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Oral Stage

• 0-18 monthsinfant receives satisfaction through
  sucking, eating, biting, etc. Erogenous zone is
  the mouth.
• Overindulgentgullible, dependent, and passive
• Underindulgentaggressive, sadistic person
• Oral fixated adults orient their life around
  their mouth by overeating, alcoholism, smoking,
  talking too much

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Anal Stage

• 18 months-3 yearsthe child receives satisfaction
  by having and retaining bowel movements.
  Erogenous zone is the anus.
• Fixation results in retentive or explosive
  personality
• Anal-retentivehighly controlled, compulsively
  neat
• Anal-explosivemessy, disorderly, rebellious, and
  destructive

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Phallic Stage

• 3-6 yearscenter of pleasure is the genitals,
  typically a time of exploration of pleasure
  through masturbation and playing doctor
• Child resolves the Oedipus Complex(the period of
  conflict during the phallic stage when children
  are sexually attracted to the opposite-sex parent
  and hostile toward the same-sex parent
• Castration anxiety in males and penis envy in
  girls

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Latency Stage

• Age 6 to pubertychildren repress sexual thoughts
  and engage in nonsexual activities such as
  developing social and intellectual skills
• Task is to develop successful interactions with
  same-sex peers and refine appropriate gender roles

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Genital Stage

• Adolescence ongenitals are again the erogenous
  zones.
• Individual seeks to fulfill his or her sexual
  desires through emotional attachment to members
  of the opposite sex.
• Unsuccessful outcomes lead to sexual
  relationships based on lustful desires rather
  than respect and commitment.

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Neo-Freudian/Psychodynamic Theories

• Alfred AdlerIndividual PsychologyOur goals in
  life provide the source of our motivationto
  obtain security and overcome feelings of
  inferiority
• Inferiority Complexfeelings of inferiority
  develop from early childhood experiences of
  helplessness and incompetence
• Birth order and family constellation are
  important concepts for Adlerian Psychology

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Neo-Freudian/Psychodynamic Theories

• Carl JungAnalytical Psychologyunconscious
  contains positive and spiritual motives as well
  as sexual and aggressive ones
• Collective UnconsciousJungs concept of an
  inherited unconscious that all humans share
• ArchetypesAccording to Jung, the images or
  patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behavior that
  reside in the collective unconscious

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Neo-Freudian/Psychodynamic Theories

• Karen Horneydisagreed with Freud that
  differences between men and women are
  biologically based.
• Penis Envy was really Power Envy which was a
  result of social status rather than biology
• Basic AnxietyAccording to Horney, the feelings
  of helplessness and insecurity that adults
  experience because as children they felt alone
  and isolated in a hostile environment.

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Evaluating Psychoanalytic Theories

• Difficult to test
• Overemphasis on biology and unconscious forces
• Inadequate evidence
• Sexism
• Lack of Cross-cultural support

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Humanistic Theories

• Carl Rogersthe father of humanistic psychology
• Strong belief in the basic goodness of people
• Each persons experience of the world is unique
• Everyone possesses a positive drive toward
  self-fulfillment (or actualization)

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Humanistic Theories

• Self-conceptRogers term for all the information
  and beliefs about their own nature, qualities,
  and behavior
• Congruencematch between our self-concept and our
  life experiences
• Unconditional Positive RegardRogers term for
  positive behavior toward a person with no
  contingencies attached.

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Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

• Physiological Needs hunger, thirst, and
  maintenance of internal state of the body
• Safety Needs to feel secure and safe, to seek
  pleasure and avoid pain
• Belonging and Love Needs to affiliate with
  others, be accepted and give and receive
  attention
• Esteem Needs to achieve, be competent, gain
  approval and excel
• Self-Actualization Needs to find
  self-fulfillment, and realize ones potential

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Evaluating Humanistic Theories

• Naïve Assumptionshumanists are unrealistic,
  romantic, and naïve about human nature
• Poor testability and inadequate
  evidenceunconditional positive regard and
  self-actualization are difficult to
  operationalize and test
• Narrownesshumanistic theories merely describe,
  rather than explain personality

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Social/Cognitive Perspective

• Bandura
• Self-Efficacylearned beliefs that one is capable
  of producing desired results, such as mastering
  new skills and achieving personal goals.
• Reciprocal Determinismcognitions, behaviors, and
  the learning environment interact to produce
  personality
• Rotter
• Locus of Controlones expectancies and view of
  the source of lifes rewards and punishments