LYCEUM OF THE EAST-AURORA

Maria Aurora, Aurora 3202

Professional
Development and
Applied Ethics
MODULE 3

CRISTEL ANNE A.
LLAMADOR
INSTRUCTOR
 Nature of Personality in Psychology or Characteristic Features of Personality

Dynamic Organization-Psychological elements of the system are independent but

function in a linking manner. it can change
Psycho-physical Systems – Psychological elements of the system are traits,
emotions, intellect, temperament, character are based in the neurology and
endocrinology of the body.
Unique- Everyone will have different personality.
Consistent Pattern- an individual behaves in the same way in different situations.
Thinking (cognition), Feeling (affect), Behaving (behavior)

Characteristics of a ‘Good’ Personality Theory

 It should help us to understand and explain individual differences
 It should help us in predicting human behavior at home, school, workplace
and other social settings
 It should be testable empirically
 It should grow over time by incorporating research findings and constructive
criticism
 It should be widely applicable

Culture and Personality

Cultural Effects – The shared behaviors and customs that we learn from the various
institutions in our society. e.g. religion, educational setup, government policies and
ideology, nationality, race, caste, ethic group

Emic VS Etic Approaches – An emic approach is culture-specific. It focuses on a single

culture. An etic approach is cross-cultural. It searches for similarities across cultures.

Individualistic and Collectivistic Cultures – The difference of centrality or focus being the
autonomic individual as against the focus being the collective whole. e.g. The western
culture encourages independence and individual development, whereas the eastern
cultures encourage group activities and collective development

Theories of Personality

A Definition and History of Psychoanalytic Theory

Psychoanalysis is a type of therapy that aims to release pent-up or repressed emotions and
memories in or to lead the client to catharsis, or healing (McLeod, 2014). In other words, the
goal of psychoanalysis is to bring what exists at the unconscious or subconscious level up to
consciousness.

This goal is accomplished through talking to another person about the big questions in life,
the things that matter, and diving into the complexities that lie beneath the simple-seeming
surface.

The Founder of Psychoanalysis: Sigmund Freud and His Concepts

It’s very likely you’ve heard of the influential but controversial founder of psychoanalysis:
Sigmund Freud.

Freud was born in Austria and spent most of his childhood and adult life in Vienna (Sigmund
Freud Biography, 2017). He entered medical school and trained to become a neurologist,
earning a medical degree in 1881.

Perhaps the most impactful idea put forth by Freud was his model of the human mind. His
model divides the mind into three layers, or regions:

Conscious: This is where our current thoughts, feelings, and focus live;

Preconscious (sometimes called the subconscious): This is the home of everything we can
recall or retrieve from our memory;

Unconscious: At the deepest level of our minds resides a repository of the processes that
drive our behavior, including primitive and instinctual desires (McLeod, 2013).

Later, Freud posited a more structured model of the mind, one that can coexist with his
original ideas about consciousness and unconsciousness.
In this model, there are three metaphorical parts to the mind:

Id: The id operates at an unconscious level and focuses solely on instinctual drives and
desires. Two biological instincts make up the id, according to Freud: eros, or the instinct to
survive that drives us to engage in life-sustaining activities, and thanatos, or the death
instinct that drives destructive, aggressive, and violent behavior.

Ego: The ego acts as both a conduit for and a check on the id, working to meet the id’s
needs in a socially appropriate way. It is the most tied to reality and begins to develop in
infancy;

Superego: The superego is the portion of the mind in which morality and higher principles
reside, encouraging us to act in socially and morally acceptable ways (McLeod, 2013).

The image above offers a context of this “iceberg” model wherein much of our mind exists
in the realm of the unconscious impulses and drives.

If you’ve ever read the book “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, then you have enjoyed
the allegory of Freud’s mind as personified by Jack as the Id, Piggy as the ego, and Ralph as
the superego.
The Humanistic Perspective: A Focus on Uniquely Human Qualities

The humanistic perspective rose to prominence in the mid-20th century in response to

psychoanalytic theory and behaviorism; this perspective focuses on how healthy people
develop and emphasizes an individual’s inherent drive towards self-actualization and
creativity. Humanism emphasizes human potential and an individual’s ability to change, and
rejects the idea of biological determinism. Humanistic work and research are sometimes
criticized for being qualitative (not measurement-based), but there exist a number of
quantitative research strains within humanistic psychology, including research on happiness,
self-concept, meditation, and the outcomes of humanistic psychotherapy (Friedman, 2008).

Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Abraham Maslow (1908–1970) was an American psychologist who is best known for
proposing a hierarchy of human needs in motivating behavior. Maslow described a pattern
through which human motivations generally move, meaning that in order for motivation to
occur at the next level, each level must be satisfied within the individual themselves. These
stages include:

physiological needs: the main physical requirements for human survival, including
homeostasis, food, water, sleep, shelter, and sex.

safety needs: the need for personal, emotional, financial, and physical security. Once a
person’s physiological needs are relatively satisfied, their safety needs take precedence and
dominate behavior. In the absence of physical safety – due to war, natural disaster, family
violence, childhood abuse, institutional racism, etc. – people may (re-)experience post-
traumatic stress disorder or transgenerational trauma. In the absence of economic safety –
due to an economic crisis and lack of work opportunities – these safety needs manifest
themselves in ways such as a preference for job security, grievance procedures for
protecting the individual from unilateral authority, savings accounts, insurance policies,
disability accommodations, etc. This level is more likely to predominate in children as they
generally have a greater need to feel safe.

love and belonging: the need for friendships, intimacy, and belonging. This need is
especially strong in childhood and it can override the need for safety as witnessed in
children who cling to abusive parents. Deficiencies within this level of Maslow’s hierarchy –
due to hospitalism, neglect, shunning, ostracism, etc. – can adversely affect the individual’s
ability to form and maintain emotionally significant relationships in general.

esteem: the typical human desire to be accepted and valued by others. People often engage
in a profession or hobby to gain recognition. Esteem needs are ego needs or status needs.
People develop a concern with getting recognition, status, importance, and respect from
others. Most humans have a need to feel respected; this includes the need to have self-
esteem and self-respect.

self-actualization: Maslow describes this level as the desire to accomplish everything that
one can, to become the most that one can be. Individuals may perceive or focus on this
need very specifically. For example, one individual may have a strong desire to become an
ideal parent. In another, the desire may be expressed athletically. For others, it may be
expressed in paintings, pictures, or inventions. Some examples of this include utilizing
abilities and talents, pursuing goals, and seeking happiness.

Furthermore, this theory is a key foundation in understanding how drive and motivation are
correlated when discussing human behavior. Each of these individual levels contains a
certain amount of internal sensation that must be met in order for an individual to complete
their hierarchy. The goal in Maslow’s theory is to attain the fifth level or stage of self-
actualization.
Defining Traits

Psychologists typically define personality as your characteristic patterns of thinking and

behavior. The trait perspective of personality explores your personality traits and how many
traits you have.

A personality trait is a broad behavioral element that defines your personality. While early
personality theories hoped to explain how personality develops, trait theorists seek to
describe differences and similarities between people based on traits. Are you shy or
outgoing? Thoughtful or moody? How many traits do we need to fully describe an
individual's personality? Many psychologists differ on the number of traits that are
important, but each theorist defines personality traits along several broad type spectrums.

Theorist Gordon Allport

Gordon Allport (1897-1967) was one trait theorist who believed personalities are unique.
Allport believed personality was so unique, he categorized over 18,000 words to describe
personality! Eventually, Allport categorized traits into three main dimensions: cardinal,
central and secondary traits.

Cardinal traits are fundamental to the direction of your life. Cardinal traits are the big
characteristics across your life, most likely described towards the end of your life as the
main characteristic you have become synonymous with. Not all people display a cardinal
trait.

Central traits are the characteristics people come to expect from you on a daily basis. These
are the traits others would typically use to describe your personality.

Secondary traits are seen only in specific situations. Perhaps you are a relatively calm
individual. . . until someone threatens your young child, and you attack like a mother bear.

Theorist Raymond Cattell

Raymond Cattell (1905-1998) broke personality traits into 16 categories using a statistical
measure known as factor analysis to calculate the relationships among traits. Cattell hoped
to determine how each trait influenced other traits in the same individual. For each of the
16 categories, Cattell measured a high end and a low end along a spectrum. For example,
you might measure high on the cheerful - serious spectrum and low on the practical -
imaginative spectrum. Cattell's categories of traits include:
  Reserved - outgoing
 Less intelligent - more intelligent
 Emotional stability - emotional instability
 Submissive - dominant
 Serious - cheerful
 Nonconforming - conforming
 Timid - bold
 Insensitive - sensitive
 Trusting - suspicious
 Practical - imaginative
 Open - private
 Secure - insecure
 Traditional - radical
 Group-oriented - self-reliant
 Undisciplined - self-disciplined
 Relaxed – tense

Theorist Hans Eysenck

While Cattell argued personality traits could be measured along 16 spectrums, Hans Eysenck
used statistical analysis to break traits into two broad dimensions that he believed were
biologically determined. According to Eysenck, individuals fall somewhere on an
'extraversion - introversion' scale and an 'emotionally stable - emotionally unstable' scale.

Extraverts tend to be sociable and outgoing, while introverts are more reserved and
thoughtful. Emotionally stable individuals are reliable and make good leaders, while
emotionally unstable (sometimes called neurotic) people are moody, anxious and restless.

Eysenck's work in personality trait theory is often noted for the resemblance to ancient
Greek ideas on personality development. Ancient Greeks typically described personality
according to four body humors - melancholic (depressed), choleric (irritable), phlegmatic
(cool and unemotional) and sanguine (cheerful and warm).

Learning Activity no. 1.3

Assimilation: Write what you have learned about the given words below.

1. CULTURAL EFFECT
2. PSYCHOANALYSIS
3. ESTEEM
4. PRECONSCIOUS
5. SUPEREGO
6. SELF-ACTUALIZATION
 7. CARDINAL TRAITS
8. EXTRAVERTS
9. HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE
10. DYNAMIC ORGANIZATION

B. Essay Type

1. What is the importance of Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? 10 POINTS

2. How scientific do you find the personality theory of Sigmund Freud? 10POINTS

“The majority of successful people have achieved what they have achieved through
complete dedication to the cause. So, strive to make the most of the opportunities you
have to improve yourself and further your studies” 