Personality

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 What is Personality?
Chapter 1

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 Chapter Outline
The person and the situation
Defining personality
Six approaches to personality
Personality and culture
The study of personality: Theory,
application, assessment, and research

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 The Person and the Situation
Both the situation and the person
influence behavior
Individual's personality determines:
How different he/she is from others
How he/she behaves in the different
situations

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 Personality
Consistent behavior patterns and
intrapersonal processes originating
within the individual
Consistent patterns of behavior
To an extent, individual behavior is consistent
across time and situations
Intrapersonal processes
Emotional, motivational, and cognitive processes
that influence individual's feelings and actions

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 Approaches to Personality

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1-6
 Approaches to Personality

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 Approaches to Personality

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 Aggression
Psychoanalytic approach’s explanation
People possess an unconscious desire to
self-destruct
Self-destructive impulses are expressed
against others in the form of aggression
Aggression occurs when people are
blocked from reaching their goals

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 Aggression
Trait approach’s explanation
Focusses on individual differences and
the stability of aggressive behavior
Aggressive children are most likely to become
aggressive adults
Biological approach’s explanation
Genetic predisposition towards aggression
Evolutionary theory

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 Aggression
Humanistic approach’s explanation
People are basically good
Aggression arises when something interferes
with natural growth process
Inadequate basic needs, poor self-image
Behavioral/social approach’s explanation
People learn to be aggressive
Aggressive behavior that is rewarded will be
repeated
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 Aggression
Cognitive explanation
Certain cues in the environment trigger a
network of aggressive thoughts and
emotions

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 Depression
Psychoanalytic approach’s explanation
Depression is a result of holding unconscious
feelings of anger and hostility
Trait approach’s explanation
Focuses on identifying depression-prone
individuals
Person’s general emotional level at present
can indicate that person’s emotions in the
future
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 Depression
Biological approach’s explanation
Certain people inherit a genetic
susceptibility to depression
Humanistic approach’s explanation
People frequently suffering from
depression are those who have low self-
worth

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 Depression
Behavioral/social approach’s explanation
Depression results from a lack of positive
reinforcers in a person’s life
Cognitive approach’s explanation
Depression depends on how people interpret
their inability to control events
Certain individuals use a depressive filter to
interpret and process information

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 Personality and Culture
Cultural context influences an
individual’s personality
Individualistic cultures: Emphasize on
individual needs and accomplishments
Individuals perceive themselves as
independent and unique
Includes Northern European countries and
the United States

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 Personality and Culture
Collectivist cultures: Emphasize on
belonging to a larger group
Family, tribe, or nation
Includes Asian, African, Central
American, and South American countries
Cultural context influences
interpretation of an individual's
behavior
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 Study of Personality: Theory
Genetic versus environmental influences
Biological and trait theorists argue that
psychologists fail to recognize the
significance of inherited predispositions
Psychoanalytic theorists emphasize innate
needs and unconscious behavior patterns
Humanistic, behavioral/social learning, and
cognitive theorists rarely emphasize
inherited influences on personality
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 Figure 1.1 - Position of the Six Approaches to
Personality on Three Theory Issues

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 Study of Personality: Theory
Conscious versus unconscious
determinants of behavior
Psychoanalyst view asserts that much of
what people do is without awareness
Behavior perspective asserts that people
assume they understand the reasons for
their actions but in reality they do not

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 Study of Personality: Theory
Trait and cognitive theorists assume
people can identify and report their level
of social anxiety
Humanistic theorists argue that people do
not understand why they act the way they
do

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 Study of Personality: Theory
Free will versus determinism
Behaviorists argue that behavior is not freely
chosen but it is the result of environmental
forces and accumulated history of experiences
Psychoanalytic theorists emphasize innate
needs and unconscious mechanisms
Humanistic theorists identify personal choice
and responsibility as the basis of mental health

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 Study of Personality: Theory
Trait theorists and biological theorists
emphasize genetic predispositions
Cognitive psychotherapists encourage
their clients to recognize the cause of their
problems and help them to develop
strategies to avoid future difficulties

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 Study of Personality:
Application
Psychoanalytic therapists attend to
unconscious causes of the problem
behavior
Humanistic therapists provide the
atmosphere for clients to explore their
feelings
Cognitive therapists try to change the
way their clients process information
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 Study of Personality:
Application
Behaviorists structure the environment
to increase the frequency of desired
behaviors and decrease undesired
behaviors
Personality theory and research is used
by psychologists in educational,
organizational, and counseling settings

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 Study of Personality:
Assessment
Researchers use self-report inventories to
measure personality
Psychoanalytic psychologists focus on
learning unconscious thoughts
Require test takers to respond to ambiguous
stimuli
Behavioral psychologists observe behavior
to determine consistent behavior patterns

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 Study of Personality: Research
Test principles and assumptions of
certain researches are central to the
theory
Few researches are focused on the
concepts introduced by personality theory
Psychology researchers employ several
methods to uncover information about
personality
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