Post on 25-Dec-2015
Introduction to PersonalityIntroduction to Personality
Personality = an individual’s Personality = an individual’s characteristic patterns of thoughts, characteristic patterns of thoughts, emotion, and behavioremotion, and behavior
Plus the psychological mechanisms Plus the psychological mechanisms (hidden or not) behind those patterns(hidden or not) behind those patterns
Pet ActivityPet Activity
Think of pet you have had or have Think of pet you have had or have known. Describe their personality. known. Describe their personality. Write this down.Write this down.
Pet PersonalityPet Personality
How did you describe your pet? (what types of How did you describe your pet? (what types of words?)words?)
Would everyone agree with your description? Would everyone agree with your description? (would other people describe your pet the same (would other people describe your pet the same way?)way?)
How do you know about your pet’s personality? How do you know about your pet’s personality? (i.e. on what did you base your descriptions?)(i.e. on what did you base your descriptions?)
Why is your pet the way he/she/it is?Why is your pet the way he/she/it is?
Questions asked parallel those Questions asked parallel those in personality psychologyin personality psychology
What are the basic pieces of people? What are the basic pieces of people?
How do we learn about people’s How do we learn about people’s personality?personality?
What makes people the way that they What makes people the way that they are?are?
Goal of personality Goal of personality psychologypsychology
Explain whole peopleExplain whole people
In this mission, idea is to combine subfields In this mission, idea is to combine subfields of psychology into an integrated wholeof psychology into an integrated whole
Mission impossible – very difficult to look at Mission impossible – very difficult to look at everything at once and still maintain a everything at once and still maintain a scientific approachscientific approach
Mission Impossible/Need to Mission Impossible/Need to focus effortsfocus efforts
Personality psychologists must focus their Personality psychologists must focus their efforts:efforts:
1.1. Trait approach = how people differ Trait approach = how people differ psychologically from one another. Focus on psychologically from one another. Focus on personality traits.personality traits.
2.2. Psychoanalytic approach = focus on Psychoanalytic approach = focus on unconscious mind and internal conflictunconscious mind and internal conflict
3.3. Biological = address physiology, inheritance, Biological = address physiology, inheritance, and evolution and relate these to personalityand evolution and relate these to personality
Basic Perspectives on Basic Perspectives on Personality continuedPersonality continued
4. 4. Humanistic/phenomenological approach = Humanistic/phenomenological approach = focus on conscious experience, focus on focus on conscious experience, focus on growth, spirituality, and self-fulfillmentgrowth, spirituality, and self-fulfillment
5. 5. Behaviorist/learning – focus on science of Behaviorist/learning – focus on science of learning, impact of rewards, punishmentlearning, impact of rewards, punishment
6. 6. Cognitive approach – emphasizes human Cognitive approach – emphasizes human thought, draws from modern cognitive thought, draws from modern cognitive psychologypsychology
7. 7. Interactionist perspective – emphasizes Interactionist perspective – emphasizes that we are different in different situations; that we are different in different situations; situation and person interactsituation and person interact
Focus – What each perspective Focus – What each perspective does bestdoes best
Approaches often complement each Approaches often complement each other rather than competeother rather than compete
Toaster analogy: a device that does Toaster analogy: a device that does one thing well is unlikely to do other one thing well is unlikely to do other things wellthings well
Themes and IssuesThemes and Issues
1.1. Awareness/unconsciousAwareness/unconscious2.2. Concept of selfConcept of self3.3. Unique vs. general lawsUnique vs. general laws
NomotheticNomothetic idiographicidiographic
4.4. Person vs. situation Person vs. situation 5.5. Philosophical view of peoplePhilosophical view of people6.6. Past, present, futurePast, present, future7.7. Feelings, thoughts, behaviorFeelings, thoughts, behavior
Approaches to theory Approaches to theory buildingbuilding
Two levels of information that Two levels of information that personality theorists are interested personality theorists are interested in:in:
1.1. Individual level – what are individual Individual level – what are individual people like? What are (this person’s) people like? What are (this person’s) characteristics?characteristics?
2.2. General level – general laws that General level – general laws that apply to all peopleapply to all people
Approaches to theory Approaches to theory buildingbuilding
Deductive approachDeductive approach – works from the – works from the “top” down“top” down
generate basic laws about peoplegenerate basic laws about people Make deductions about what Make deductions about what
individual people will be like based on individual people will be like based on those lawsthose laws
Example: Freud – developed theory Example: Freud – developed theory firstfirst
Approaches to theory Approaches to theory buildingbuilding
Inductive approach – reasoning based Inductive approach – reasoning based on a “bottom-up” approach.on a “bottom-up” approach.
Collect data about people firstCollect data about people first Develop the theory based on the Develop the theory based on the
datadata Example: Five Factor trait modelExample: Five Factor trait model
Approaches to theory Approaches to theory buildingbuilding
Borrow and learn from related disciplinesBorrow and learn from related disciplines
Use concepts that are known in other Use concepts that are known in other fields and apply to personality psychologyfields and apply to personality psychology
Example: PET scans allow us to learn Example: PET scans allow us to learn about brain function and structure. Pers. about brain function and structure. Pers. theory must be consistent with this.theory must be consistent with this.
Approaches to theory Approaches to theory buildingbuilding
Most modern theories involve all of these Most modern theories involve all of these approaches.approaches.
Best theories meet scientific criteria for a Best theories meet scientific criteria for a theory:theory:
1.1. ComprehensiveComprehensive
2.2. ParsimoniousParsimonious
3.3. TestableTestable
4.4. Productive – leads to new ideas & researchProductive – leads to new ideas & research