Transcript Personality-- What is it?

Personality-- What is
it?
How can we study it?
7/20/2015
© 2005 by Lucie Johnson
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What Is Personality?
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Is it unlearned, our true self, the core of
who we are?
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Is it more at the surface, the structure of
our adaptation to the world? How we
present ourselves so that we can survive
and thrive?
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© 2005 by Lucie Johnson
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Persona: The Theatrical Mask
A thought:
Masks reveal what they conceal. By
donning some masks but not others,
people disclose precisely what they would
most shield. Indeed, a person does not
hide behind a mask so much as struggle
beneath the weight of it. (C. F. Monte)
What do you think?
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© 2005 by Lucie Johnson
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Personality, Literally Means
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The mask or mouthpiece through which
we appear
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To ourselves
To others
A mask, says Oscar Wilde, tells more than
a face. More about masks
Masks in Japanese theater. Be sure to
read the archetypal commentary at the
bottom
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© 2005 by Lucie Johnson
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Being Without Mask?
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Is it ever possible to be even just with
ourselves (never mind others) without a
mask? Without a need to create an
impression?
Is there anything we can do to need less
of a mask?
What stands in our way?
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How Is Our Personality Built?
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Is it mostly built as a protective structure to
guard our more fragile points? To make up
for painful experiences?
Think of a time you or someone else
developed ways to behave, speak, even
feel in order to cope with challenges or
painful events.
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Personality Is…
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A set of ENDURING strategies, qualities,
characteristics, ways to be that we have
developed in the course of life in order to
cope with the circumstances of our life.
Thus, some of these strategies serve us
well, and others are outdated, counter
productive and stand in our way.
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Personality Is Not…
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The heart of who we are.
Who a person is at heart is always
somewhat of a mystery. So, the Psalmist
prays:” Search me, O God, and know my
heart… see if there be any wicked way in
me.”(Ps 139:23-24).
There is much of our own heart we don’t
understand. Only God truly knows our
heart.
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© 2005 by Lucie Johnson
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Personality Is Enduring
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Because of the stability of
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Our biology --which causes us to select
certain types of strategies
Our cultural environment --which presents to
us with models and conflicts
Our personal environment --which gives us
certain types of experience
We develop stable qualities, life strategies
etc… and those constitute our personality.
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© 2005 by Lucie Johnson
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Ethnicity, Gender and
Personality
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Personality manifests itself differently in
different cultures --not surprising if
personality reflects a way to adapt.
Similarly, gender makes a difference also
Yet personality studies historically have
primarily worked with white male college
students (also under-representing the old,
the blue-collar etc)
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Some interesting research
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Do you manifest a different personality
when you speak a different language?
Do people in different cultures construct
their sense of self in a different way?
Is there a relationship between personality
and the wages that people earn?
Read about this in the Blackboard Course
Library
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© 2005 by Lucie Johnson
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How would you describe your
personality?
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Do the exercise p. 4-5 in the text using the
Gough Adjective Check list (ACL).
Note: you could do this exercise from the
perspective of your ‘actual’ or ‘ideal’ self.
The full ACL can be analyzed in 37 scales
that measure variables ranging from
affiliation, to the need for order, to creative
personality.
A current use of a shorter ACL
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Objective Personality Tests
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The MMPI (now MMPI-2). Very well known
and studied. Used primarily to screen for
pathology. A LONG set of questions to
answer “true” or “false”
The CPI oriented toward normal
personality (Gough)
The 16 PF developed by Raymond Cattell
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Other methods of study
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Clinical interview
Behavioral assessment: here is an
example of the approach in education
Thought sampling (done by the subjects
themselves)
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© 2005 by Lucie Johnson
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Projective tests
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Rorschach Inkblot technique developed by
Hermann Rorschach
Holtzman Inkblot technique developed by
Wayne Holtzman
Thematic Apperception test developed by
Henry Murray and Christiana Morgan
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© 2005 by Lucie Johnson
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Your personal theory of
personality
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Take a piece of paper and write a couple
paragraphs about your own theory of
personality
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How do people become who they are?
How important is heredity? Nurture?
Are people’s choices free?
What do you consider core dimensions of
personality
Etc.
© 2005 by Lucie Johnson
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Formal theories
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They go beyond the personal ones
But they have a personal basis.
Keep your write-up about your own
personal theory. See how it changes as
you study a number of approaches.
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The End
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© 2005 by Lucie Johnson
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