Psychology

Ch. 11 Personality Theory

Elements of Personality

Characteristic-aspects of personality must occur in many or all people to be of much interest and use: shyness Consistent-features must occur repeatedly Unique-no two personalities are alike

What personality theorists try to do

Provide a way of organizing the many characteristics you know about yourself and other people Explore how people conduct their lives Determine how life can be improved Explain the differences between individuals Make systematic theories about human behavior

Freud

Every personality has a large unconscious  Id-at birth, what the person wants to do  Ego-2-3 yrs., concerned with planning what the person can do  Superego-concerned with what the person should do What two parts come into conflict?

Defense Mechanism

Defend the ego from experiencing anxiety about failing in its task They relieve intolerable confusion, help people to weather intense emotional crisis, and give the individuals time to work out problems they might not be able to solve if they allowed themselves to feel the pressures at work

Repression

Pushing painful memories or unacceptable thoughts and motives that causes the ego too much anxiety

Projection

Inner feelings are thrown outside  Saying that people don’t like you, when in reality you may not like yourself.

Reaction formation

Involves replacing an unacceptable feeling or urge with its opposite  Women who are very strong but lessen their power to please the men in her life

Regression

Going back to an earlier and less mature pattern of behavior, usually when under a lot of pressure, act in ways that worked for them before  Throwing temper tantrums

Displacement

Occurs when the object of an unconscious wish provokes anxiety  Wanting to hit your father out of anger but hit your brother instead

Carl Jung

Freud’s closest associate Stopped talking to each other b/c they disagreed on personality

Carl Jung

More positive view on human nature Personal unconscious vs. collective unconscious Believed that people try to develop their potential as well as to handle their instinctual urges Collective unconscious storehouse of instincts, urges

Carl Jung

Everyone has archetypes Archetypes reflect common experiences of humanity with mothers, fathers, nature, war, etc.

Alfred Adler

Inferiority complex feelings of inadequancy Everyone tries to compensate for their inadequancies Believed that the way parents treat their children influences the styles of life they choose.

Behaviorism

Individuals differ in their learning experiences, they acquire different behaviors and hence different personalities B.F. Skinner

B.F. Skinner

Focused on what caused a person to act in a specific way Behavior changes with rewards and punishments Contingencies of reinforcement occurrence of reward or punishment following a particular behavior

Albert Bandura

Personality is acquired not only by direct reinforcement of behavior but also by observational learning or imitation.

Acquire new behaviors by watching other people.

Cognitive Theory

Based on analysis of our own overt analysis

Humanistic Psychology

Stress our relative freedom from instinctual pressures (compared to other animals) and our ability to create and live by personal standards Founded on the belief that all human beings strive for self-actualization

Self-Actualization

The realization of our potentialities as unique human beings  Awareness of and respect for one’s own  Accepting responsibilities of freedom and commitment  Desire to become more authentic  Ability to grow

Maslow Hierarchy of Needs

Fundamental needs:  Physiological needs hunger, thirst, and sex drives Psychological needs:  To be accepted and belong Self-actualization-the need to fulfill one’s unique potential