ASSIGNMENT
PERSONALITY: OVERVIEW
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Personality Theories
Psychoanalytic
Behavioural
Cognitive Social Leaning
Humanistic
Trait
Sigmund Freud: Psychoanalytic
ID
EGO
SUPER EGO
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Structure of the Personality
ID
Pleasure Principle
EGO
Reality Principle
SUPEREGO
Moral branch
3 goals
Inhibit Id
force the ego to act on constraint
push towards perfection
Id
Superego
Ego
Conscious mind
Unconscious
mind
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5
ID
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EGO
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SUPEREGO
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Defense Mechanisms
Repression
Rationalization
Displacement
Sublimation
Projection
Reaction Formation
Intellectualization
pp. 580-581
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Freud’s Psychosexual Stages
Stage Focus
Oral Pleasure centers on the mouth--
(0-18 months) sucking, biting, chewing
Anal Pleasure focuses on bowel and bladder
(18-36 months) elimination; coping with demands for control
Phallic Pleasure zone is the genitals; coping with
(3-6 years) incestuous sexual feelings
Latency Dormant sexual feelings
(6 to puberty)
Genital Maturation of sexual interests
(puberty on)
Table 15.1, p. 578
NEO-FREUDIAN AND PSYCHDYNAMIC THEORISTS
The neo-Freudians were a group of physicians who originally formed an inner circle of Freud’s followers. They accepted Freud’s basic ideas but placed more emphasis on the conscious mind and questioned that sex and aggression were the primary motivations in personality development.
CARL JUNG
Interested in the importance of SPIRITUALITY
in Human Life.
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Alfred Adler’s Individual Psychology
Objection to Freud
Key Concepts
Strivings for superiority
Feelings of Inferiority
Compensation
Overcompensation
Inferiority Complex
Superiority Complex
Creative self
Social Interest
Adler came up with the idea of the inferiority complex, in which children strive to conquer feelings of inferiority and strive for superiority and power.
Horney stressed that childhood anxiety caused by helplessness triggered the desire for love and security. She also questioned Freud’s views of women.
Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development
Approximate
age Stage Description of Task
Infancy Trust vs. mistrust If needs are dependably met, infants
(1st year) develop a sense of basic trust.
Toddler Autonomy vs. shame Toddlers learn to exercise will and
(2nd year) and doubt do things for themselves, or they doubt their abilities.
Preschooler Initiative vs. guilt Preschoolers learn to initiate tasks
(3-5 years) and carry out plans, or they feel
guilty about efforts to be independent.
Elementary Competence vs. Children learn the pleasure of applying
(6 years- inferiority themselves to tasks, or they feel
puberty) inferior.
Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development
Approximate
age Stage Description of Task
Adolescence Identity vs. role Teenagers work at refining a sense of self by
(teens into confusion testing roles and then integrating them to
20’s) form a single identity, or they become
confused about who they are.
Young Adult Intimacy vs. Young adults struggle to form close relation-
(20’s to early isolation ships and to gain the capacity for intimate
40’s) love, or they feel socially isolated.
Middle Adult Generativity vs. The middle-aged discover a sense of contri-
(40’s to 60’s) stagnation buting to the world, usually through family
and work, or they may feel a lack of purpose.
Late Adult Integrity vs. When reflecting on his or her life, the older
(late 60’s and despair adult may feel a sense of satisfaction or
up) failure.
Behaviorism: Skinner and Others
Early 20th C.
Looking at behavior as opposed to conscious experience.
Stimulus – Response.
Mechanistic view of human beings.
Not concerned with what is inside of a person, but behavior.
THE HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE
In the 1960’s theorists rejecting Freud’s negative view of humanity as well as B.F. Skinner’s mechanistic view of people (behaviourism) stressed the value of Humanistic Psychology, a third force perspective.
Humanistic psychology focused on the ways healthy people strive for self-realization and development of their human potential, studying people from their self-reported experiences. These theorists saw people as basically good in their nature.
Abraham Maslow studied Self-Actualizing People, those who fulfilled the ultimate psychological need after basic physical and safety needs are met. Maslow saw these people as mature, compassionate, courageous, virtuous, and having found their calling.
Carl Rogers’s Person-Centered Perspective is the foundation for most modern counselling approaches today. It consists of creating a safe climate in which people can move toward growth and fulfillment. The three main elements of this approach are:
Genuineness, involving openness, transparency, and self-disclosure.
Unconditional Positive Regard for the other person, an attitude of grace and non-judgmental acceptance.
Empathy, letting the other person know you have understood them by sharing and mirroring feelings and reflecting meanings.
Rogers also focused on self-concept as a central feature of personality. This involved all of our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, “Who am I?
The Humanistic Perspective has greatly influenced counselling, education, childrearing, business management, LEADERSHIP THEORY as well as popular psychology.
Trait Theorists
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Raymond Cattell
18,000 words
171 surface traits
Visible characteristics/behaviours
16 source traits
Underlying, root traits
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Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire
Cool, Reserved Warm, Easygoing
Dull Bright
Easily upset Calm, Stable
Submissive Assertive
Serious, Sober Enthusiastic, Happy-go-lucky
Expedient Conscientious
Shy, Timid Venturesome
Tough-minded Tender-minded
Trusting Suspicious
Practical Imaginative
Forthright, Unpretentious Astute, Worldly
Self-assured Apprehensive, Guilt-prone
Disciplined to Change Experimenting
Group Dependent, a “Joiner” Self-sufficient
Uncontrolled Controlled, Disciplined
Relaxed Tense, Driven
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The Big Five
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Neuroticism
Openness
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Use of the trait approach
The “Big Five” are thought to be common underlying dimensions that can be applied to everyone.
They are seen as roots or sources of other characteristics and as significant influencers of behaviour.
Explanatory value
Predictive value
Descriptive value
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The Big Three
Extraversion
Positive emotionality
Neuroticism
Negative emotionality
Disinhibition
Lack of constraint
Clark, L. A., & Watson, D. (1999). Temperament: A new paradigm for trait psychology. In L. A. Pervin and O. P. John’s (Eds.) Handbook of personality (2nd ed.). New York: Guildford Press.
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Social-Cognitive Perspective: Bandura and Others
Social-Cognitive Perspective
views behavior as influenced by the interaction between persons and their social context
Reciprocal Determinism
the interacting influences between personality and environmental factors
Personal Control:
Internal locus of control (the perception of controlling one’s own fate) versus External locus of control (the perception of outside forces controlling one’s fate)--Those with internal locus of control achieve more in school, have better health, suffer less depression and can cope with stresses better than those with external locus of control.
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Self-Efficacy
“The foundation of human agency.”
“… the core belief that one has the power to produce effects by one’s actions.” (Bandura et al., 2001, p. 187)
“… people’s beliefs in their capability to exercise some measure of control over their own functioning and over environmental events.” (Feist & Feist, 2002, p. 307)
Martin Seligman
Learned Helplessness (passive resignation of people and animals after experiencing no control over negative or traumatic situations) versus Personal Control—Measures that increase control in people’s lives improve health and morale, empowering people and helping them thrive. Learned helplessness leads to depression but this perspective can be changed to “Learned Optimism.”
Optimism versus Pessimism
Basic optimism improves health while pessimism dampens the immune system. Optimism gives hope for success but enough realism or pessimism is needed to prevent complacency or foolhardiness.
People are often the most overconfident when they fail to realize their lack of competence in particular areas.
Behaviour is best assessed by looking at past behaviours in similar situations. As Christians, however, we need to be aware of the power of Christ to change our lives.
Positive Psychology
Unlike psychology before it which focused on pathologies in human beings, positive psychology focuses on promoting the highest qualities of life.
Positive psychology is built on promoting positive emotions, positive character virtues, and positive communities. Like humanistic psychology it attempts to foster human fulfillment, but it differs in than it uses the scientific method to explore how to best bring this about.
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Personality Theory: Past to Present
Freud 1856-1939
Jung 1875-1961
Adler 1870-1937
Horney 1885-1952
Fromm 1900-1980
Erikson 1902-1994
Allport 1897-1967
Cattell 1905-1998
Eysenck 1916-1997
Maslow 1908-1970
Rogers 1902-1987
Kelly 1905-1967
Skinner 1904-1990
Bandura 1925-
Murray 1938-1988
Feelings of Inferiority
Neopsychoanalytic
Trait
Humanistic
Cognitive
Behavioral
Psychoanalytic
Social-Cognitive
Collective Unconscious
Basic Anxiety
Freedom Belonging
Human Needs
Self-Actualization
Life Span
When Defining Ourselves…
***Most important is to recognize who we are in Christ (see “Who I am in Christ” compiled by Neil Anderson). We are a Child of God!