Intro to Personality Psych

8/17/2019 Intro to Personality Psych

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Introduction to PersonalityIntroduction to Personality

Personality = an individual’sPersonality = an individual’s

characteristic patterns of thoughts,characteristic patterns of thoughts,

emotion, and behavioremotion, and behavior

Plus the psychological mechanismsPlus the psychological mechanisms

(hidden or not) behind those patterns(hidden or not) behind those patterns


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Pet ActivityPet Activity

Think of pet you have had or have Think of pet you have had or have

knon! "escribe their personality!knon! "escribe their personality!

#rite this don!#rite this don!


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Pet PersonalityPet Personality

$o did you describe your pet% (hat types of$o did you describe your pet% (hat types ofords%)ords%)

#ould everyone agree ith your description%#ould everyone agree ith your description%(ould other people describe your pet the same(ould other people describe your pet the sameay%)ay%)

$o do you kno about your pet’s personality%$o do you kno about your pet’s personality%(i!e! on hat did you base your descriptions%)(i!e! on hat did you base your descriptions%)

#hy is your pet the ay he&she&it is%#hy is your pet the ay he&she&it is%


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'uestions asked parallel those'uestions asked parallel those

in personality psychologyin personality psychology #hat are the basic pieces of people%#hat are the basic pieces of people%

$o do e learn about people’s$o do e learn about people’s

personality%personality%

#hat makes people the ay that they#hat makes people the ay that they

are%are%


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oal of personalityoal of personality

psychologypsychology *plain hole people*plain hole people

In this mission, idea is to combine sub+eldsIn this mission, idea is to combine sub+eldsof psychology into an integrated holeof psychology into an integrated hole

ission impossible - very di.cult to look atission impossible - very di.cult to look ateverything at once and still maintain aeverything at once and still maintain a

scienti+c approachscienti+c approach


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ission Impossible&/eed toission Impossible&/eed to

focus e0ortsfocus e0ortsPersonality psychologists must focus theirPersonality psychologists must focus their

e0orts1e0orts1

2!2! Trait approach = ho people di0er Trait approach = ho people di0erpsychologically from one another! 3ocus onpsychologically from one another! 3ocus on

personality traits!personality traits!

4!4! Psychoanalytic approach = focus onPsychoanalytic approach = focus on

unconscious mind and internal con5ictunconscious mind and internal con5ict6!6! 7iological = address physiology, inheritance,7iological = address physiology, inheritance,

and evolution and relate these to personalityand evolution and relate these to personality


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7asic Perspectives on7asic Perspectives on

Personality continuedPersonality continued8!8! $umanistic&phenomenological approach =$umanistic&phenomenological approach =

focus on conscious e*perience, focus onfocus on conscious e*perience, focus ongroth, spirituality, and self9ful+llmentgroth, spirituality, and self9ful+llment

:!:! 7ehaviorist&learning - focus on science of7ehaviorist&learning - focus on science oflearning, impact of reards, punishmentlearning, impact of reards, punishment

;!;! ! Interactionist perspective - emphasiesInteractionist perspective - emphasies

that e are di0erent in di0erent situations?that e are di0erent in di0erent situations?situation and person interactsituation and person interact


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3ocus - #hat each perspective3ocus - #hat each perspective

does bestdoes best Approaches often complement eachApproaches often complement each

other rather than competeother rather than compete

Toaster analogy1 a device that does Toaster analogy1 a device that does

one thing ell is unlikely to do otherone thing ell is unlikely to do other

things ellthings ell


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Themes and Issues Themes and Issues

2!2! Aareness&unconsciousAareness&unconscious

4!4! ! 3eelings, thoughts, behavior3eelings, thoughts, behavior


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Approaches to theoryApproaches to theory

buildingbuilding To levels of information that To levels of information that

personality theorists are interested in1personality theorists are interested in1

2!2! Individual level - hat are individualIndividual level - hat are individualpeople like% #hat are (this person’s)people like% #hat are (this person’s)characteristics%characteristics%

4!4! eneral level - general las thateneral level - general las thatapply to all peopleapply to all people


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buildingbuilding"eductive approach"eductive approach - orks from the- orks from the

BtopC donBtopC don

generate basic las about peoplegenerate basic las about people ake deductions about hat individualake deductions about hat individual

people ill be like based on those laspeople ill be like based on those las

*ample1 3reud - developed theory*ample1 3reud - developed theory+rst+rst


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buildingbuildingInductive approach - reasoning basedInductive approach - reasoning based

on a Bbottom9upC approach!on a Bbottom9upC approach!


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buildingbuilding7orro and learn from related disciplines7orro and learn from related disciplines

@se concepts that are knon in other +elds@se concepts that are knon in other +eldsand apply to personality psychologyand apply to personality psychology

*ample1 PT scans allo us to learn about*ample1 PT scans allo us to learn about

brain function and structure! Pers! theorybrain function and structure! Pers! theorymust be consistent ith this!must be consistent ith this!


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buildingbuildingost modern theories involve all of theseost modern theories involve all of these

approaches!approaches!

7est theories meet scienti+c criteria for a theory17est theories meet scienti+c criteria for a theory1

2!2!

Intro to Personality Psych

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