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