PERSONALITY THEORIES

Psychology

PERSONALITY THEORY After Freud’s theories are popularized Debate between pro-Freud and anti-

Freud psychologists Various theories to fit your own insights

about causes of human behavior To explain human complexity

BEHAVIORISM All behavior is reaction to stimuli from

the world around you Control the stimuli-control the behavior John Watson: Psychologists frustrated

with making assumptions about unknown mental functions

Focus only on verifiable observable behavior

Based on Ivan Pavlov’s classical conditioning research: Pavlov’s dogs

JOHN WATSON: BEHAVIORISM System of stimulus-response units:

cause and effects between environment and behavior

Rewarded or pleasurable responses encourage repetition of behaviorPunishment deters behavior

Example: Baby responds to mother, expects careFood, warmth, loveResponds with cooing and waving armsCry when mom goes away

B.F. SKINNER (1904-1990) Watson’s successor as leading American

behaviorist Dismisses Freud’s psychoanalytic

approach Believes development of personality is

too important to leave to parents/learning experiences

SKINNER’S BOOKS Walden Two: Invents self-sufficient

community run on behaviorist principlesTrained nurses raise childrenShape personalities to maintain stable

productive society Applied theory to all of society in

Beyond Freedom and DignityCritics accuse him of trying to solve

problems by sacrificing free will and individual responsibility

SKINNER’S THEORY Infants born with 3 instinctive

responses: love, rage, and fear All others developed through learning Classifies all behavior as respondent or

operant: Respondent: When stimulus causes

reflexive automatic involuntary response

SKINNER’S PERSONALITY THEORY Operant: Behaviors that act on

environment to gain reward Most human behavior falls into this

categoryCan be conditioned through reinforcement

To display: Skinner trains pigeonsTeach behaviors in small steps and reward

with food pelletsBowling, play ping pong, piano, and drop

bombshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGazyH6fQ

Q4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhvaSEJtOV

8&feature=related

SHAPING BEHAVIOR Broken down into small steps Desirable behavior is rewarded Undesirable behavior is ignored Example: Teaching a child to swim Applied to personality: Early life

experiences can condition later life behavior

Underlying cause for neurotic behavior http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hBf

nXACsOI

BEHAVIORIST PERSONALITY THEORY Neurotic behavior is poorly chosen

response to stimuli Causes general anxiety that makes it

impossible to cope with symptoms Behavioral Therapy: Teaches you to form

the correct response Common Technique: Systematic

Desensitization processExample: Get over fear of heights

SKINNER’S BABY BOX http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn9lB

dkYu5Y

SKINNER’S “BABY TENDER” 1940s: Wanted her to have the best

possible environment to produce healthy, happy babyTemperature control: less restrictive

clothingKeep out noise and light so she sleeps wellClean: Bath her less oftenShe grew up normal and successfulHe was criticized: Why didn’t it catch on?

NEO-FREUDIANS New research shows humans are highly

adaptable to change in environment Psychoanalysts modify Freud’s ideas:

Believe social influences play a major role in shaping personality

Think less about influence of heredity and childhood experiences

FREUDIANS VS. NEO-FREUDIANS Agree:

Unconscious has important influenceRepression used to cope with anxietyDefense mechanisms protect egoEarly childhood is when you form basic personality

Disagree: Sex Drive vs. Social influence=more importantChildhood Sexuality vs. Learned relationship skillsWoman=inferior vs. Neither superior Id/Ego/Superego vs. They don’t exist

PARENTS SUPPORT HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT Basic needs must be met; then child

needs love, support and motivation http://

www.wisc-online.com/objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=I2P401

ALFRED ADLER (1870-1937) Broke with Freud in 1911 to form new

school of “individual psychology” Believes Freud focuses too much on

sexuality’s influence on personality Focuses on inborn social needs/urges

instead Society modifies these according to it’s

own values/culture

THE CREATIVE SELF Inner system that guides an individual

to a fulfilling style of life It is you: it makes you the unique person

you are Each person chooses a particular role

because society seems to reward that choiceExamples: happy-go-lucky, romantic,

intellectual, melancholyFosters your drive to be a superior personAdler contributes this to free will/choice,

unlike Freud contributing it to unconscious

ADLER: INFERIORITY COMPLEX Begins as child when you are helpless,

adults have all the control and power Most healthy people overcome this Some don’t: lack social skills, have

disabilities, a lack of support, or experience discrimination

Some use it as a motivation to try harder and succeed to prove themselves

Some compensate through actions that hurt others

FICTIONAL FINALISM People driven by ideals that may be

pure fiction, but are ones they pursue with great determination

Causes stress when they attempt to strictly adhere to themExample: “Honesty is the best policy”“If I am good, everyone will love me”

SOCIAL INTEREST Inborn characteristic: we want out

community to be a better place We want to believe there is good in

everyoneWhy some will risk their lives for a strangerGive generously to charity for greater goodMany now are placing concern about

personal safety over social interest in the modern world

NEO-FREUDIANS: KAREN HORNEY (1885-1952) German psychiatrist Didn’t like focus on sexual drives and

inferiority of womenNew ideas cost her a job and some of her

support Worked very hard to be respected as a

woman in her field Well loved for her warmth and

dedication to helping people

BASIC ANXIETY Believes that ability to cope with life is

directly related to how well a child copes with threats to it’s security

Adult personality grows out of this success or failure in coping with this anxiety

Babies: unable to control their environment and feel helpless

Harsh/strict/negligent parents increases anxiety

NEUROTIC NEEDS Major contribution to personality theory Needs grow out of strategies to combat

anxiety People often make unrealistic demands

on themselves on others“I SHOULD always be understanding,

helpful, sympathetic, forgiving, etc.”Do things because you should do them not

because you necessarily feel it or want to

NEUROTIC NEEDS Needs that move an individual toward

people:

Need for affection, approval, to please others

Need for partner to run their life, fear of being alone

Need for prestige: self-confidence rests totally on receiving recognition from others

Need for personal admiration: Expects to be admired on the basis of false/inflated self-image

NEUROTIC NEEDS Needs the move an individual away from

people:

Need to restrict one’s life within narrow borders

Need for self-sufficiency and independence: relationships are painful, won’t accept love

Need for perfection: Mistakes are weakness, person tries to be infallible at all times

NEUROTIC NEEDS Needs that move an individual against

people:

Need for power: control is so important that they will do anything to attain it

Need to exploit others: Take advantage of people to relive own feelings of insecurity/helplessness

Need for personal achievement: Constantly needs more success, even if at the expense of others

ERIK ERIKSON (1902-1994) Austrian psychologist who studied with

Anna Freud Theory of Psychosocial Development:

Same age as Freud’s psychosexual development

In each stage: Achieve new way of seeing yourself in relation to society

Personality develops throughout your whole life

In each stage: Conflict develops between positive and negative ego qualities, you must resolve each crisis to move successfully through stages

If one is not resolved, it CAN be resolved later in life

STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Trust vs. Mistrust: Birth to one year

Babies learn to trust of fear the world depending on experiences with other people/parents

Need to feel world is orderly and predictableLack of trust causes anxiety/fear in later

stages

STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Autonomy vs. Doubt: Early childhood

age 2-3Children must develop self confidence and

independenceLearn to feed and dress themselves and

become toilet trainedKids not given the opportunity to explore

new skills will be full of shame and self doubt

STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Initiative vs. Guilt: Play age, ages 4-5

Children are curious and should be encouraged to develop their intellectual resources and interests

Free to run, play, and question everythingGuilt results from overly strict parenting

that hinder self-motivation

STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Industry vs. Inferiority: School age, 6-11

Most kids enter school eager to learn and show off skills

Curious and love trying new thingsExplore interpersonal relationshipsTeachers/parents who push too hard can

cause feelings of inferiority and lack of initiative

STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Identity vs. Role Confusion:

Adolescence, ages 12-18Critical period where you find your own

identityMade more difficult by challenges of

adolescent tasks: sex, career choices, relationships with peers and parents, etc.

Must resolve identity crisis in order to have clear goals for a happy productive adulthood

STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Intimacy vs. Isolation: young adulthood, ages 19-35

People are looking for a partner Find your values while your identity will be

challenged by friends and loversMust develop strength to stick to

commitments even if there is sacrifice or deferred gratification

STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Generativity vs. Stagnation: Adulthood, ages 36-60Mature adults begin to plan for future generations,

through children or community contributionVolunteer work, coaching, or helping your own kids

succeed adds to quality of lifeStagnant adults are concerned only with

themselves and try to deny aging process and concentrate

on material pleasures

STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Ego Integrity vs. Despair: old age, 60+

Well-integrated elderly people can cherish their successes, learn from their failures, and accept death

Remain active and involvedThose who did not achieve ego integrity are

full of anger, fear, despair and regret

CARL JUNG (1875-1961) Swiss Psychoanalyst, friend of Freud Doesn‘t agree with Freud’s focus on sex

drives Instead, places emphasis on spiritual and

moral aspects of life So influential and original that he has his

own school of psychology; Analytic Psychology

Calls the human personality the psyche

THE JUNGIAN UNCONSCIOUS Two parts: Personal and Collective

Unconscious The Personal Unconscious: contains

experiences that were once conscious but have been forgotten/repressed

Unconscious can influence conscious behavior

Complex: organized group of feelings/thoughts in the unconsciousFixation on aspect that dominates your life that

you may or may not be aware ofExamples: money complex, power complex,

mother complex, etc.

CARL JUNG’S UNCONSCIOUS The Collective Unconscious: Universal instincts, drives, and memories

shared by the human race Cross boundaries of time, skin color, and

geography “Memories” of history are unseen forces

influencing your thoughts/feelings/perceptions

2 million years of evolutionary experience left a mark on the human brainExample: People still like to hunt/fish, universal

behaviors across separated cultures, etc.

ARCHETYPES Universal thought patterns, themes, and

symbols Appear across time in literature,

religion, music, art, etc. Create images on which you base your

perception of the world Creates your sense of wholeness,

completeness, and interconnectivityExamples: Hero archetype, mother earth

archetype, the wise old man, the devil/villain

JUNG’S ARCHETYPES Four become systems within personality: 1. Persona: The “mask” you wear to

hide your true self in public (your image) In response to social pressure, traditions,

and need for acceptanceHealthy if it is a choice, but can’t allow it to

dominate your life Example: the good girl, the bad boy

JUNG’S ARCHETYPES Anima and Animus: All people carry elements of the

opposite sex within their personalities Anima: Feminine image men carry Animus: Male image women carry Provide balance to the personality Enable sexes to understand each other Forms your perception/expectations of

the opposite sexExample: Ideal woman

JUNG’S ARCHETYPES Shadow: Represents the primitive side

of personality Socially unacceptable thoughts/desires

are repressed by personal unconscious Most people hide the shadow behind

their personaDeep secrets, guilty pleasures, skeletons in

the closet, selfish needs, etc.

JUNG’S ARCHETYPES Self: Analytic psychology places great

emphasis on concept of the self Life goal, striving for unity and

completeness Few reach this because all other

elements of personality must fully develop firstExample: Religious leaders or philosophers

who join conscious and unconscious mind see emergence of completed self

JUNG’S OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS Introversion: look inward, find pleasure in

pursuing own thoughts, shy, happiest alone

Extroversion: invest psychic energy in the outside world, need company, excitement, activity, outgoing

Everyone has both aspects, one usually dominates

JUNG’S WORD ASSOCIATION TESTS As the subject responds to a list of

prepared words, repressed/concealed thoughts will slip past the mind’s censors into speech

Responses to key words admit guilt/connect them to a crime, etc. Similar to polygraph test

EXISTENTIAL PSYCHOLOGY Human beings are free agents, they

determine their behavior by choice Not controlled by unconscious forces No one is bound to the past Rollo May: Encourages people to take

responsibility for their own lives“I learned along the way to tune in on my

being, my existence in the now, because that was all there was—that and my tubular body. It was a valuable experience to face death, for in the experience I learned to face life”

EXISTENTIALIST’S APPROACH TO PERSONALITY Created after WWII to aid people who

felt life was empty of meaning It is the belief in the nobility of the

human spirit that gives meaning and purpose to life

Central concept of life is being: all you can know of the world is what you perceive “You are part of the world, and the world is

part of you”

KEY EXISTENTIAL BELIEFS Being is becoming: Humans have potential

to grow and change things Alternative is to give in to frustration and

sense of futility To realize your potential requires that you

explore your own being/consciousness/identity

Happiness found in freedom and commitment

KEY EXISTENTIAL BELIEFS Humans must take responsibility of their

own life, completely free will Make choices, take action, take risks,

learn from mistakes Everyone can change for the better and

has a responsibility to do so Don’t make excuses for your

problems/issues: “My parents hit me when I was little, so it’s

their fault that this is the way I am. I can’t change.”

KEY EXISTENTIAL BELIEFS Happiness is a by-product of committing

yourself to the choices you have made Make each choice in your life as if you

are making it for all humanity Anxiety and despair result when you

refuse to take responsibility of your own life

Life is not fair, bad things will happen, but live your life to the fullest and make the beset of it

EXISTENTIAL VIEW OF NEUROTIC BEHAVIOR Anxiety/despair are inescapable parts of

the human condition Making choices means taking chances Each choice brings new anxiety If you give in to this anxiety it causes

neurotic behaviorExamples: Withdrawal from society, seeking

pleasure by any means, conforming to the views/desires of others so they don’t have to make their own choices, etc.

EXISTENTIAL VIEW OF NEUROTIC BEHAVIOR Existential vacuum: Feeling that

everything is meaningless, feeling helpless to change anything successfully, give up instead

Viktor Frankl: Studied concentration camp inmatesMany were in an existential vacuum=diedThose who lived were those who had a task

to complete in life: someone/something depended on them=gives them meaning and purpose

EXISTENTIAL PSYCHOLOGISTS Viktor Frankl: “I have seen the meaning

of my life in helping others to see in their lives a meaning”

Rollo May: Anxiety in small doses is constructiveSharpens your sensitivity Spark creativity/motivationLiving up to your responsibilities

strengthens you

THE FUTURE OF PERSONALITY THEORY Psychologists still hope for an all-

encompassing theory to explain personality

Family Systems Theory: Therapists should focus on the family not individualsFamily interactions can cause anxiety or

happiness Psychologists are exploring ethnic and

cultural forces that shape personality Gender theory is gaining ground in

comparing roles each sex takes on which form their personalities