PSY 432: PersonalityPSY 432: Personality

Chapter 1: Chapter 1: What is Personality?What is Personality?

What is Personality?What is Personality?

When we say that he or she “has a When we say that he or she “has a great personality” – what do we great personality” – what do we mean?mean?

  

A generic definitionA generic definition

Personality may be defined as consistent Personality may be defined as consistent behavior patterns displayed by the behavior patterns displayed by the individual and intrapersonal processes individual and intrapersonal processes originating within the individualoriginating within the individual However, not much agreement among However, not much agreement among

personality theorists on how to personality theorists on how to appropriately define the termappropriately define the term

Gordon Allport Gordon Allport ““The father of personality psychology”The father of personality psychology”

Allport (1961)Allport (1961) Personality is defined as "the dynamic Personality is defined as "the dynamic

organization within the individual of those organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine psychophysical systems that determine his characteristic behavior and thought“his characteristic behavior and thought“

Emphasized the importance of long-term Emphasized the importance of long-term characteristics in personalitycharacteristics in personality

(1897-1967)

Personality Psychology:Personality Psychology:Fundamental issues Fundamental issues

Individual DifferencesIndividual Differences Intrapersonal FunctioningIntrapersonal Functioning

Fundamental IssuesFundamental Issues

Individual differencesIndividual differences – no two – no two people are the samepeople are the same ““Why are some children more afraid of Why are some children more afraid of

strangers than others” strangers than others” ““Why do some people attribute success Why do some people attribute success

to their abilities and failure to bad luck, to their abilities and failure to bad luck, and others attribute successes to luck and others attribute successes to luck and failures to their lack of abilities?”and failures to their lack of abilities?”

Fundamental IssuesFundamental Issues Intrapersonal functioningIntrapersonal functioning

What Allport called “dynamic What Allport called “dynamic organization” – same processes are being organization” – same processes are being engaged but different inner motives are engaged but different inner motives are constantly at work depending on the constantly at work depending on the situation – the reason why sometimes we situation – the reason why sometimes we go out and party and sometimes we stay go out and party and sometimes we stay in to read in to read

What is a Theory?What is a Theory? TheoryTheory

A set of abstract concepts developed A set of abstract concepts developed about a group of facts or events in order about a group of facts or events in order to explain themto explain them

Theory of PersonalityTheory of Personality An organized system of beliefs that An organized system of beliefs that

helps us to understand human naturehelps us to understand human nature

The Role of Personality TheoryThe Role of Personality Theory

Macro TheoriesMacro Theories Global and emphasize comprehension of Global and emphasize comprehension of

the whole personthe whole person Micro TheoriesMicro Theories

Have resulted from specific research Have resulted from specific research focused on limited aspects of human focused on limited aspects of human behaviorbehavior

Evaluation of Personality Evaluation of Personality TheoryTheory

CAN WE HAVE A SCIENCE OF PERSONALITY CAN WE HAVE A SCIENCE OF PERSONALITY AND WHAT KIND OF A SCIENCE CAN IT BE?AND WHAT KIND OF A SCIENCE CAN IT BE? One can reasonably question whether paradigms One can reasonably question whether paradigms from the physical sciences can be applied in an from the physical sciences can be applied in an effort to understanding human beingseffort to understanding human beings

In the hard sciences, a system is understood by In the hard sciences, a system is understood by reducing its complex whole in to simpler parts and reducing its complex whole in to simpler parts and showing how these parts give rise to the functioning showing how these parts give rise to the functioning of the wholeof the whole

However, not all personality theorists agree that a However, not all personality theorists agree that a rigorous scientific method is the best way to rigorous scientific method is the best way to understand personalityunderstand personality

Evaluation of Personality Evaluation of Personality TheoryTheory

Personality is not merely a physical systemPersonality is not merely a physical system People construct and respond to meaningPeople construct and respond to meaning There is no guarantee that the traditional scientific There is no guarantee that the traditional scientific procedures of reducing a system into its component procedures of reducing a system into its component parts enable researchers to understand how parts enable researchers to understand how meaning is constructed and responded tomeaning is constructed and responded to The whole may be greater than the sum of its The whole may be greater than the sum of its parts: three complementary orientations - parts: three complementary orientations - philosophy, science, and artphilosophy, science, and art

WHAT IS A PERSONALITY WHAT IS A PERSONALITY THEORY SUPPOSED TO DO?THEORY SUPPOSED TO DO?

Like all scientific theories, theories Like all scientific theories, theories of personality serve three key of personality serve three key functions:functions:1.1. Organize existing informationOrganize existing information2.2. Generate new knowledgeGenerate new knowledge3.3. Identify issues that deserve to be Identify issues that deserve to be

studiedstudied

Basic Philosophical Basic Philosophical AssumptionsAssumptions

Issues along which personality theories Issues along which personality theories differ:differ:

Free will vs.Free will vs. DeterminismDeterminismHeredity vs. Environmental influencesHeredity vs. Environmental influencesUniqueness vs. UniversalityUniqueness vs. UniversalityProactivity vs. ReactivityProactivity vs. ReactivityOptimism vs. PessimismOptimism vs. Pessimism

Experimentation: Experimentation: The Scientific MethodThe Scientific Method

ObservationsObservations ““You can observe a lot by watching”You can observe a lot by watching”

TheoriesTheories Explains, organizes, and predicts observable Explains, organizes, and predicts observable

behaviorbehavior SpeculationSpeculation Parsimonious is betterParsimonious is better

HypothesesHypotheses Best guesses Best guesses Testable predictionsTestable predictions

It’s a Continuous CycleIt’s a Continuous Cycle

theories

observations

hypotheses

Psychologists must be skepticaland think critically

What is the evidence?How was it collected?

Empirical StudiesEmpirical StudiesKnowledge acquired through observation

Empirical StudiesEmpirical Studies

Conclusions are based on research (objective data)

NOT on tradition or common sense (subjective data)

Variables:Variables:Dependent and Dependent and IndependentIndependent

DVDV Variable (behavior) you are measuringVariable (behavior) you are measuring

What the researcher is trying to find out What the researcher is trying to find out IV IV

Variable or variables being manipulated Variable or variables being manipulated Factors that the researcher is attempting to Factors that the researcher is attempting to

isolateisolate

Operational DefinitionsOperational Definitions Clearly defining our variablesClearly defining our variables

Eliminates confusionEliminates confusion Allows others to be able to successfully Allows others to be able to successfully

replicate our experimentreplicate our experiment

Personality AssessmentPersonality Assessment ReliabilityReliability ValidityValidity

Making sure things are Making sure things are consistent…consistent…

ReliabilityReliability Degree of consistency or repeatabilityDegree of consistency or repeatability

Interrater ReliabilityInterrater Reliability When different observers witness a When different observers witness a

behavior - is there agreement?behavior - is there agreement? Test-Retest ReliabilityTest-Retest Reliability

Experimenters will often retest people Experimenters will often retest people using either the same test or another using either the same test or another form of itform of it

Making sure things are Making sure things are meaningful…meaningful…

Validity: Validity: Are we measuring what we intend Are we measuring what we intend to measure?to measure? Internal ValidityInternal Validity

Are we sure the test is measuring what it Are we sure the test is measuring what it is intended to measure?is intended to measure?

Face ValidityFace Validity Congruent ValidityCongruent Validity Discriminant ValidityDiscriminant Validity

Making sure things are Making sure things are meaningful…meaningful…

Validity:Validity: Do our results transfer? Do our results transfer? External ValidityExternal Validity

Is the extent to which the results of a Is the extent to which the results of a study can be applied to circumstances study can be applied to circumstances outside the specific research setting in outside the specific research setting in which a particular study was carried which a particular study was carried outout

Personality AssessmentPersonality Assessment Psychometric TestsPsychometric Tests

Any standardized procedure for measuring sensitivity or memory or intelligence or aptitude or personality

These are carefully designed questionnaires developed with theoretical and statistical techniques

Projective TestsProjective Tests Used primarily in clinical settings these tests Used primarily in clinical settings these tests

attempt to assess personal values, needs, feelings, attempt to assess personal values, needs, feelings, etc.etc.

ResearchResearch Clinical ApproachClinical Approach

Intensive interviews and observations; use of Intensive interviews and observations; use of projective testsprojective tests

Experimental ApproachExperimental Approach The use of DV and IVThe use of DV and IV

Psychometric ApproachPsychometric Approach Use of questionnaires, screening tools, etc. Use of questionnaires, screening tools, etc.

based on powerful statistical techniques such based on powerful statistical techniques such as correlationsas correlations

See next slide

Please, don’t eat ice cream!Please, don’t eat ice cream!

Correlation CoefficientsCorrelation Coefficients

Range from +1.00 to -1.00Range from +1.00 to -1.00

CreditsCredits

Some slides of this presentation prepared with the help of the Some slides of this presentation prepared with the help of the following website:following website: psychology.illinoisstate.edu/mjsteven/psy233/ch01.ppt www.sjsu.edu/.../139%20chapter%201%20ppt

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