Personality

*Anindividual’suniquepa0ernofthoughts,feelings,andbehaviorsthatpersistsover9me

andacrosssitua9ons.

PsychodynamicTheories

Humanis9cTheories

TraitTheoryCogni9veSocial

LearningTheories

IssuesinPersonality

1.Free will or determinism?  2.Nature or nurture?  

3.Past, present, or future?  

4.Uniqueness or universality?  

5.Equilibrium or growth?  

6.Op?mism or pessimism? 

PsychodynamicTheories

Behavioristheproductofpsychologicalforceswithintheindividual,oMenoutsideofconsciousawareness

CentralTenets

1)  Muchofmentallifeisunconscious.Peoplemaybehaveinwaystheythemselvesdon’tunderstand.

2)  Mentalprocessesactinparallel,leadingtoconflic9ngthoughtsandfeelings.

3)  Personalitypa0ernsbegininchildhood.Childhoodexperiencesstronglyaffectpersonalitydevelopment.

4)  Mentalrepresenta9onsofself,others,andrela9onshipsguideinterac9onswithothers.

5)  Thedevelopmentofpersonalityinvolveslearningtoregulateaggressiveandsexualfeelingsaswellasbecomingsociallyindependentratherthandependent.

SigmundFreudNeo‐Freudians

SigmundFreud

SigmundFreud

•  ThehumanPERSONALITYisanenergysystem.•  Itisthejobofpsychologytoinves9gatethechange,transmissionandconversionofthis‘psychicenergy’withinthepersonalitywhichshapeanddetermineit.

TheseDrivesarethe‘Energy’

StructureoftheMind

–  Id–  Super‐ego–  Ego

Id•  Existsen9relyintheunconscious(soweareneverawareofit).

•  Ourhiddentrueanimalis9cwantsanddesires.

•  WorksonthePleasure Principle 

•  Avoidpainandreceiveinstantgra9fica9on.

Ego

•  Nego9atesbetweentheIdandtheenvironment.

•  DevelopsaMertheId.•  WorksontheReality Principle. 

•  Inourconsciousandunconsciousminds.

•  Itiswhateveryoneseesasourpersonality.

Ifyouwanttobewithsomeone.Youridsaysjusttakethem,butyouregodoesnotwanttoendupinjail.Soyouaskheroutinstead.

Superego

•  Itisourconscience(whatwethinkthedifferenceisbetweenrightandwrong)

•  Developslastatabouttheageof5

•  TheegooMenmediatesbetweenthesuperegoandid.

Unconscious

WhathappenswhentheIdandSuper‐egocan’treconcile?

•  Thepsychicenergyhastogosomewhere!•  Idwon’tletitgo.•  Super‐egowon’tletithappen.•  Toprotectitselftheorganismemploysdefensemechanisms.

Defensemechanisms

Denial:refusaltoacknowledgeapainfulorthreateningreality.

Repression:excludepainfulthoughtsorfeelingsw/orealizing

Projec9on:a0ribu9ngownfeelingsonothers.

Regression:reverttochildlikebehavior

Reac9onForma9on:exaggeratedlyoppositeideasandemo9ons.

Displacement:redirec9onofrepressedmo9vesorfeelingsontosubs9tuteobjects.

Sublima9on:transformingrepressedmo9vesorfeelingsintomoresociallyacceptedforms.

Intellectualiza9on‐undertakinganacademic,unemo9onalstudyofatopic.

Ra9onaliza9on‐comingupwithabeneficialresultofanundesirableoutcome.

ThinlineBetweentheconsciousandunconscious

•  Some9mesourunconsciousthoughts,etcslipintotheconscious.

•  How?–  “Freudianslips”– Dreams

– Humor

Sohowdoesthisplayout?•  Humansaredrivenbythedesireforbodilysexualpleasure(libido)–itgetsreleasedfromdifferentcentersatdifferent9mes.

•  Buttheparentsactasthesocialcoerciontobalancethesedesires.–‘Super‐egogivers.’

•  Developmentistheresolu9onofaseriesofconflicts.

Sohowdoesthisplayout•  “Psychosexual”Stagesofdevelopment–  Oral:0–18months

•  Sucking(Weaning)•  Fixa9on–GullibleorCynical

–  Anal:18months–3•  Defeca9on(Po0ytraining)•  Fixa9on–SelfDestruc9vevs.AnalReten9ve

–  Phallic:3‐5/6•  Genitals(OedipusandElectraComplex/Castra9onAnxiety)

Sohowdoesthisplayout–  Latency5/6–12/13

• alllibidinalac9vityissuppressed.

– GenitalStage–Topubertyandbeyond!• genitalsandorgasm.• Focusedonreproduc9on

OedipusComplex

•  PhaseOne–  Boyhasalibidinalbondwiththemother(breast

feedingandmotherasprimarycaregiver)–  Paralleltothis,theboybeginstoiden9fywith

hisfather,thefigureparalleltohimintermsofbiologicalsex.(Iden9fica9onwiththefather'sroleas"lover"ofmother.)

–  Inthisphase,these2rela9onshipexistside‐by‐sideandinrela9veharmony.

OedipusComplex

•  Boy’sfeelingsIntensify•  Seesthefatherasanobstacleandarivalwho

hedesirestogetridofortokill.•  Worriesthefatherwillcastratehim.•  Boyisnever100%hos9le.Hekeepsthe

iden9fica9onsoheistorn–ambivalence•  Boyhopefullyturnshispsychicenergyinto

full‐oniden9fica9onwiththefather.“Can’tbeat’em,join’em.”

•  Boyismasculinized,eventuallyseekshisownsexualpartner

TheElectraComplex

•  Butwhataboutgirls?•  Duringthephallicstagethedaughterbecomesa0achedtoher

fatherandmorehos9letowardshermother.•  Believesthatmomisresponsibleforhernothavingapenis.•  Thisisduemostlytotheideathatthegirlis"envious"ofher

father'spenisthustheterm"penis‐envy".•  Thisleadstoresentmenttowardshermother,whothegirl

believescausedhercastra9on.