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Personality. Psychology 1001. introduction. Up to this point we have talked about similarities Personality deals with individuality Where does it come from? Lots of ideas Lots of ways to study differences. Freud’s Psychoanalysis. Big influence in earlier years Not as big today MD
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Personality Psychology 1001
introduction • Up to this point we have talked about similarities • Personality deals with individuality • Where does it come from? • Lots of ideas • Lots of ways to study differences
Freud’s Psychoanalysis • Big influence in earlier years • Not as big today • MD • Lotsa people were sick, but he could no diagnose them with traditional methods • Studied hypnosis • Developed free association
Free Association • Supposedly, it leads to the unconscious • Stuff we aren’t aware of • Memories • Thoughts • Desires • Some things are temporarily in some sort of preconscious areas • Also from dreams, slips of the tongue etc
Personality development according so Siggy • Our personality arises from struggles between pleasures and restrictions • Satisfaction without punishment • There are three subsystems that make sure that we accomplish this
The three systems • Id • Unconscious nasty psychic energy • Operates on the pleasure principle • Ego • Gratify id in a reasonable way • Reality principle • Superego • Our conscience • Sort of the arch enemy of the id
Development • According to Freud we go through a series of psychosexual stages where the id focuses on different erogenous zones, this forms our personality • Oral stage, first 18 months • Anal stage, 18 months – 3 years • Phallic stage 3-6 years
Icky stuff • During the phallic stage we go though the Oedipus complex • Resolved through identification • Girls have penis envy….. • Latency until puberty • Genital stage Is mature sexuality • We fixate on stages with unresolved conflicts
Defense mechanisms • We use these to get though daily life • Repression • Regression • Reaction formation • Projection • Rationalization • Displacement • All are unconscious
Freud was whacked • There were dissenters • Erikson • Jung • Get at unconscious with the Rorschach test or the TAT • These tests are about as reliable as the farmer’s almanac…
So, what do modern psychologists think of this crap, err, this theory • Dreams? • Repression • Unconscious • Early development vs. life long change? • Biggest problem is that it is all post hoc • No prediction • NOT A SCIENTIFIC THEORY
Trait perspective • Maybe, instead of worrying about the unconscious, we could worry about the conscious? • Could try classifying people • Doesn’t work all that well • Describing? • Eysenck’s ideas
The Big 5 • Emotional stability • Extroversion • Openness • Agreeableness • Conscientiousness • There may be more, but you get the idea • Assessed with questionnaires
Personality inventories • MMPI • Empirically driven • Make predictions • Objective vs. projective tests • You can catch a cheater • Are people consistent? • Situation important too • Epstein (1983) • Overall style vs. given behaviour
Humanistic approach • Sort of holistic • Mazlow • Self-actualization • Fulfilling our potential • Mazlow studied the successful • Self-accepting • Courage to be different
Carl Rogers • Hi views were pretty similar • “People are generally good” • Need to be in a growth promoting environment • Genuineness • Acceptance • empathy
Humanism • Unconditional positive regard • Self concept, positive or negative, is valued • How do you measure this stuff? • Questionnaires? • Interviews? • Self-esteem has been looked at quite a bit
Self-esteem • Feelings of self worth • Higher self esteem, better day to day life • Happier • Less drug use • Sleep better • Less of those, more likely to be depressed • Maybe goes in the other direction?
Esteem • Not only in one direction • Make someone feel lousy, they are more likely to act like a jerk • Minorities don’t have lower self esteem • Most people have pretty high self esteem • Self serving bias • Not that surprising, but don’t push it to the delusional • Pretty Western-centric
Humanism is another ism • Very influential ideas • Self esteem, self worth a big ides, important in education • But…. • Vague • Self actualization = self indulgence? • People probably are NOT basically good
Social Cognitive Perspective Overt Behaviour • Importance of the effect of external events on our behaviour • Reciprocal determinism • Locus of control is another big issue Personal Factors Environment
Social cognition • Learned helplessness is the ultimate in external LOC • Past behaviour predicts future behaviour • Biggest criticism is that traits are ignored
conclusions • People are consistent • Can be measured • Freud was nuts • Situation plays a role too