LECTURE #1 -

Question 1

What Are The Three Goals For Personality Theorists?

Answer 1

1. Scientific Observation
2. Systematic Theory
3. Applications

Question 2

Why Study Personality?

Answer 2

• Understanding the Whole Individual
• Historical Context
• Practical Applications
  Studying personality helps us understand why people are the way they are and how to
  engage with them effectively across various domains.

Question 3

Personality focuses on three core issues:

Answer 3

1. Human Universals
2. Individual Differences
3. Individual Uniqueness

Question 4

Personality

Answer 4

Personality refers to psychological qualities that contribute to an individual’s enduring
and distinctive patterns of feeling, thinking, and behaving

Question 5

A comprehensive theory of personality should address these three key questions:

Answer 5

1. What: Identifies the characteristics of a person and explains how these traits are
   organized and related.
2. How: Explores the determinants or factors that shape an individual’s personality.
3. Why: Examines the causes and reasons behind an individual’s behavior, providing insight into their actions and motivations.

Question 6

Structure

Answer 6

Stable, enduring aspects of personality that persist over time.

Question 7

Units of Analysis

Answer 7

Different theories use various units like traits and types to analyze
personality.

Question 8

Hierarchy

Answer 8

○Some theories view personality structures as hierarchically organized, with basic traits influencing lower-level tendencies.
○Other theories suggest personality is a fluid system with flexible, interrelated parts.

Question 9

Process

Answer 9

●Refers to the dynamic psychological reactions, including motivation, emotion,
and action, which change over brief periods.

While some personality traits are deeply rooted (e.g., procrastination, impatience), others can be adjusted with effort.

Question 10

The toolkit metaphor offers two key benefits

Answer 10

1. Encourages asking the right questions about personality theories.
2. Helps avoid asking unhelpful questions.

Question 11

Scientific Analysis of Personality

Answer 11

• Traditional scientific methods often involve breaking down complex systems into simpler parts to understand their functioning.

Question 12

theories of personality serve three key functions

Answer 12

1. Organize Existing Information
2. Generate New Knowledge
3. Identify New Areas of Study

Question 13

Theorists must…

Answer 13

• Move beyond intuition to meet rigorous scientific goals.
• Address questions about personality structure, processes, development, and change.
• Consider personality determinants across a broad range of factors, from molecular to sociocultural, while acknowledging philosophical views of the person embedded in the theory.

Question 14

Psychodynamic Theory

Answer 14

○ Pioneered by Freud: Views the mind as an energy system.
○Mental energies are directed toward satisfying basic bodily needs.
○ Conflicts arise between biological desires and societal constraints, with
much mental activity occurring outside conscious awareness.

Question 15

Phenomenological Theories

Answer 15

○ Focus on people’s conscious experience of the world.
○ Emphasize biological motives as well as higher motives like personal growth and self-fulfillment.
○ Psychological health is linked to developing a coherent understanding of oneself.

Question 16

Trait Approaches

Answer 16

○Focus on measuring individual differences.
○ Develop reliable measures to assess important personality differences.
○ There is consensus on key traits and how to measure them.

Question 17

Biological Foundations of Personality

Answer 17

○ Explore genetic bases of personality traits and brain systems behind individual differences.
○ Evolutionary psychology explains social behavior patterns as products of evolution.

Question 18

Behaviorism

Answer 18

○Views behavior as adaptations to environmental rewards and punishments.
○ People develop different behavioral styles due to varying reward patterns
in different settings.

Question 19

Personal Construct Theory

Answer 19

○ Focuses on how individuals interpret the world.
○ Individual differences in personality arise from different constructs used to understand the world.

Question 20

Social-Cognitive Theory

Answer 20

○Studies personality by analyzing thinking processes involved in interpreting the world.
○ Emphasizes self-regulation—goal-setting, emotional control, and executing action plans.

Question 21

Personality in Context

Answer 21

○ Investigates personality through the contexts of individuals’ lives—social
situations, cultural settings, and interpersonal relationships.

Question 22

Genetic Influence

Answer 22

Genetic factors significantly contribute to personality and individual differences.

Question 23

Scientific Advances

Answer 23

Modern research allows psychologists to identify specific genetic pathways influencing personality traits.

Question 24

Parental Influence

Answer 24

Both genetic and environmental factors (nurture) from parents play a role. While not solely to blame, parents do have a notable impact on personality development.