theories of personality Flashcards
identify famous psychologists?
mary ainsworth , Hans Eysenck , Albert bandura
Freud was not a psychologist, he was a medical doctor
the basic criteria that a theory of personality should satisfy?
Description Explanation Empirical validity Testable concepts Comprehensiveness Parsimony Heuristic value Applied value
sigmend freud and psychoanalysis
Four key ideas
1) Psychic determinism – there is a rational explanation
2) internal psychic structure – ID, EGO, SUPEREGO
3) psychic conflict, compromise – ego arbitrates between superego and ID
4) mental energy – only so much of it
ID =
our instincts, basic drives that were there when we were born (eating/security/sleep ect) < unconscious drives, not often aware of.
Superego =
moral consciousness that the world puts onto us, initally our families, what we have learnt is right and wrong to do, can be quiet concrete, what we are taught what is right/wrong to do might differ from our basic drives. Partly conscious/partly unconscious
Ego =
mediates between our basic drives in the ID (say it like LID without the L) and our superego. < most conscious part of personality
one major critiscim of freud?
he was obsessed with sex
freud’s theory of psychosexual development =
he believed different stages in the development of our personaliy across our life spans/childhood were related to different stages of our awareness of our bodies/selfs.
if people don’t mature properly through these different stages or gets stuck at (oral stage ect), freud believed would be quite disorganized < have not grown up/have not learnt.
identify psychosexual stages (freud)
Oral stage – birth to 1 year
Anal stage – from 18 months to 3 years (like things to be very controlled/ ordered)
Phallic stage – from around 3 to 5 years (children become aware of genitals, girls realise they don’t have a penis but they want one ( supposedly) (penis envy) , boys get worried about losing their penis.
Latency stage – around 5 to 12 years ( children are not aware of sexual development, maturing in other ways)
Genital stage- 12-18 years (puberty, sexually mature)
freud developed the concept of
defence mechanisms > im doing a lot better now im back in denial (cartoon)
frankly, I have repressed my sexuality so long I have actually forgotten what my orientation is (cartoon)
defence mechanisms such as repression, denial, displacement, projection, isolation, sublimation, conversion reaction and so on.
in an evaluation of freud, identify the weaknesses >
theories based on observations and conjecture and not tested empirically
focused on too narrow a basis for understanding the diversity of human behaviour.
Had a heavy emphasis on sex
in an evaluation of freud, identify the strengths ?
we do have conflicting motives
sex and aggression are powerful driving forces
childhood experiences do affect adult behaviour
talking helps!
long term psychoanalysis can help (leichsenring and rabung 2008)
individual psychology of ALFRED ADLER
Was an early follower of psychoanalysis but fell out with freud.
Inferiority feelings
> we all have them
> inferiority complex comes from adlers work
Social context (families/schools/social groups ect)
Birth order < placed heavy emphasis on order in which siblings are born.
adler =
conceptualization of the effects of birth order
evaluation of adler, strengths =
Took account of the social context in which people develop and live and that individuals need to be understood in their social context.
Link to humanistic approaches to personality
adler was not a psychologist, true or false….
true
evaluation of adler, weaknesses =
The research evidence to support the importance of aspects of the theory is weak, eg: impact of birth order.
Carl Jung =
Another disciple of Freud who broke away from the psychoanalytic school.
> psyche
The total personality
> the collective unconscious
Jung thought it was evolutionary, innate
> the persona
The mask we were in public
evaluation of Jung, strengths =
Considered the shadow side
Thought it was healthy to accept the negative aspects of ourselves
Introversion( get your energy from being alone), extroversion (get psycholoical energy from being with other people/sociable)
Led to the MBTI ( though some might question merits of this)
evaluation of jung, weaknesses =
Lack of empirical support
Difficulty of testing constructs
the radical behaviourism of B.F skinner =
Operant conditioning
Reinforcement – reward
> positive – give something nice
> negative – withhold something nasty
Punishment
> positive – give something nasty (active punsihment)
> negative- withhold something nice
Random or partial reinforcement schedules
Shaping.
reward or punishment?
How to change behaviour? > parents, teachers, the boss ect... Start some behaviour Maintain some behaviour Stop some behaviour.
learning theory perspectives on personality?
Personality as bundles of habits (learnt)
The way we behave is determined by things we have learnt
So in a sense, personality is just a way of describing how what we have learnt influences our behaviour.
skinner worried about widespread use of punishment in society and consequently……
All kinds of unintended effects:
Ineffective – context dependent
Cause undesirable escape behaviours
Emotional responses – rage, shame
conditioning really does change behaviour, but for example?
What is rewarding is ill-defined
People do insightful learning
We have intent and long-term goals
Bandura social learning theory?
Reciprocal determinism P = person factors B = behavioural factors E= environmental factors BOBO DOLL EXPERIMENT we learn by observing other people Observational learning – modelling Self-efficacy = the belief in one's capabilities to organize and execute the course of action required to manage prospective situations. Belief in your own abilities.
cognitive personality theories =
Cognitive processes are important components of personality theories in general.
Focus on how personality (eg: unconscious motivations, learned responses) affect cognitions.
Cognitive theories of personality attempt to explain personality in terms of cognitive processes.
Personality is a consequence of how we learn about ourselves and our situation, how we make decisions and solve problems.
^ link to the learning theory discussed last lecture.
personality construct theories =
George kelly (1905-1967) Each person creates a unique set of cognitive constructs about the environment Individuals act as scientists (try to understand the world) Constructs – the way you see the world Freely choose long term goals – determine subsidiary behaviour, conscious rather than unconscious or subconscious
creation of personal constructs: Kellys 11 corollaries
corollaries = processes that support the development of constructs
> such as: experiences, sociality, community, modulation, choice, dichotomy
> unique way we understand the world
> constructs influence the way we people and how we respond to the environment in which we live.
Kelly developed the REP GRID
Completed role construct repertory test (rep grid
personal constructs
we all have them – affect the way we see the world, the questions we ask
Personality theorists
albert ellis =
Rational emotive behavior therapy
A- activating agent
B- belief systems
C- consequences, emotional and behavioural
link between stimulus and behaviour =
cognitive constructs
constructs : problems =
Reliance on language – differences in meaning
Presumes that human’s behave in a highly rational way
Reliance on self-report – how accurately can individuals judge eg: own trustworthiness
No theory of development
When should constructs be updated? How?
New ones or change existing?
humanistic psychology: phenomenology
Your experience of the world is more important than reality
Immediate conscious experience is what matters
Past and future matter only in how they affect your thoughts now
Positive perspective on human nature
optimistic humanism =
Maslow
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Self-actualization most important
identify a major critiscim of maslow?
it does not take into account some of the very important human experiences and drives, particularily relating to evolution ( need to be in a relationship/need for family)
in reaction to maslow, kenrick suggested?
a renovated pyramid of needs…
carl rogers: person centered therapy
We all perceive our own reality – shaped by our mood, beliefs, experiences etc
Self-actualization – innate drive to realize our potential, blocks are the cause of psychological problems
Real self vs self-concept
in the relationship with the client the therapist – is congruent (genuine) , has unconditional positive regards for the client, is empathic in understanding of the client.
Therapist helps client explore self-concept.
evaluation of carl rogers, strengths:
> feels resonable – makes sense
attempts to explain the whole person
recognises individuality of the individual
evaluation of carl rogers, weaknesses:
reliance on self-report – true also of many attempts to evaluate
is it overly optimistic?
biological approaches to personality?
concerned with genetics and heritability
Eysenck’s biological model of personality
Introverts have high physiological arousal
Low arousal to emotional stimuli = stable
get diagram from google
Eysencks first two personality types
extraversion =
Linked to dopamine
Variation in the responsivenes of positive emotions – extraverts respond more
D4DR dopamine receptor
High gain – high risk
Introverts have more activity in the reticular activating system
They become more aroused more quickly
Produced more saliva
neuroticisim =
High neurotism: tense, nervours. Moody, worrier, touchy
Low neuroticism: stable, calm, contented, unemotional
Neurotic- risk/danger averse (Everest climbers average 1sd below mean)
Tendency to hyper-vigilance
Serotonin (5-HT)
Prozac (an SSRI)
PRINT OUT SIR FRANCIS GALTON AND ALFRED BINET
ONE NOTE SLIDES
