PerDev 10

Understanding the self

GORJEL E. LLANITA
BS PSYCHOLOGY
MS PSYCHOLOGY
PhD COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
HOW DO THEORISTS DEFINE PERSONALITY?

PSYCHODYNAMIC
PERSPECTIVES
UNCONSCIOUS MOTIVATIONS

TRAIT
SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS OF PERSONALITY

HUMANISTIC
INNER CAPACITY FOR GROWTH

SOCIAL - COGNITIVE
INFLUENCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT
PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE

SIGMUND FREUD
(1856-1939)
• University of Vienna 1873
• Voracious Reader
• Medical School Graduate
• Specialized in Nervous Disorders :
• - Some patients’ disorders had no physical
cause.
PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE
The structure and
development of personality

much of behavior is caused by

parts of personality which are
found in the unconscious and
of which we are unaware
PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE

Structure of personality
id: Pleasure principle; id the
unorganized, inborn part of
personality whose purpose is
to immediately reduce
tensions relating to hunger,
sex, aggression, and other
primitive impulses.
PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE

Structure of personality
ego: Reality Principle;
ego restrains instinctual
energy in order to
maintain the safety of
the individual and to
help the person to be a
member of society
PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE

Structure of personality
superego: Ideal Principle;
superego the rights and
wrongs of society and consists
of the conscience and the
ego-ideal.
PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE

Ego Defense Mechanisms

Repression pushing unacceptable and anxiety- producing thoughts into
the unconscious; involves intentional forgetting but not consciously
done; repressed material can be memories or unacceptable impulses.
A rape victim cannot recall the details of the attack.

Regression: Regression acting in ways characteristic of earlier life

stages/earlier stage of personality.
A young adult, anxious on a trip to his parents/ home, sits in the
corner reading comic books, as he often did in grade school.
PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE

Ego Defense Mechanisms

Reaction formation: replacing an anxiety-producing formation feeling with
its exact opposite, typically going overboard; repressed thoughts appear
as mirror opposites.
A man who is anxious about his interest in gay men begins dating
women several times a week.

Rationalization: Rationalization creating false but believable excuses to

justify inappropriate behavior; real motive for behavior is not accepted by
ego.
A student cheats on an exam, explaining that cheating is legitimate on
an unfair examination.
PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE

Ego Defense Mechanisms

Denial: Denial claiming and believing that something which is actually true is false.
A person disbelieves that she is aged, asserting that “I am not getting older.”

Displacement: Displacement redirecting emotional feelings (e.g., anger) to a

substitute target; involves directing unacceptable impulses onto a less threatening
object/person. A husband, angry at the way his boss treated him, screams at his
children.  Instead of telling your professor what you really think of her, you
tailgate and harass a slow driver on your way home from school.
PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE

Ego Defense Mechanisms

Projection attributing one’s own unacceptable feelings or beliefs to
others; perceiving the external world in terms of one’s own personal
conflicts.
An employee at a store, tempted to steal some merchandise,
suspects that other employees are stealing.

Sublimation: Sublimation substitute socially acceptable behavior for

unacceptable impulses. Playing video games instead of getting in a
fight.
 PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE
PSYCHO
toilet training self-stimulation (socialization (sexual
SEXUAL with same exploration)
T
sucking and gender)
swallowing
Genital
A genitals
Latency adolescence
G Erogenous anus
zone Phallic 6 to puberty
mouth
E Anal 3 to 6 years

S Oral age 1 to 3
age 0-18 mos
Oedipal complex (boys)
Electra complex (girls)
Castration anxiety
Penis envy
PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE
PSYCHO
SEXUAL
T
A
G
E
S
PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE

CRITICISMS:
1. a lack of supportive scientific data
2. the theory’s inadequacy in making predictions
3. its limitations owing to the restricted population on which it is
based
4.Slips of the tongue and Dreams may not be likely competing
unconscious “nodes” in memory network drives and wishes
5. Does Not PREDICT Behavior or Traits (based on his
recollections & interpretations of patients’ free associations,
dreams & slips of the tongue)
PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE
Source of information about personality:
Obtained from expert analyst from people in therapy.
Cause of behavior, thoughts, and feelings:
unconscious internal conflict associated with childhood experiences.
unconscious conflicts between pleasure-seeking impulses and social
restraints.
Outlook on humans:
negative.
Comprehensiveness of theory:
very comprehensive.
PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE

THE THEORY REMAINS POPULAR

Neo-Freudian psychoanalytic theorists built upon

Freud’s work, although they placed greater emphasis on
the role of the ego and paid greater attention to social
factors in determining behavior
 PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE
Neo-Freudians (place less emphasis on sex)
Carl Jung:
Personal vs. Collective Unconscious.
Balance between introversion and extroversion
Alfred Adler
Striving for superiority
motivation to master environment.
Notion of an Inferiority Complex.
Karen Horney
Personality is Cultural rather than biological.
 TRAIT PERSPECTIVES
SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS OF PERSONALITY

Trait Personality Theories

- Trait approaches have tried to identify the most basic and relatively
enduring dimensions (Traits) along which people differ from one another.

How many trait dimensions are there?

Where do these trait dimensions originate?

How can we measure these trait dimensions?

 TRAIT PERSPECTIVES
SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS OF PERSONALITY

American psychologist.

Allport was one of the first psychologists

to focus on the study of the personality.

“Most important personality traits are those

that reflect our values”.

(November 11, 1897 – October 9, 1967)

TRAIT PERSPECTIVES
SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS OF PERSONALITY

CARDINAL
a single personality trait that directs most of a cardinal
person’s activities (e.g., greed, lust, kindness).

CENTRAL
a set of major characteristics that make up the
central core of a person’s personality (e.g. Honesty)

less important personality traits that do not affect

behavior as much as central and cardinal traits do.
(such as particular likes or dislikes that a very close
friend may know)
 TRAIT PERSPECTIVES
SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS OF PERSONALITY

Hans Eysenck’s 3 Factors Theory

Emotionally Impulse
Introversion Stable Control
versus vs vs
Extroversion Unstable Psychotic
(neurotic)
 TRAIT PERSPECTIVES
SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS OF PERSONALITY
temperaments

Sanguine (extroverted + stable):

extroverted cheerful, hopeful
SANGUINE CHOLERIC u
s Choleric (extroverted + unstable): hot-
n
t s tempered, irritable
a t
b a Phlegmatic (introverted + stable):
l b sluggish, calm
e
PHLEGMATIC MELANCHOLIC l
e Melancholic (introverted + unstable):
sad, gloomy
introverted
 TRAIT PERSPECTIVES
SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS OF PERSONALITY

• British and American psychologist

• Known for his psychometric research into
intrapersonal psychological structure – 16 PF

(20 March 1905 – 2 February 1998)

 TRAIT PERSPECTIVES
SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS OF PERSONALITY

MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS:

Surface traits Openness

Features that make up
the visible areas of
personality Conscientiousness
basic
categories Extraversion
of traits
Source traits Agreeable
Underlying
characteristics of a
personality Neuroticism
 TRAIT PERSPECTIVES
SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS OF PERSONALITY

calm, secure, self-satisfied VS anxious, insecure, self-pitying

sociable, fun-loving, affectionate VS retiring, sober, reserved

imaginative, independent VS practical, conforming

kind, trusting, helpful VS ruthless, suspicious, uncooperative

organized, careful, disciplined VS disorganized, careless, impulsive

SUMMARY
Traits= Characteristics or typical ways of acting
Consistency = across situations, over time
Distinctiveness= each personality is unique
Explain why individuals behave in certain ways
How many traits are there, and what are they?
Not easy to answer; little consensus
DO TRAITS EXIST?
Walter Mischel (1968) argued that: “Behavior is not consistent across
time or situation. If no consistency, not much point in arguing for
‘personality.’ Thus, ‘personality’ is an illusion.

Situationism: Mischel believed that behavior is influenced more by the

situation than any internal “trait.”

Person x situation interactionism: Both (a) internal traits and (b) the
situation we are in are important determinants of behavior.
SOURCE OF INFORMATION ABOUT PERSONALITY:
obtained from observation of behavior and questionnaire responses from
the general population as well as from people in therapy.

CAUSE OF BEHAVIOR, THOUGHTS, AND FEELINGS:

stable internal characteristics; some emphasize genetic basis.

OUTLOOK ON HUMANS:
neutral - neither positive nor negative.

COMPREHENSIVENESS OF THEORY:
not very comprehensive.
• Rejected Freud’s pessimistic view of personality
• Rejected Behaviorist’s mechanistic view
• More optimistic/positive about human nature
• Humans are free and basically good.
• Humans are inner-directed.  Everyone has the potential for healthy
growth.
• Health growth involves Self actualization (“Be all you can be.”)
• Given the right environmental conditions, we can reach our full
potential.
 American Psychologist who was best
known for creating the hierarchy of needs
a theory of psychological health predicated
on fulfilling innate human needs in priority,
culminating in self-actualization

April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970

CHARACTERISTICS OF SELF-ACTUALIZED PEOPLE
• Efficient perceptions of reality
• Comfortable acceptance of self, others, and nature
• Spontaneity
• Task Centering Autonomy
• Continued freshness of appreciation
• Fellowship with humanity
• Profound interpersonal relationships
• Comfort with solitude
• Non-hostile sense of humor
• Peak experiences
ROGER’s PERSON-CENTERED PERSON PERSPECTIVE
• Self-concept: our image or perception of ourselves
(Real Self versus Ideal Self).

• We have a need for positive regard/approval from others. Conditions

of worth or conditional positive regard.

• The conditions under which other people will approve of

• us. We change our behavior to obtain approval.

• What we need is: Unconditional positive regard.

• Anxiety signifies that we are not being true to our ideal self.
ROGER’s PERSON-
CENTERED
PERSON
PERSPECTIVE
SUMMARY

Source of information about personality:

obtained from self-reports from the general population and people in therapy

Cause of behavior, thoughts, and feelings:

Self concepts, self-actualizing tendencies, conscious feelings about oneself
(based on one’s previous experiences).

Outlook on humans: positive.

Comprehensiveness of theory: fairly comprehensive.

SOURCE OF INFORMATION ABOUT PERSONALITY
obtained from self-reports from the general population and people in therapy

CAUSE OF BEHAVIOR, THOUGHTS, AND FEELINGS

self concepts, self-actualizing tendencies, conscious feelings about oneself
(based on one’s previous experiences)

OUTLOOK ON HUMANS:
positive
COMPREHENSIVENESS OF THEORY
fairly comprehensive
 INFLUENCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Behavior learned through

conditioning and observation

What we think about our

situation affects our behavior
Interaction of Environment and
Intellect.
 INFLUENCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Canadian-born American Psychologist and

originator of social cognitive theory who is
probably best known for his modeling study
on aggression, referred to as the “bobo
doll” experiment, which demonstrated that
children can learn behaviors through the
observation of adults
 INFLUENCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

• Bandura Theoretical origins in behaviorism.

• Emphasizes the role of learning in personality (Modeling)

Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning

• Instead of studying what’s going on inside the person (traits), study

what is going on outside the person (environment)

• How does the environment shape personality?

 INFLUENCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Bandura also emphasized the importance of cognition in personality development.

self-efficacy- Our beliefs about our ability to achieve goals.

Individuals with higher self-efficacy: accept greater challenges and try harder
to meet challenges.

Reciprocal Determinism - The individual and the environment continually

influence one another.
INFLUENCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

RECIPROCAL
DETERMINISM
- the idea that behavior is controlled or
determined by the individual, through
cognitive processes, and by the
environment, through external social
stimulus events
 INFLUENCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Burrhus Frederic Skinner

- an American psychologist, behaviorist,
author, inventor, and social philosopher.

- He was the Edgar Pierce Professor of

Psychology at Harvard University from 1958
until his retirement in 1974.

(March 20, 1904 – August 18, 1990)

 INFLUENCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

when the organism is operating on the

environments, the organism will encounter a
special kind of reinforcing stimulus or simply
a reinforcement.

Reinforcement increases a behavior and

punishment decreases or ends it.
INFLUENCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT
 INFLUENCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT
SUMMARY
Source of information about personality:
Obtained from experiments, observations of behavior, and questionnaire
responses from the general population.

Cause of behavior, thoughts, and feelings:

reciprocal influence between people (cognitions and behavior) and their
environmental situations, colored by their perceptions of control.

Outlook on humans: neutral: neither positive nor negative.

Comprehensiveness of theory: not very comprehensive.

 How do we measure “Personality

ACTIVITY:
Explore the possibility of taking a Personality from the
Guidance and Counseling Center