Theories of personality

Saturday, February 3, 2018Saturday, February 3, 2018
Saturday, February 3, 2018SMS Kabir, Jagannath University, smskabir218@gmail.com
INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION
TO PERSONALITYTO PERSONALITY

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION
TO PERSONALITYTO PERSONALITY
 PERSONALITYPERSONALITY
CONCEPTSCONCEPTS
 THEORIES OFTHEORIES OF
PERSONALITYPERSONALITY
 PERSONALITYPERSONALITY
ASSESSMENTASSESSMENT
Saturday, February 3, 2018Saturday, February 3, 2018Kabir, Jagannath University, smskabir218@gmail.comKabir, Jagannath University, smskabir218@gmail.com

 An individual’s characteristicAn individual’s characteristic
pattern of thinking, feeling, andpattern of thinking, feeling, and
acting.acting.
 A person’s general style ofA person’s general style of
interacting with the world.interacting with the world.
 Differences between people whichDifferences between people which
are relatively consistent over timeare relatively consistent over time
and place.and place.
What is Personality?What is Personality?
Kabir, Jagannath University, smskabir218@gmail.comKabir, Jagannath University, smskabir218@gmail.com Saturday, February 3, 2018Saturday, February 3, 2018

PPeerrssoonnaall--ityity
MaskMask (latin)(latin)

Personality psychology, also knownPersonality psychology, also known
as as personology,personology, is the study of is the study of
the the person,person, that is, the whole human that is, the whole human
individual.individual.
Personality consists of all thePersonality consists of all the
relatively STABLE and DISTINCTIVErelatively STABLE and DISTINCTIVE
styles of thought, behavior andstyles of thought, behavior and
emotional response that characterizeemotional response that characterize
a person’s adaptations to surroundinga person’s adaptations to surrounding
circumstances.circumstances.

 PersonalityPersonality refers to a person’srefers to a person’s
unique and relatively stableunique and relatively stable
pattern of thoughts, feelings, andpattern of thoughts, feelings, and
actions.actions.
 Personality is an interactionPersonality is an interaction
between biology and environment -between biology and environment -
Genetic studies suggest heritabilityGenetic studies suggest heritability
of personality.of personality.
Other studies suggest learnedOther studies suggest learned
components of personality.components of personality.

Why study personality?Why study personality?
 Personality is a central topicPersonality is a central topic
in psychology.in psychology.
 Aims to understand causesAims to understand causes
of behaviour in ourselves andof behaviour in ourselves and
others by attributing uniqueothers by attributing unique
individual characteristics.individual characteristics.

Why study personality?Why study personality?
 ‘‘Personality’ asks ‘bigPersonality’ asks ‘big
questions’ e.g.-questions’ e.g.-
Who are you?Who are you?
How did you become whoHow did you become who
you are?you are?
What are your uniqueWhat are your unique
patterns of doing, thinking,patterns of doing, thinking,
and feeling?and feeling?

Personality ApplicationsPersonality Applications
Personality is closely related/Personality is closely related/
applied to -applied to -
Developmental psychologyDevelopmental psychology
Clinical, forensic andClinical, forensic and
neuropsychologyneuropsychology
Social psychologySocial psychology
Vocational counsellingVocational counselling
Personnel selectionPersonnel selection

Personality TheoriesPersonality Theories
 Psychoanalytic ApproachPsychoanalytic Approach
 Trait TheoriesTrait Theories
 Social Cognitive ApproachSocial Cognitive Approach
 Humanistic ApproachHumanistic Approach
 Evolutionary/ BiologicalEvolutionary/ Biological
ApproachApproach

Psychoanalytic ApproachPsychoanalytic Approach
 Sigmund FreudSigmund Freud
 Childhood ExperiencesChildhood Experiences
 Role of unconscious inRole of unconscious in
motivating human actionsmotivating human actions
11

Trait TheoriesTrait Theories
 What are fundamental elementsWhat are fundamental elements
of personality?of personality?
 A trait: any relatively enduringA trait: any relatively enduring
way in which one individual differsway in which one individual differs
from another -from another -
stable in timestable in time
consistent over situationsconsistent over situations
their combination is the cause of thetheir combination is the cause of the
individual differencesindividual differences
22

Social Cognitive ApproachSocial Cognitive Approach
 Active, conscious aspects ofActive, conscious aspects of
our personalityour personality
 Different ways in whichDifferent ways in which
individuals interpret eventsindividuals interpret events
 Personality styles are shapedPersonality styles are shaped
by observational learningby observational learning
Self-efficacySelf-efficacy
33

Humanistic ApproachHumanistic Approach
 Emphasizes humanEmphasizes human
potential forpotential for
growth, creativitygrowth, creativity
and spontaneityand spontaneity
 Self-conceptSelf-concept
44

Biological ApproachesBiological Approaches
 EvolutionaryEvolutionary
ApproachApproach
 Behavioral GeneticBehavioral Genetic
ApproachApproach
55

Personality AssessmentPersonality Assessment
 Clinical InterviewClinical Interview
 Objective TestsObjective Tests
EPQ (Eysenck)EPQ (Eysenck)
Myers-BriggsMyers-Briggs
16PF (Cattell)16PF (Cattell)
MMPIMMPI
NEO (Big 5)NEO (Big 5)
 Projective TestsProjective Tests
Rorschach Ink BlotsRorschach Ink Blots
Thematic Apperception TestThematic Apperception Test

Eysenck’s SupertraitsEysenck’s Supertraits
 Proposed that there were two superProposed that there were two super
personality traits.personality traits.
 Based on genetics and physiology.Based on genetics and physiology.
1.1.Extraversion-IntroversionExtraversion-Introversion::
baseline brain arousal levelbaseline brain arousal level
2.2.Emotional Stability-Emotional Stability-
InstabilityInstability: reactivity of the: reactivity of the
autonomic nervous systemautonomic nervous system

Eysenck’s SupertraitsEysenck’s Supertraits

Myers-Briggs Type IndicatorMyers-Briggs Type Indicator
 EExtraversion-xtraversion-IIntroversionntroversion
((E-IE-I))
 SSensing-Iensing-INNtuition (tuition (S-NS-N))
(style of gathering data)(style of gathering data)
 TThinking-hinking-FFeeling (eeling (T-FT-F))
(style of making decisions)(style of making decisions)
 JJudging-udging-PPerceiving (erceiving (J-PJ-P))
(outward preference for(outward preference for
structure or flexibility)structure or flexibility)
EnergyEnergy
InfoInfo
DecisionDecision
MakingMaking
PreferPrefer

16 Personality Factors16 Personality Factors
Using Factor Analysis,Using Factor Analysis,
Cattell analyzedCattell analyzed
relationships amongstrelationships amongst
many clusters ofmany clusters of
personality adjectivespersonality adjectives
which he reduced to 16which he reduced to 16
core traits.core traits.

MMPIMMPI
 Minnesota Multiphasic PersonalityMinnesota Multiphasic Personality
InventoryInventory
 Most widely researched andMost widely researched and
clinically used personality testclinically used personality test
 Originally developed to identifyOriginally developed to identify
emotional disordersemotional disorders
 Developed by empirically testing aDeveloped by empirically testing a
pool of items and then selectingpool of items and then selecting
those that discriminatedthose that discriminated
between diagnostic groups.between diagnostic groups.

Saturday, February 3, 2018SMS Kabir, Jagannath University, smskabir218@gmail.com 23

Big 5 FactorsBig 5 Factors
 Eysencks’ 2 supertraits are too narrowEysencks’ 2 supertraits are too narrow
 Cattell’s 16PF too large.Cattell’s 16PF too large.
 5 factors does a better job of assessment5 factors does a better job of assessment
 Currently the best summary of personalityCurrently the best summary of personality
factors -factors -
Neuroticism (Emotional Stability)Neuroticism (Emotional Stability)
ExtraversionExtraversion
OpennessOpenness
AgreeablenessAgreeableness
ConscientiousnessConscientiousness

Questions about the Big 5Questions about the Big 5
Yes. Conscientious people areYes. Conscientious people are
morning type and extravertedmorning type and extraverted
are evening type.are evening type.
4. Can they predict other4. Can they predict other
personal attributes?personal attributes?
These traits are common acrossThese traits are common across
cultures.cultures.
3. How about other cultures?3. How about other cultures?
50% or so for each trait.50% or so for each trait.2. How heritable are they?2. How heritable are they?
Quite stable in adulthood.Quite stable in adulthood.
However, they change overHowever, they change over
development.development.
1. How stable are these traits?1. How stable are these traits?

Projective TestsProjective Tests
 Contain a series of ambiguousContain a series of ambiguous
stimuli, such as inkblots, to whichstimuli, such as inkblots, to which
the test taker must respond aboutthe test taker must respond about
his/her perceptions of the stimulihis/her perceptions of the stimuli
 Sample testsSample tests
Rorschach Inkblots TestRorschach Inkblots Test
Thematic ApperceptionThematic Apperception
Tests (TAT)Tests (TAT)

Rorschach Inkblots TestRorschach Inkblots Test
 Contains 10 symmetric inkblots usedContains 10 symmetric inkblots used
in the test, in which the examinerin the test, in which the examiner
then goes through the cards and asksthen goes through the cards and asks
the test taker to clarify his/herthe test taker to clarify his/her
responses by identifying the variousresponses by identifying the various
parts of the inkblot that led to theparts of the inkblot that led to the
responseresponse
 Assumes the test taker’s responsesAssumes the test taker’s responses
are projections of their personalare projections of their personal
conflicts and personality dynamicsconflicts and personality dynamics
 Widely used but not demonstrated toWidely used but not demonstrated to
be reliable and validbe reliable and valid

Thematic Apperception Tests (TAT)Thematic Apperception Tests (TAT)
[Murray, 1943][Murray, 1943]
 Consists of 19 cards with black andConsists of 19 cards with black and
white pictures of ambiguous settingswhite pictures of ambiguous settings
and one blank cardand one blank card
 Test taker has to make up a storyTest taker has to make up a story
for each card s/he sees (whatfor each card s/he sees (what
happened before, is happening now,happened before, is happening now,
what the people are feeling andwhat the people are feeling and
thinking, and how things will turn out)thinking, and how things will turn out)
 Looks for recurring themes in theLooks for recurring themes in the
responsesresponses
 Scoring has yet to be demonstratedScoring has yet to be demonstrated
to be either reliable or validto be either reliable or valid

QuestionsQuestions
AnswersAnswers
Saturday, February 3, 2018

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