This document provides an overview of several theories of personality: 1) Psychoanalytic theory proposed by Freud which emphasizes unconscious motivations and defenses. It describes the mind as having an id, ego, and superego. 2) Trait theory which describes personality in terms of characteristic patterns of behavior. Popular personality tests measure traits. 3) Humanistic theory focuses on self-concept, self-esteem, and achieving one's potential. 4) Socio-cognitive theory views behavior as influenced by social and cognitive factors like perceived control over one's environment. It emphasizes how cognition shapes behavior.

1. Personality
By : Murniati, S.Pd., M.Si.

2. Personality
 patterns of behaving and thinking that
are consistent across a variety of
situations

3. 1. Psychoanalytic
2. Trait
3. Humanistic
4. Socio-Cognitive

4.  Freud’s theory:
unconscious
motivations influence
personality

5. Psychoanalysis (Freud)
 Theory: our actions are due to
unconscious conflicts
 Therapy: treating psychological disorders
by uncovering and interpreting
unconscious conflicts

6. Free Association
 method of exploring the unconscious
 person relaxes and says whatever
comes to mind, no matter how trivial
or embarrassing

7.  Unconscious (Freud)
 A reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes,
feelings and memories
 Two main unconscious instincts:
 sex and aggression
 Preconscious
 information that is not conscious but is retrievable into
conscious awareness

8. 1. Id
2. Ego
3. Superego

9. Freud’s idea
of the mind’s
structure
Id
Superego
Ego Conscious mind
Unconscious
mind

10. Id
 unconscious psychic energy
 strives to satisfy basic sexual and
aggressive instincts
 operates on the pleasure principle,
seeking immediate gratification

11. Superego
 our conscience
 given to us by family/society
 operates on morality principle, sets
standards right vs. wrong

12. Ego
 conscious part of personality
 mediates conflict between id and
superego
 operates on the reality principle, delays
gratification of id impulses

13.  Defense Mechanisms
 conflicts of id and superego produce anxiety
 defense mechanisms reduce anxiety by distorting reality

14.  Regression
 retreating to behavior appropriate for an earlier stage of
development (e.g., temper tantrum)
 Repression
 pushing anxiety arousing thoughts into the unconscious
(e.g., serious traumas like rape)

15.  Reaction Formation
 expressing feelings that are the opposite of their
anxiety-arousing unconscious feelings
(e.g., Ban the filth! I hate homosexuals!)

16.  Projection
 disguising our own impulses by attributing them to
others (e.g., You always start arguments!)
 Rationalization
 making up an untrue justification to ourselves for doing
something (e.g., sour grapes)

17.  Displacement
 shifting sexual or aggressive impulses toward a less
threatening object or person
(e.g., kicking the dog!)
 Sublimation
 rechanneling of unacceptable impulses into socially
approved activities (e.g., a great artist who paints
nudes!)

18.  Projective Tests
 used to assess personality (e.g., Rorschach or TAT tests)
 How? provides ambiguous stimuli and subject projects
his or her motives into the ambiguous stimuli

19. Thematic
Apperception
Test (TAT)
people express
their inner
motives through
the stories they
make up about
ambiguous
scenes

20.  Rorschach Inkblot Test
 the most widely used projective test
 a set of 10 inkblots designed by Hermann Rorschach

21. used to identify
people’s inner
feelings by
analyzing their
interpretations
of the blots

22.  Good tests are reliable and valid
 reliable: consistent, getting the same results each time
the test is administered
 valid: measure what it is suppose to measure

23.  (+) Can help us understand ego defenses used by
everyone (and OK to use if not overused)
 (+) Alerts us to the unconscious causes of behavior
 (-) Assessment is subjective (TAT, Rorschach)
 (-) Reliability and validity of measurement are
problems

24.  Trait
 a characteristic pattern of behavior
 usually assessed by self-report inventories

25.  Personality Inventory
 a questionnaire (often with true-false or agree-disagree
items) designed to assess traits
 objective scoring -- a real plus!

26.  Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
 the most widely researched and clinically used of all
personality tests
 developed to identify emotional disorders

27. “Nothing in the newspaper interests me
except the comics.”
“I get angry sometimes.”

28. Empirically Derived Test
1. Select two groups of subjects
(e.g., clinically depressed vs normals)
2. give a large pool of questions to them
3. keep only those questions that
discriminate between groups

29.  Minnesota
Multiphasic
Personality
Inventory
(MMPI) test
profile
Hysteria
(uses symptoms to solve problems)
Masculinity/femininity
(interests like those of other sex)
T-score
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 30 40 50 60 70 80
Hypochondriasis
(concern with body symptoms)
Depression
(pessimism, hopelessness)
Psychopathic deviancy
(disregard for social standards)
Paranoia
(delusions, suspiciousness)
Psychasthenia
(anxious, guilt feelings)
Schizophrenia
(withdrawn, bizarre thoughts)
Hypomania
(overactive, excited, impulsive)
Social introversion
(shy, inhibited)
Clinically
significant
range
After
treatment
(no scores
in the clinically
significant range
Before
treatment
(anxious,
depressed,
and
displaying
deviant
behaviors)

30.  Two Factor Trait
Theory of
Personality
UNSTABLE
STABLE
cholericmelancholic
phlegmatic sanguine
INTROVERTED EXTRAVERTED
Moody
Anxious
Rigid
Sober
Pessimistic
Reserved
Unsociable
Quiet
Sociable
Outgoing
Talkative
Responsive
Easygoing
Lively
Carefree
Leadership
Passive
Careful
Thoughtful
Peaceful
Controlled
Reliable
Even-tempered
Calm
Touchy
Restless
Aggressive
Excitable
Changeable
Impulsive
Optimistic
Active

31. Trait Description
Emotional Stability Calm versus anxious
Secure versus insecure
Self-satisfied versus self-pitying
Extraversion Sociable versus retiring
Fun-loving versus sober
Affectionate versus reserved
Openness Imaginative versus practical
Preference for variety versus
preference for routine
Independent versus conforming
Agreeableness Soft-hearted versus ruthless
Trusting versus suspicious
Helpful versus uncooperative
Conscientiousness Organized versus disorganized
Careful versus careless
Disciplined versus impulsive

32.  (+) Can help us categorize and predict others’ behavior
 (+) Can aid in self understanding
 (+) Measurement of traits can be done objectively
(reliably and validly)
 (-) Traits describe behavior, but don’t explain behavior
 (-) Trait theory underestimates the power of the situation
in determining behavior

33.  Self-Concept
 one’s perception of oneself: “Who am I?”
 Ideal Self
 the self I would like to be
 Real Self
 the way I really am

34. Self Concept
Ideal SelfReal Self
(defense
mechanisms)
(low self-
esteem)

35.  Self-Esteem
 one’s feelings of high or low self-worth
 Physical
 Intellectual
 Social

36.  Low Self-Esteem: Experiments tell us
 heightened prejudice
 heightened judgmentalism
 High Self-Esteem:
 lower levels of depression

37.  Self-Serving Bias
 a readiness to perceive oneself favorably
 “somewhat likely” to go to heaven?
 OJ Simpson, Bill Clinton, Michael Jordon, Mother
Theresa, or ________ !!

38.  Individualism (West)
 defining one’s identity in terms of personal attributes
(introverted, etc.)
 giving priority to one’s own goals over group goals
 Collectivism (East)
 defining one’s identity with group identifications (bin,
means “son of”)
 giving priority to the goals of one’s group over one’s own
goals

39. Morality Defined by individuals Defined by social networks
(self-based) (duty-based)
Attributing Behavior reflects one’s personality Behavior reflects social
behaviors and attitudes and roles
Value Contrasts Between Individualism and Collectivism
Concept Individualism Collectivism
Self Independent Interdependent
(identity from individual traits) (identity from belonging)
Life task Discover and express one’s Maintain connections, fit in
uniqueness
What matters Me--personal achievement and We--group goals and solidarity;
fulfillment; rights and liberties social responsibilities and
relationships
Coping method Change reality Accommodate to reality
Relationships Many, often temporary or casual; Few, close and enduring;
confrontation acceptable harmony valued

40.  (+) Makes the SELF central to our understanding of
behavior
 (-) Culture-bound theory (applies to the West)
 (-) Is too subjective, not objective
 (-) Maybe overly optimistic view of human nature (all of
us are moving toward self-actualization?)

41.  Behavior is due to
 Social influences (other people)
 Cognitive influences (how we perceive ourselves and our
social environment)

42. Social Influences:
“My friends do
well in school.”
Behavior
(I perform well
in school)
Cognitive Influences:
“I know if I work hard,
I can do well in school)

43.  Learned Helplessness
Bad Events
Cognition:
“I perceive I don’t
have control”
I feel helpless

44.  Personal Control
 a cognitive factor (in the model)
 our sense of controlling our environments rather than
feeling helpless

45.  Internal Locus of Control
 the perception that one controls one’s own fate
 External Locus of Control
 the perception that outside forces determine one’s fate

46. Positive Psychology
 scientific study of ways to foster a healthy
personality and community
Key Concept: Learned Optimism
 expecting positive events to occur an
seeing oneself as competent.
 research: optimistic people live
longer/healthier lives

47.  (+) Based on solid research
 (+) Takes into account both personality (especially
cognition) and social situation
 (-) Underemphasizes importance of traits