PERSONALITY
Bhavana Nair
SOCIAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
MASTER’S PROGRAM
November 1, 2004
Personality
Who we are – our uniqueness
Has a bearing on our behavior,
thoughts, moods, attitudes, emotions,
even our unconscious feelings
Is reflected in our interactions with
other people and the environment
around us
Can predict how we would act or
react under different situations
Why should we know more
about our personality ?
Links between personality, emotion, health and
illness have long been described
The link gained credibility as present day research
between stress and illness grew
Our personality can be molded in different ways
Nature vs Nurture
- genes (biological factors )
- environmental factors (including childhood
experiences, socio-cultural influences,
interpersonal relationships, situational
circumstances, life events)
All these have a strong bearing on our health and
functioning
Models of Personality and
Increased Illness Risk
The Personality Induced Hyperreactivity Model
The Constitutional Predisposition
Model
The Personality As Precipitator Of
Dangerous Behavior Model
The Personality Induced HyperReactivity Model
Stress appraisal
Personality
Health
Risk
Physiological
Hyper-reactivity
The Constitutional Predisposition
Model
Personality
trait
Physiological
status
Health
Risk
The Personality As A Precipitator of
Dangerous Behavior Model
RISK
(DANGEROUS BEHAVIOURS)
Personality
Physiological
status
Ecological Perspective Model
Socio-cultural
context
Interpersonal
context
Personality,
Health &
Disease
Temporal
context
Situational
context
Types of Personality
Main types – Type A, B, C
TYPE A PERSONALITY
- impatient & hyperactive
- highly competitive & ambitious
- always in a hurry
- easily annoyed or upset
- sense of being under constant time pressure
- never satisfied
- try to do multiple things at a time
- constant apprehension of future disasters
- very independent
- prone to outbursts of rage or temper tantrums
- prone to hostile episodes
- actively try to control the situation at hand – born leaders
- achievement–oriented – successful in their professions
- prone to high risk for CHD – this is a very strong link
Types of Personality
TYPE B PERSONALITY
- relaxed
- not prone to outbursts of rage or anger
- non-competitive & less driven
- easy-going
- patient
- optimistic
- have a sense of humor
- at peace with their environment and themselves
- able to express their emotions appropriately
- pleasant demeanor
- temporary fearlessness in face of trauma
- hence able to cope with stress effectively
- less susceptible to disease
- though not driven over-achievers, they are often successful in their
professions
Types of Personality
TYPE C PERSONALITY
- the cancer prone personality type
- present a calm front externally, but often have pent-up emotions, usually
negative emotions like anger, depression,
- non competitive & submissive
- have difficulty expressing their emotions and feelings
- often overwhelmed with feelings of hopelessness & helplessness
- meticulous, serious and neat people
- have an increased susceptibility to oncogenic viruses and cancer
(decreased immunological function as a result of their altered neuroendocrine responses)
- have poor coping skills to stressful situations
- show self-blame at the time of diagnosis of terminal illnesses especially
cancer
Theories of Personality
Different personality theories have been put forward by many
different famous researchers and sociologists :
- Sigmund Freud – The id, ego, superego theory
- Hans Eysenck – hereditary factors and environment
- Raymond Catell – 2 tiered personality structure with 15 primary
factors and 5 secondary factors
- Albert Bandura – Suggested that forces of memory and feelings
worked in conjunction with environmental influences
- B. F. Skinner - Suggested that human personality was
developed through external stimuli
- Gordon Allport – Delineates 3 kinds of traits with varying
degrees of intensity : cardinal traits, central traits and secondary
traits
- Lewis Goldberg – Proposed a 5 dimension personality model –
called the “Big Five” – Extroversion, Agreeableness,
Conscientiousness, Emotional stability and Intellect
- Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers – who emphasized the basic
goodness of people
- Carl Jung
Theories of Personality
Sigmund Freud’s Personality Theory
- Freud’s psychoanalytical theory most influential theory still to date
- He discovered the method of free association – and through
recalling dreams and childhood memories – there were signs of
unconscious wishes and fears
Theories of Personality
Sigmund Freud’s Personality Theory
- ID :
The oldest system of the personality from which the ego &
super ego develop. Already present from birth and only knows the
inner world of opinions and feelings. Operates by the pleasure- pain
principle (attempts to obtain pleasure and avoid pain), regardless of
external circumstances and deals with primary desires – eat, drink,
eliminate wastes, etc
- EGO : Represents reasonable and sensible thinking. Tries to
make the connection with reality. Understands what and when
actions are appropriate. Operates by the reality principle.
- SUPEREGO : Represents moral standards. Sets a sense of
right and wrong behavior and thus a moral code on our behaviors
Personality Testing
Types of Personality Testing
- Self – report inventories
- Projective Testing
Self – Report Inventories
- Include personality testing questionnaires
- Different popular personality tests – Eysenck’s
questionnaires, Myer-Briggs Personality Indicator,
Enneagram tests, Big Five personality tests
- The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
Personality Testing
Projective Testing
- Very abstract manner of testing to eliminate problems
with the person tending to give socially acceptable answers
- 2 widely used are the Rorschach Test & the Thematic
Apperception Test
Personality Disorders
Personality
Type
Basic desire /
Pleasure
Basic fear /
Distress
Personality
Disorder
Conscientious
ness
Control
Lack of control
Obsessive Compulsive
Solitary
Solitude
Intimacy
Schizoid
Sensitive
Acceptance
Rejection
Avoidant
Vigilant
Autonomy
Subordination
Paranoid
Dramatic
Attention
Being ignored
Histrionic
Aggressive
Dominance
Submission
Sadistic
Idiosyncratic
Non-conformity
Conformity
Schizotypal
Inventive
Recognition
Obscurity
Compensatory
Narcissistic
Personality Disorders
Personality
Type
Basic desire /
Pleasure
Basic Fear /
Distress
Personality
Disorder
Leisurely
Freedom to do
as one pleases
Compulsory
activity
Passive –
Aggressive
Serious
Duties and
responsibilities
Not having
duties/respons.
Depressive
Self - sacrificing
Being needed
Being
unappreciated
Masochistic
Devoted
Being taken
care of
Having to act
Independently
Dependent
Self-confident
Admiration
Scorn
Narcissistic
Adventurous
Adventure
Routine
Antisocial
Mercurial
Relationship
Being alone
Borderline
Artistic
Creativity
Being unable to
Cyclothymic
Personality Disorders
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM – IV)
-
Personality Disorders in 3 main clusters or groups
-
Cluster A (the Odd Eccentric Group – Psychotics)
paranoid, schizoid & schizotypal personality disorders
-
Cluster B (Dramatic, Erratic Group – Extraverts)
antisocial, borderline, histrionic & narcissistic personality
disorders
-
Cluster C (Anxious, Fearful Group – Neurotics)
avoidant, dependent and obsessive-compulsive
personality disorders
Personality Disorders
Cluster A
Paranoid Personality Disorder : SUSPECT (4 criteria)
S : Spouse fidelity suspected
U : Unforgiving (bears grudges)
S : Suspicious of others
P : Perceives attacks (and reacts quickly)
E : “Enemy or friend” (suspects associates, friends)
C : Confiding in others feared
T : Threats perceived in benign events
Personality Disorders
Schizoid Personality Disorder : DISTANT (4 criteria)
D : Detached (or flattened affect)
I : Indifferent to criticism or praise
S : Sexual experiences of little interest
T : Tasks (activities ) done solitarily
A : Absence of close friends
N : Neither desires nor enjoys close relations
T : Takes pleasure in a few activities
Personality Disorders
Schizotypal Disorder : ME PECULIAR (5 criteria)
M : Magical thinking or odd beliefs
E : Experiences unusual perceptions
P : Paranoid ideation
E : Eccentric appearance or behavior
C : Constricted (or inappropriate) affect
U : Unusual (odd) thinking and speech
L : Lacks close friends
I : Ideas of reference
A : Anxiety in social situations
R : Rule out psychotic disorders & pervasive development
disorder
Personality Disorders
Cluster B
Antisocial personality disorder : CORRUPT (3 criteria)
C : Conformity to law lacking
O : Obligations ignored
R : Reckless disregard for safety of self and others
R : Remorse lacking
U : Underhanded (deceitful, lies, cons others)
P : Planning insufficient (impulsive)
T : Temper (irritable and aggressive )
Personality Disorders
Borderline Personality Disorder : AM SUICIDE (5 criteria)
A : Abandonment
M : Mood instability (marked reactivity of mood)
S : Suicidal or self mutilating behavior
U : Unstable and intense relationships
I : Impulsivity
C : Control of anger
I : Identity disturbance
D : Dissociative (or paranoid) symptoms that are transient &
stress –related
E : Emptiness (chronic feelings of)
Personality Disorders
Histrionic Personality disorder : PRAISE ME (5 criteria)
P : Provocative (or sexually seductive) behavior
R : Relationships (considered more intimate than they are)
A : Attention (uncomfortable when not in center of attention)
I : Influenced easily
S : Style of speech (impressionistic, lacks detail)
E : Emotions (rapidly shifting and hollow)
M : Made up (physical appearance used to draw attention to
self)
E : Emotions exaggerated (theatrical)
Personality Disorders
Narcissistic Personality Disorder : SPECIAL (5 criteria)
S : Special (believes he/she is special and unique)
P : Preoccupied with fantasies (of unlimited success, power,
brilliance, beauty, or ideal love)
E : Entitlement
C : Conceited (grandiose sense of self-importance)
I : Interpersonal exploitation
A : Arrogant (haughty)
L : Lacks empathy
Personality Disorders
Cluster C
Avoidant Personality Disorder : CRINGES (4 criteria)
C : Certainty (of being liked required before willing to get involved in
others)
R : Rejection (or criticism) preoccupies one’s thoughts in social
occasions
I : Intimate relationships (restraint in intimate relationships due to fear
of being shamed)
N : New interpersonal relationships (is inhibited in)
G : Gets around occupational activity (involving interpersonal contact)
E : Embarrassment (potential) prevents new activity or taking personal
risks
S : Self-viewed as unappealing, inept or inferior
Personality Disorders
Dependent Personality Disorder : RELIANCE (5 criteria)
R : Reassurance required for decisions
E : Expressing disagreement difficult (due to fear of loss of
support or approval)
L : Life responsibilities (needs to have these assumed by
others)
I : Initiating projects difficult (due to lack of self-confidence)
A : Alone (feels helpless and discomfort when alone)
N : Nurturance (goes to excessive lengths to obtain nurturance
and support)
C : Companionship (another relationship) sought urgently when
close relationship ends
E : Exaggerated fears of being left to care for self
Personality Disorders
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder : LAW FIRMS
(4 criteria)
L : Loses point of activity (due to preoccupation with detail)
A : Ability to complete tasks (compromised by perfection)
W : Worthless objects (unable to discard)
F : Friendships (and leisure activities) excluded due to
preoccupation with work
I : Inflexible, scrupulous, over-conscientious (on ethics, values,
morality, not accounted for by religion or culture)
R : Reluctant to delegate (unless others submit to exact
guidelines)
M : Miserly (towards self and others)
S : Stubbornness (and rigidity)
Personality Disorders
TREATMENT OF PERSONALITY DISORDERS
- Individual Level
Medical care :
Psychodynamic psychotherapy, Cognitive therapy ,
Interpersonal therapy, Group therapy
Medications – Antidepressants,
Anticonvulsants, Antipsychotics
- Community Level
Implications for Society
INTERVENTIONS
To the extent that some personality characteristics can
be modified via psychological intervention, people can be
helped through such therapies such as stress management
& anger control – any therapy that will reduce stress, anger,
cynicism and other negative emotions
DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE
Besides personality, we need to look at social factors,
genetic factors and health risk behaviors, undertake more
research in these areas and apply them to effective policy
interventions at both the individual & community level