Unit 6 Personality Essential Topics
Perspectives on Personality
1. Students are able to:
-Evaluate psychodynamic theories
-Evaluate trait theories
-Evaluate humanistic theories
-Evaluate social–cognitive theories
Assessment of Personality
2. Students are able to:
-Differentiate personality assessment techniques
-Discuss the reliability and validity of personality assessment
techniques
Issues in personality
3. Students are able to:
-Discuss biological and situational influences
-Discuss self-concept
-Analyze how individualistic and collectivistic cultural perspectives
relate to personality
4. Identify key contributors to personality theory (e .g ., Alfred Adler, Albert
Bandura, Paul Costa and Robert McCrae, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Abraham
Maslow, Carl Rogers)
Personality Overview
Trait Theory
Personality theories is a system of concepts,
assumptions, ideas, and principles that are used to
explain personality
Attempt to learn what traits make
up personality and how they relate
to our actual behaviors
Psychodynamic theory
Focuses on the inner workings of
personality, especially internal
conflicts and struggles
Behavioristic theory
Places importance on the external
environment and on the effects of
conditioning and learning
Humanistic theory
Biological theory
Stresses private, subjective
experience and personal growth
Genetics are responsible for
personality
Trait Overview
We use the trait theory to predict
future behavior
Trait Overview
There are multiple kids of traits
Common Traits
Characteristics
shared by most
members of a
culture
Individual Traits
Define a person’s
unique personal
qualities
Cardinal Traits
The basic trait
that all of a
person’s
activities can be
traced to
Trait Overview
Central vs. Secondary
Central Traits
Core qualities or
basic building
blocks of
personality
Secondary Traits
7 on
average
Less consistent,
relatively
superficial
aspects of a
person
Surface traits vs.
Source traits
Psychodynamic Theory of
Personality
Focuses on the
unconscious mind
and childhood
experiences as the
drive of personality
Erikson
Psychoanalytic Theory Overview
Id----Ego----SuperEgo
Id
Based off of the
pleasure
principle
chaotic
Ego
Relates the Id to
the reality of life.
Guided by the
reality principle
Superego
Acts as a judge
or censor for the
thoughts and
actions of the
ego. moderator
Learning Theories of Personality
Behavioral Personality Theories
Emphasize that
personality is no
more than a
collection of learned
behavior patterns
Acquired
through classical
and operant
conditioning
Reject the idea
of traits
Learning Theories of Personality
Behavioral Personality Theories
Personality is
developed through
social reinforcement
Based off of
praise, attention,
or approval from
others
What role does school play in this?
Childhood is a
time of urgent
drives, powerful
rewards and
punishments,
and huge
frustrations
Humanistic Theory of Personality
Humanism
Focuses on human
experience,
problems, potentials,
and ideals.
At its core lies a
positive image of
a person being
good
A crucial factor is
our capability of
free choice
Humanistic Theory of Personality
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow
Humanistic Theory of Personality
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow
Biological Theory of Personality
Argues there is a
strong link between
inherited factors and
human personality
For example:
neuroticism was
inherited as a
whole factor.
Hans Eysenck
Big 5 theory of personality
(aspect of trait theory)
Each group member needs to research the following about their
respective trait;
-summary of trait
-examples both high and low
-importance to every day life
Group Reflection (only 1 as a group)
Big 5 theory of personality
Group Reflection
As a group, on one sheet of paper, please reflect on the following
topics;
1. Provide a one sentence description of each of the 5 traits.
2. In a paragraph, describe the 2 traits that you feel are the most
and least revealing about someone with support of your
choices.
Body Language and Personality
What does Body Language show us as an insight to
our personalities?