Psychology, Unit #5
Oswayo Valley High School
What is personality?
Do you have person
a
o you have
personali
If so, what type of personality
ersonality the same as chara
Personality
 A person’s long-lasting
patterns of behavior
An individual’s unique way of
thinking, feeling and acting
Our study of PERSONALITY emphasizes the major explanations of
personality development. Five theories dominate:
The Four Humors
Phrenology
Biological
Freudian
Trait Theory
Each has its own strengths and weaknesses; none can be considered
exclusively “correct”.
eory 1: The Four Humo
Galen divided personality into four types of temperaments,
based in part, on the level of body fluids and relation to the
“elements”
Sangu
Phleg
ine
matic
Chole
Melanc
ric
holic
Element:
Air
Body:
“Blood”
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/110/6/7/personality_plus__sanguine_by_alsyrainbow-d62c0v8.jpg
Element:
Fire
Body:
“Yellow Bile”
http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/110/1/f/personality_plus__choleric_by_alsyrainbow-d62c10l.jpg
Element:
Water
Body:
“Phlegm”
http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/110/7/c/personality_plus__phlegmatic_by_alsyrainbow-d62c3h6.jpg
Element:
Earth
Body: “Black
Bile”
http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/110/4/c/personality_plus__melancholy_by_alsyrainbow-d62c0xn.jpg
Theory 2: Phrenology
Phrenology “studies the relationships between a person’s character and the
morphology of the skull.”
Franz Joseph Gall (1758-1828) laid the foundations for “modern” phrenology
on these principles:
 That moral and intellectual faculties are innate
 That their exercise or manifestation depends on organization
 That the brain is the organ of all the propensities, sentiments and faculties
 That the brain is composed of many particular organs as there are propensities,
sentiments and faculties which differ essentially from each other.
 That the form of the head or cranium represents the form of the brain, and thus
reflects the relative development of the brain organs.
Different zones on the skull paralleled
“faculties” of personality and
character as found in the brain.
Through the process of “flexing”—altering the
shape of the skull—one’s personality could be
changed.
Theory 3: Biological
William Sheldon (1898-1977) theorized a person’s personality
relates to his body “type”.
 Did his work relied heavily on correlation rather than causation?
 What happens if a person’s body type changes?
 How did he establish a quantitative foundation?
 Could he have been right in spite of the scientific flaws?
Ectomorph
Body Type
Lean
Delicate
Slight of muscle
Think “geek” stereotype
Personality Traits
Artistic
Sensitive
Apprehensive
Introverted
Mesomorph
Body Type
Muscular
Think “buff” stereotype
Personality Traits
Dynamic
Courageous
Energetic
Active
Assertive
Risk-taker
Endomorph
Body Type
Plump
Buxom
Developed visceral structure
Think “fat” stereotype
Personality Traits
Tolerant
Relaxed
Love comfort/luxury
Pleasant
Extraverted
Sheldon’s work makes for interesting discussion not in the
legitimacy of assigning personality based on body type, but
rather in the tendency of accepting body type based on
personality.
Does our personality allow us to accept who we are?
Do we seek to alter our physical body to satisfy a personality need?
Eating Disorders
physical responses to personality needs
Key features of anorexia nervosa:
 refusal to maintain weight;
 intense fear of gaining weight; and
 a distorted body image
Anorexia Nervo
Jeremy Gillitzer
(1971-2010)
Eating Disorders
physical responses to personality needs
People dealing with bulimia share the
psychological needs of anorexics, but
differ in that they
 eat a lot of food in a short amount of
time (binging) and
 prevent weight gain by getting rid of
the food (purging)
Bulimia Nervos
Psychological issues influence weight gain as well as weight loss.
 Some people eat to fit in socially
 Some people eat to lower stress—it “comforts” you
 Some people gain weight because they are
embarrassed to go to the gym
 Some people eat to combat depression
 Some people compare with others to justify their
body
Weight gain
Supplements Another means of changing body to conform to
“body image” by psychology.
Steroids, synthetic substances chemically similar to
testosterone, can be classified into two broad
categories:
 Anabolic: help users to build muscle tissue
 Androgenic: help to users appear more masculine
Steroids
Picture Credits
Thai Mask
http://www.talent-technologies.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/personality-factor-thailand-276x300.jpg
Galen bust
http://suneeldhand.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/galen.jpg
Phrenology head frame
http://cache.wists.com/thumbnails/b/3f/b3fd798caacc83df386b164ce21f0a17-orig
Phrenology Head
http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n01/frenolog/frenmap0.gif
Oprah Winfrey
http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/replicate/EXID14380/images/Oprah_weight_loss_before_after_photo_fat_skinny.jpg
Anorexia Nervosa mirror
http://cdn.stylefrizz.com/img/anorexia-mirror-picture-ross-brown.jpg
Jeremy Gillitzer
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_10yYjoTIYE0/SoyUREqPNUI/AAAAAAAAC1I/3xk2yql7OfY/s400/Jeremy+Gillitzer+%2312.jpg
Anorexic
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A-eHk58wdug/T9JUYpGDfiI/AAAAAAAAAHc/K91ec8kExIw/s320/Anorexia-cuando-2.jpg
How bulimia effects
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A-eHk58wdug/T9JUYpGDfiI/AAAAAAAAAHc/K91ec8kExIw/s320/Anorexia-cuando-2.jpg
Fat man on scales
http://www.davidwygant.com/blog/wp-content/uploads//Overweight.jpg
Negative effects steroids
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L-Szyb49dHk/ThSYUG1n5kI/AAAAAAAAAEs/HNc8WRc42nQ/s1600/steroids-poster.jpg
Steroid back
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRyvouFfW1uiO2y5RD77NqddQbl74qKW5kS7P3uaVOiKFHhQjpr
Picture Credits
Female steroid
http://i1.wp.com/listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/female_20athete.jpg?resize=215%2C300
Selected References
Galens Temperaments
http://agents2change.typepad.com/.a/6a00e551dd12f488340168e87aafc5970c-800wi
Phrenology
http://www.phrenology.org/intro.html
Phrenology
http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n01/frenolog/frenmap.htm
William Sheldon (body types)
http://www.naniey.com/2013/01/sheldon-somatotypes-theory.html
William Sheldon (somatoform)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bCgl4YSZgM
Anorexia Nervosa
http://bobsnewheart.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/anorexia-a-mental-health-issue-that-can-kill-you/
Bulimia Nervosa
http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/bulimia-nervosa.html#a