Chapter 1
What Is Personality?
Personality psychology is concerned with the differences among people.
Personality: consistent behavior patterns and intrapersonal processes originating within
the individual. (Burger)
Your characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling and acting. (Myers)
Personality is consistent, all the emotional, motivational and cognitive processes that go
on inside and affect how we act and feel.
Person/Situation: What makes you different from next person, in same situation? How
situation influences behavior and how behavior reflects individual.
Theories of personality are divided into six general categories
Six approaches:
Psychoanalytic: unconscious minds responsible for differences in behavior styles
Trait approach: identify where person lies along a continuum of various personality
characteristics
Biological approach: inherited predispositions and physiological processes to exalain
individual differences in personality
Humanistic : identify personal responsibility and feelings of self-acceptance as key
causes of personality differences
Behavioral/social learning: explain consistent behavior patterns as result of conditioning
and expectations
Cognitive: look at differences in way people process information
Each approach provides a different focus for explaining individual differences in
behavior---can be thought of as complementary models for understanding human
personality, although occasionally they present competing accounts of behavior.
In recent years, personality psychologists have become aware of the need to consider the
culture an individual comes from. Most of the findings reported in this book are based
on research in individualistic cultures, such as the United States. However, these results
don't always generalize to people in collectivist cultures.
Role culture plays in understanding personality:
Individualistic cultures: emphasizes individual needs and accomplishments. N European
and American . Independent and unique
Collectivist cultures: more concerned about belonging to larger group: family, tribe,
nation. Interested in cooperation, not competition. Group accomplishments valued over
individual. Asian, African Central American and S American countries
Theory of personality compared with life application of theory: text book examines how
each of the approaches can be applied to practical concerns, how each deals with
personality assessment, and some of the research relevant to the issues and topics
addressed by the theories.
Example application using area of Depression:
Psychoanalytic: depression is anger turned inward, according to Freud. Internalzed
standards/values society—not to act hostile.
Trait theories: find out who is prone to depression, look at general emotional level in
someone.
Biological theory: genetic susceptibility to depression. Greater likelihood if born with
this, and then stressful life events.
Humanistic: depression suffered by those who have failed to develop good sense of self
worth. Developed as grow up, fairly stable. Ability to accept oneself, faults and
weaknesses—therapy goal.
Behavioral/social learning: learning history important—lack of positive reinforcers in
person’s life. Feel down because see few activities in life worth doing. Little control
Cognitive: how person interprets their inability to control events. Is it due to outside of
person, or due to own personal inadequacies? Or depressive filter—see life in depressing
terms.
Other definitions of Personality to help you understand the concept:
The characteristic in a person which defines the way they act in certain situations
and they things that they will do throughout life.
How nature and nurture combine to create a way a person feels and projects
themselves to others.
How an individual acts, behaves and comes across to others.
The mental characteristics and attitudes a person has.
A person’s beliefs, attitudes, viewpoints, and other characteristics that make them
unique.
The aspects that make us all individuals.
Traits one has which differ from person to person.