Personality
The unique organization of characteristics
which are typical of an individual’s
recurrent patters of behavior.
Unique
Organization of Characteristics
Typical/Recurrent
Individual differences and consistency
across conditions.
Behavior as complex interaction of
Who you are is affected
by the environment and
vise-versa.
Person
What you do affects
what you think and
believe and vise-versa
Behavior
Environment
What you do affects
the environment and
vise-versa
Idiographic Theorists – only concerned
with the uniqueness of personality
Nomothetic Theorists - personality is
unique but it is not profitable to talk about
personality this way.
They focus in on NORMS.
Sigmund Freud
Mind is divided into three parts
Conscious
Preconscious
Unconscious
Most Important
Repressed memories
Free Association, Dreams, Freudian
slips
Personality is divided into three parts
Id: Operates according to the pleasure
principle
Primitive and unconscious part of
personality
Pleasure Principle/Primary Process
Instincts
Eros – life, pleasure
Thanatos – death, aggression
Avoid pain and seek pleasure
Primitive and unconscious part of
personality
Sexual and aggressive instincts
Ego: Operates according to the reality
principle
Originally tries to restrain the impulses
of the Id
Then it mediates between id and
superego
Reality Principle/Secondary Process
Defines the “I” in each of us
Defense Mechanisms – your book!
Protect the Ego from itself
Unconscious/Anxiety/Denial and
distortion
DENIAL
Refusing to acknowledge a painful or
threatening reality – denying it from
consciousness
Example
Danny, who is told that he has terminal
lung cancer, believes instead that he
simply has bronchitis
REPRESSION
Excluding uncomfortable thoughts from
consciousness thought, feelings, and ideas
which cause us anxiety.
Example
Lisa, who was once caught shoplifting
when she was in high school, has no
recollection of the embarrassing event
PROJECTION
Attributing to others thoughts, feelings,
ideas which cause us anxiety
Example
Martin is unfairly passed over for a
promotion; he denies that he is angry, but
is certain that his boss is angry with him
IDENTIFICATION
Taking on the characteristics of someone
else to avoid feeling anxious
Example
Malcolm, uncertain of his own
attractiveness, takes on the dress and
mannerisms of a popular older student
REGRESSION
Reverting to childlike behavior and defenses
as a means of overcoming anxiety
Example
Angry because his plan to reorganize his
division has been rejected, Bob throws a
tantrum
INTELLECTUALIZATION/
RATIONALIZATION
Thinking abstractly about stressful problems
as a way of detaching oneself from them
hence reducing anxiety
Example
After learning that she has not been asked
to a classmate’s party, Tona coolly
discusses the ways in which social cliques
form and how they serve to regulate and
control school life
REACTION FORMATION
Expression of exaggerated ideas and
emotions that are the opposite of one’s
true beliefs, feelings, and/or attitudes
Example
Michael outwardly professes how
denigrating pornography is toward
women, while he actually finds it very
arousing
DISPLACEMENT
Shifting repressed emotions from an original
object to a substitute object
Example
Angry at his professor’s unreasonable
request that he rewrite his term paper, but
afraid to confront his instructor, Abraham
comes home and yells at housemates for
telling him what to do
SUBLIMATION
Redirecting or substituting repressed
motives and feelings into more socially
acceptable channels
Example
Jasmine who is consumed by sexual
thoughts becomes an accomplished
OB/GYN
Superego: Moral ideals and conscience.
“Moral arm of personality.”
What is right and what is wrong
Conflict with the Id
Just as “bad” as the Id
Now Ego mediates
Example on how the Ego mediates
between the Id and the Superego
Urge to drink right nownow-get drunk! (ID)
Moral--should never drinkMoral
drink-drinking is bad.
(Superego)
Can drink if I get someone else to drive.
(EGO)
Ego can be Pro or Anti something.
Rational,
mediating
dimension
of personality
Conscious
Ego
Superego
Moralistic,
judgmental,
perfectionist
dimension of
personality
Irrational,
illogical,
impulsive
dimension of
personality
Preconscious
Unconscious
Information
in your
immediate
awareness
Information
which can
easily be
made
conscious
Id
Thoughts,
feelings,
urges, and other
information
that is difficult
to bring to
conscious
awareness
Psycho-sexual
stage
Age
Description
Oral
Birth - 1 year
Pleasure is derived from oral activities such as sucking,
biting and chewing. Fixation: Overly acquisitive
Anal
1-3 years
Pleasure from issues involving urination and defecation.
Toilet training becomes a major conflict between parents
and children and resolution has a lasting effect on the
child's personality. Development of ego and defense
mechanisms. Fixation: Overly retentive or disorganized
mechanisms
Phallic
3-6 years
Pleasure comes from symbolic genital stimulation.
Children develop incestuous desire for the opposite sex
parent: Oedipus and Electra complex develops. Superego
develops. Fixation: No internalization of Superego.
Latency
6-11 years
Sexual conflicts and desires are repressed due to trauma
and guilt surrounding the Phallic stage. The ego and
superego develop during this stage as children make gains
in problem solving and internalizing societal values.
Genital
12 onward
Sexual urges become dominate in the individuals life.
Adolescence is characterized by learning how to express
these urges in socially acceptable ways.
Carl G. Jung
Personal unconscious – Freud’s
unconscious and preconscious
Collective unconscious
Archetypes/dominants/primordial
images
Shadow – animal possibilities - Id
Anima – Feminine possibilities
Animus – Masculine possibilities
Persona – Public masks we wear
Type Theories
William Sheldon
Somatotype/Constitution/Body build
Endomorph - Viscerotonia - 7-1-1
Mesomorph - Somatotonia - 1-7-1
Ectomorph - Cerebrotonia - 1-1-7
Combinations
of the three
Trait Theories/Describe but never explain
Raymond Cattell
Source – Cardinal
Surface - Central
Gordon Allport
Cardinal - overriding
Central – select a roommate unseen
Secondary - preference
McCrae and Costa’s
Big Five Personality Traits
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Neuroticism
Humanism refers to the recognition of the
value of the human being.
Humanistic Psychology emphasize
human potential
It is a theory of healthy personalities
and conditions under which less than
healthy personalities can become
healthy unlike other theories which use
abnormal personalities.
Subjective experience, self, selfself-image,
fulfillment of potentials
Abraham Maslow
People are designed to develop a healthy
personality.
To define such a personality, he read
case studies of his heroes: Abraham
Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Eleanor
Roosevelt
Individuals grow from having Basic (or
Deficiency) needs met to having Being
(or Growth) needs met
Psychological need – self
self--acualizaion
Maslow identified a selfself-actualized person:
Self
Self--aware/Self
aware/Self--accepting
Open and spontaneous
Loving and caring
Uninfluenced by others’
others’ opinions
Fully enjoy friendships
Has peak experiences
Unashamed of who/what one is
Examples of SelfSelf-Actualized people
Martin Luther King, Jr. (civil rights
activist)
Eleanor Roosevelt (humanitarian,
diplomat)
Mother Teresa (humanitarian, spiritual
leader)
Gordon B. Hinckley and The Pope (spiritual
leaders)
Abraham Lincoln (politician, humanitarian)
Carl Rogers
Saw the tenacity of the human spirit and
believed that a person’s basic tendencies
are to actualize, maintain, and enhance
life.
Self
Self--image of who you are and what you
value.
Conditional Positive Regard
Conditions of Worth
Unconditional Positive Regard
Phenomenal Field – total subjective
experience of reality.
Assessment of Personality
Interviews
Personality Inventories - Objective
MMPI
MMPI--2 and California Personality Inv.
Most widely used!
Projective Tests
Rorschach Inkblot Test
Thematic Apperception Test - Murray
IQ tests?
Abnormal Psychology
Any behavior or emotional state that causes
an individual great suffering or worry, is
self--defeating or selfself
self-destructive, or is
maladaptive and disrupts the person’s
relationships or the larger community.
Interferes with normal functioning.
400 Million people worldwide suffer
psychological disorders (W.H.O.)
20% of American adults had an active
disorder while 32% reported having
experienced a psychological disorder at
some time in their life. (NIMH)
Females-- internalized and passive
Females
disorders (depression, anxiety)
Males--externalized and active mental
Males
disorders (antisocial, alcohol abuse,
impulse control problems)
Mental Disorders account for 15.4 percent
of the years of life lost due to death or
disability.
Descriptive Models
Subjective
Statistical
Normative
Cultural
Explanatory Models
Medical
Faulty Learning/Behavioral
Psychological
Diathesis - Stress
DSM-IV Current Standard for Defining
DSMDisorders
Axis I: Clinical Syndromes
Axis II: Personality Disorders
Axis III: General Medical Conditions
Axis IV: Psychosocial and Environmental
Conditions
Axis V: Global Assessment of
Functioning Scale
Each diagnosis must include certain signs
and symptoms.
Use of DSMDSM-IV results in 83% agreement
between therapists.
DSM--IV diagnosis is necessary for
DSM
reimbursement by almost all insurances.
Arguments against using the DSMDSM-IV
include the negative impact of labels
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety is the basis
Most of us have had these
Women tend to have them more
Symptoms by themselves does not mean
you have the disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder:
Includes chronic excessive worry about
a number of events and activities (not
identified)
Must occur more days than not for at
least 6 months
Must be accompanied by at least 3 of
following
Restlessness/feelings
of being keyed
up/on edge
A sense of being easily fatigued
Difficulty concentrating or thinking
Irritability
Muscle tension
Sleep disturbance
Panic Disorder:
An anxiety disorder in which a person
experiences recurring panic attacks,
feelings of impending doom or death,
accompanied by physiological symptoms
such as rapid breathing and dizziness.
The person must have experienced
recurrent unexpected panic attacks and
must have been consistently concerned
about having another attack or worried
about the consequences of having
another attack for at least one month.
To be considered a full blown panic
attack the episode must involve the
abrupt onset of at least 4 of the
following symptoms (not exhaustive):
Shortness of breath
Heart palpitations
Sweating
Dizziness
Depersonalization
Derealization
Fear of dying, going crazy, losing
control
Phobia: An exaggerated, unrealistic fear of
a specific situation, activity, or object. A
morbid, irrational fear.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):
An anxiety disorder in which a person
who has experienced a traumatic or lifelifethreatening event has symptoms such
as psychic numbing, reliving the trauma,
and increased physiological arousal.
Obsessive – Compulsive Disorder
An anxiety disorder in which a person
feels trapped in repetitive, persistent
thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive,
ritualized behaviors (compulsions)
designed to reduce anxiety.
The person must recognize that the
obsession is a product of their own mind
rather than from external sources
The involuntary behavior must cause
marked distress, consume excessive
time, or interfere with occupational or
social functioning
Dissociative Disorders:
Conditions in which consciousness or
identity is split or altered.
An escape from oneself
Dissociative Amnesic Disorder
Dissociative Fugue Disorder
Dissociative Personality (Identity)
Disorder
A controversial disorder marked by the
appearance within on person of two or
more distinct personalities, each with its
own name and traits; commonly known
as “Multiple Personality Disorder.”
This disorder is almost nonexistent
outside of the U.S.
Considered by Britain as a “Wacky
American Fad”
Considered by skeptics to be created by
therapists in a particular social context.
Psychosomatic Disorders
Chronic stress may lower resistance and
facilitate a predisposed physical
condition
Not caused by a physical disorder but
instead seems linked to stress.
Somatoform Disorders
Exhibits symptoms suggesting physical
disease or injury but for which there is no
such disease or injury.
Hypochondriasis
Somatization Disorder
Conversion Disorder
Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa
Obesity
Mood/Affective Disorders
Major Depressive Disorder is considered
the common cold of mental health.
Women are twice as vulnerable to major
depression than men.
Most major depressive episodes last less
than 6 months.
With each new generation, the rate of
depression is increasing and the
disorder is striking earlier.
Major Depression:
A mood disorder involving disturbances
in
emotion (excessive sadness)
behavior (loss of interest in one’s
usual activities)
cognition (thoughts of hopelessness)
and body function (fatigue and loss of
appetite).
Reduced interest in almost all activities
Significant weight gain or loss, without
dieting
Sleep disturbance (insomnia or
hypersomnia)
Change in motor activity (too much or too
little)
Fatigue or loss of energy
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
Reduced ability to think or concentrate
Recurrent thoughts of death and/or
suicide
Bipolar Disorder
Disorder in which the person alternates
between the hopelessness and lethargy
of depression and the overexcited state
of mania. Manic states are characterized
by a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state.
Equal numbers of men and women
present with this disorder.
Mood
Personality Disorders
Coded on Axis II of the DSMDSM-IV
Defined as:
1) LongLong-standing
2) pervasive
3) inflexible patterns of behavior and
inner experience that deviate from the
expectations of a persons culture and
that impair social and occupational
functioning.
A personality disorder is defined by the
extremes of several traits and by the
rather inflexible and maladaptive way
these traits are expressed.
The personality each of us develops over
the years reflects a persistent means of
dealing with life’s challenges, a certain
style of relating to other people (overly
dependent, shy, aggressive, appearance)
Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD):
A disorder characterized by antisocial
behavior such as lying, stealing,
manipulating others, and sometimes
violence; and a lack of guilt, shame and
empathy.
Sometimes called psychopathy or
sociopathy.
2% insanity successful
Insanity is a legal term
Death penalty
Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Severe form of pathology
What most of us think when we think of
someone crazy
Suffers a major deterioration in the ability
to control thoughts and actions.
They have lost contact with reality
May have to be hospitalized
Can be a danger to selves and others
Positive symptoms
Hallucinations and/or Delusions
Disorganized thoughts and behaviors
Loose or illogical thoughts
Agitation
Negative symptoms
Flat or blunted affect
Concrete thoughts
Anhedonia (inability to experience
pleasure)
Poor motivation, spontaneity, and
initiative
Symptoms
Withdrawal
Unable to cope--own world
Perceptual Symptoms
Hallucinations-False perceptions
Auditory-Most common
Visual-Not common (drugs)
Tactile
Cognitive Symptoms
Delusions-False beliefs
Grandeur
Believe something that not
Believe have some great power
Persecution
Control
Verbal Symptoms
Neologisms
Word Salad--confusion and
incoherence
Echolalia
Clang Association
1%-2% of the population historically
What does this mean?
Lower socioeconomic groups
NOT retarded
Equal in males and females
Mental Hospitals 50% to 75% are
schizophrenic
Disorganized (Hebephrenic) Type
Disorganized speechspeech-Incoherent and
illogical
Disorganized/inappropriate behavior
Most disturbed of all schizophrenias
Withdraw and total collapse of reality
testing
Laughing inappropriately, silliness,
Childlike/Childish disregard
Severe disruption in ability to perform
daily activities
Many years of hospitalization
Delusions/hallucinations if present are
fragmented
Catatonic Type
Waxy flexibility or stupor phase.
Excessive motor activity (that is
purposeless and not influenced by
external stimulistimuli-Excitement.
Extreme negativism or mutism.
Peculiarities of voluntary movement as
evidenced by posturing, stereotyped
movements, prominent mannerisms, or
prominent grimacing.
Echolalia or echopraxia
Prognosis is usually good
Why?
Paranoid Type
Preoccupation with one or more
delusions or frequent auditory
hallucinations relating to delusions.
Grandeur, persecution
Fairly intelligible speech and logical if
basic premise is accepted
Most common.
Strongly resists treatment/
hospitalization – I’m NOT sick!!
Prognosis?
Genetic predispositions
Structural brain abnormalities
Neurotransmitter abnormalities – Extra
dopamine receptors.
Therapy
Medical
Drugs – last 50 years number in mental
hospitals has declined
Schizophrenia, anxiety
ECT
Surgery
Psychoanalysis (Freud)
Free Association
Insight into unconscious motives and
feelings
Dream Analysis
Transference
Catharsis
Behavioristic (Wolpe)
49% of faculty in accredited clinical
psychology programs now align
themselves with a cognitive or
cognitive--behavioral therapy orientation
cognitive
Systematic Desensitization – phobias
Progressive relaxation
Aversion Therapy
Implosive/Flooding/Exposure
Token Economies – give chips
Young and Retarded
Cognitive Behavior Therapy or Rational
Emotive Therapy (Ellis)
A=Antecedent Condition or Event =
Divorce
B=Beliefs or Behaviors = “I’m a bad
person.”
C=Consequence = Depression
If we get the person to challenge and
change the irrational beliefs the
consequences have got to change.
Humanism (Rogers, Maslow)
Client
Client--Centered Therapy/NonTherapy/Non-Directive
Places responsibility for the course of
treatment on the client
Potentials/Self
Potentials/Self--Actualization
Conditional/Unconditional Positive
Regard
Conditions of Worth
What form of therapy is the most
effective?
Combination of therapeutic interventions
with medications tend to be the best.
History
Anamism (4000 BC)
Trephination – release evil spirits
from the skull
Middle ages (500 BC to 1600 AD)
Possession of the soul by the devil
Hippocrates
Biogenic theorists
Imbalance of the four bodily
humors
Institutions
Enlightenment (1600(1600-1900)
More humane care
Pinel and Dix
Today
Biological
Prevention