Theories of Personality
Sigmund FreudPsychoanalytic Theory
• One of the founding fathers of the Psychoanalytic school of
Psychology
• Also, the father of psychoanalysis
• The mentor of famous Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung
**Psychoanalytic Theory stresses the
importance of the unconscious mind
on our behavior
Three processes at work
The ID- a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy
that strives to satisfy basic sexual & aggressive
drives. The ID operates on the “pleasure
principle”, demanding immediate gratification
The Superego- the part of the personality
represents internalized ideals & provides
standards for judgment (the conscience). Shaped
by our parents and societal expectations
Three processes at work
The Ego- the largely conscious “executive part of
personality that mediates among the demands
of the id, superego, and personality. The ego
operates on the
“reality principle”.
Other Freudian ideas at
work….
Oedipus Complex leads to….
Identification- the process by which, according
to Freud, children incorporate their parents’
values into their developing superegos.
Psychosexual Stages (check out on the wiki!)
Fixation- a lingering focus of pleasure seeking
energies at an earlier psychosexual stage in
which conflicts were unresolved
Defense Mechanisms
How do we deal if things don’t go the way we’d
like, if we have unresolved issues within the
unconscious? Freud says we use:
Defense Mechanisms- in psychoanalytic theory,
the ego’s productive methods reducing anxiety
arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from
consciousness
Defense Mechanisms
Repression- The process of pulling thoughts into
the unconscious and preventing painful or
dangerous thoughts from entering
consciousness
Rationalization- The process of constructing a
logical justification for a decision that was
originally arrived at through a difference mental
process
among others…..
Projective Tests, etc.
Projective tests- a personality test, such as a
Rorschach, that provides ambiguous stimuli
designed to trigger projection of one’s unconscious
thoughts and feelings
Terror Management Theory- a
theory of death-related anxiety;
explores people’s emotional and
behavioral responses to
reminders of their impending
death
Neo-Freudian/Psychodynamic
Theories of Personality
*Psychiatrists such as Alfred Adler, Karen
Horney, and Carl Jung began to emphasize
childhood social interactions and their impact on
the unconscious rather than tension produced by
sexual and violent urges.
*The unconscious still greatly impacts our
behavior but we may manage this
behavior more consciously.
Alfred Adler
-Austrian psychologist, 1870-1937
-broke away (or was broken away) from Freud and
psychoanalytic psychology
Inferiority Complex- Adler theorized, that due to
our childhood interactions, some people may
develop a lack of self worth, doubt, or see
themselves as not living up to society’s standards.
*This exists in the subconscious and may result in
great achievement or asocial behavior.
Karen Horney
-German psychologist, 1885-1952
-founder of Feminist Psychology
-argued against Freud’s theories regarding
sexuality. She claimed that psychological
differences in the sexes were rooted in societal
and cultural influences
and not biology.
-”No” on Penis Envy!
Carl Jung
-Swiss psychologist,
1875-1961
-Freud’s #1 protégé’
-among many contributions to
Psychology, Jung also played down
the influence of sexual forces on the unconscious,
breaking with Freud.
Collective Unconscious- A part of the unconscious
which all people inherit from our ancestors.
Archetypes and other various themes and symbols
are stored here as part of our human experience.
Trait Theory
Trait- a characteristic pattern of behavior or a
disposition to feel and act, as assessed by self
reported inventories and peer reports.
Personality Inventory- a questionnaire on which
people respond to items designed to gauge a
wide range of feelings & behaviors
used to assess selected personality
traits
Gordon Allport
When interviewing Freud as a 22
year old student, Allport said
that meeting with Freud, “taught me that
psychoanalysis , for all its merits, may plunge too
deep, and that psychologists would do well to
give full recognition to manifest motives before
probing the unconscious”. Allport’s work led to
further studies of trait theory.
Personality Inventories
Myers-Briggs Trait Inventory
Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory MMPI-2
Big 5 Factors
Conscientiousness
Agreeableness
Neuroticism (emotional stability)
Openness
Extraversion
(read pages 530-532)
Humanist Theory
-All people strive for perfection (of themselves)
-People are like a seed who need to be nurtured
-We are driven to satisfy needs
-Much more positive view of people, focus on what
makes us well rather than what makes us ill
Humanist Theory-Maslow
Remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?
Carl Rogers-Humanism
Organism- the whole person-including all
thoughts feelings that is seeking perfection
Self (self-concept)- a person’s image of himself
which is formed by the means of the
responses of others
Positive regard- the positive image
people have of themselves because
of unconditional approval by
significant others in their lives
Carl Rogers-Humanism
Conditions of worth- the sense that people have
of being worthy only if they behave in certain
restrictive ways.
Fully functioning person- a person whose self
and organism are one and the same, allowing
the openness to all
feelings and experiences
that develops personal
completion and
perfection
Social-Cognitive Theory
Social-Cognitive Perspective- views behavior as
influenced by the interaction between people’s
traits (including their thinking) and their social
context.
Albert Bandura
Reciprocal Determinism
The interacting influences of behavior, internal
cognition, and environment
The Need for Control
Personal Control- the extent to which we perceive
control over our environment
External Locus of Control- the perception that
chance or outside forces beyond our control
determine our fate.
Internal Locus of Control- the perception that you
control your own fate
Do We Control Our Own
Fate?
Self control- the ability to control impulses &
delay short-term gratification for greater longterm results (Marshmallow test)
Learned Helplessness- the hopelessness and
passive resignation an animal or human learns
when unable to avoid repeated
aversive events
A bit more about “the
self”…
Spotlight effect- overestimating others’ noticing
and evaluating our appearance, performance, and
blunders
Self serving bias- a readiness to perceive oneself
favorably
Narcissism- excessive self love
& self absorption