Attitudes and the Spiritual
Life-001
Introduction: Man’s Attempts at
Understanding Mankind
The Goal of the ASL Study
• Attitude: A relatively stable and enduring
predisposition to behave or react in a
characteristic way.
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The American Heritageｨ Stedman's Medical Dictionary, 2nd Edition Copyright
ｩ 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin
Company. All rights reserved.
The Goal of the Attitudes Study
• We have identified 12 Spiritual Life Factors and
introduced them in our SLB Series.
• We have looked at the Appraisal Filtering Process
that we go through in every circumstance in life.
• We have examined the 6 Human Happiness
Attainment Motivations of the Inherited Sin Nature
from Adam.
• We have viewed and reviewed the 10 Steps to
Temptation.
• We have viewed and reviewed the Fruit of the
Spirit.
The Goal of the Attitudes Study
• The goal of the Attitudes and Spiritual Living
Series is to make each of these steps “practiceable” in our daily confrontation with the World, the
Flesh and the Devil, in the form of situations and
people who afford us the opportunity to
demonstrate the Nature of God that He has given
us in our Regeneration - the Reservoir of
Righteousness.
• So, now we will look at the attitudes of the FOTS
and the HAM’s in our Appraisal Process.
The Goal of the Attitudes Study
• Every HAM has a set of attitudes that affect our
Appraisal Process.
• Many philosophers and psychologists have
attempted to categorize and “group” people
according to what is generally called a
‘personality’, or, if afraid to call it a personality, a
non-descript ‘Type’.
• In order to grasp the concept of attitudes, we will
look at some of the more popular methods
attempting to classify people.
The Goal of the Attitudes Study
• Today we will look at the Five Factor Model of
Personality; next week the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator; and the following week, the Humoral
Temperaments based classification system of
Hippocrates; then, the Enneagram and maybe 1
or 2 more.
• The error of each of them is the same, they fail to
recognize that Humanity is Fallen, trapped in the
Genetic Curse of Adam; so their approach is that
Man is “normal” and that some personalities are
different, but none are bad, that all are methods of
“coping” with our world, but none are wrong.
The Goal of the Attitudes Study
• I have been unable to find any system of
categorization of Attitudes that approach it from
the understanding of Man’s fallen nature, and the
happiness attainment motivation of the Flesh.
• While there are Christian books warning of the
evils of psychology as a therapeutic system for
Christians, and recognize the sinful aspects of
man’s problems, none approach the subject from
the categorical perspective.
• We will do so to allow us to Reckon and Resist.
The Goal of the Attitudes Study
• It is well recognized fact that every human being
has a personality. It is not merely your physical
body. It is not merely your consciousness. It is not
merely your ego. It is not merely your behaviors. It
is not merely your physical expression. It is not
merely your style. It is not merely your
temperament.
• But, they all, and many other characteristics, are
expressions of your personality.
Personality
• Personality can be defined as a dynamic and
organized set of characteristics possessed by a
person that uniquely influences his or her
cognitions, motivations, and behaviors in various
situations (Ryckman, 2004).
• The word "personality" originates from the Greek
persona, which means mask. Significantly, in the
theatre of the ancient Latin-speaking world, the
mask was not used as a plot device to disguise
the identity of a character, but rather was a
convention employed to represent or typify that
character.
The Five Factor Model
• In psychology, the Big Five personality
traits are five broad factors or dimensions
of personality discovered through empirical
research (Goldberg, 1993).
• This is the current “hot” system, that has
only recently been criticized for its
deficiencies.
• It is, however, a grand attempt at classifying
and categorizing man’s ‘personality’.
The Five Factor Model
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These factors are:
1. Neuroticism
2. Extraversion
3. Agreeableness
4. Conscientiousness
5. Openness to Experience
The Five Factor Model
• Each factor consists of a number of more
specific traits.
• For example, extraversion includes such
related qualities as sociability, excitement
seeking, and positive emotions.
The Five Factor Model
• The Big Five are a descriptive model of
personality, not a theory, although
psychologists have developed theories to
account for the Big Five.
The Five Factor Model
• Extraversion (also "extroversion") is marked by
pronounced engagement with the external world.
• Extraverts enjoy being with people, are full of
energy, and often experience positive emotions.
• They tend to be enthusiastic, action-oriented
individuals who are likely to say "Yes!" or "Let's
go!" to opportunities for excitement.
• In groups they like to talk, assert themselves, and
draw attention to themselves.
The Five Factor Model
• Introverts lack the exuberance, energy, and
activity levels of extraverts.
• They tend to be quiet, low-key, deliberate,
and less dependent on the social world.
• Their lack of social involvement should not
be interpreted as shyness or depression;
the introvert simply needs less stimulation
than an extravert and more time alone to recharge their batteries.
The Five Factor Model
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Extroversion:
I am the life of the party.
I don't mind being the center of attention.
I feel comfortable around people.
I start conversations.
I talk to a lot of different people at parties.
The Five Factor Model
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Introversion:
I am quiet around strangers.
I don't like to draw attention to myself.
I don't talk a lot.
I have little to say.
I keep in the background.
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[Allport, G. W. & Odbert, H. S. (1936). Trait names: A psycholexical study.
Psychological Monographs, 47, 211.]
The Five Factor Model
• Agreeableness
• Agreeableness reflects individual differences in
concern with cooperation and social harmony.
• Agreeable individuals value getting along with
others.
• They are therefore considerate, friendly,
generous, helpful, and willing to compromise their
interests with others’.
The Five Factor Model
• Agreeable people also have an optimistic view of
human nature.
– They believe people are basically honest, decent, and
trustworthy.
• Disagreeable individuals place self-interest above
getting along with others.
– They are generally unconcerned with others’ wellbeing, and therefore are unlikely to extend themselves
for other people.
– Sometimes their skepticism about others’ motives
causes them to be suspicious, unfriendly, and
uncooperative.
The Five Factor Model
• Agreeableness is obviously advantageous
for attaining and maintaining popularity.
• Agreeable people are better liked than
disagreeable people.
• On the other hand, agreeableness is not
useful in situations that require tough or
absolute objective decisions.
• Disagreeable people can make excellent
scientists, critics, or soldiers.
The Five Factor Model
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Agreeable Traits:
I am interested in people.
I feel others’ emotions.
I have a soft heart.
I make people feel at ease.
I sympathize with others’ feelings.
I take time out for others.
The Five Factor Model
• Disagreeable Factors:
• I am not interested in other people’s
problems.
• I am not really interested in others.
• I feel little concern for others.
• I insult people.
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Barrick, M. R., & Mount M. K. (1991). The Big Five Personality Dimensions
and Job Performance: A Meta-Analysis. Personnel Psychology, 44, 1-26.
The Five Factor Model
• Conscientiousness
• Conscientiousness concerns the way in which we
control, regulate, and direct our impulses.
• Impulses are not inherently bad; occasionally time
constraints require a snap decision, and acting on
our first impulse can be an effective response.
• Also, in times of play rather than work, acting
spontaneously and impulsively can be fun.
The Five Factor Model
• Impulsive individuals can be seen by others
as colorful, fun-to-be-with, and zany.
• Conscientiousness includes the factor
known as Need for Achievement (NAch).
• The benefits of high conscientiousness are
obvious.
• Conscientious individuals avoid trouble and
achieve high levels of success through
purposeful planning and persistence.
The Five Factor Model
• They are also positively regarded by others
as intelligent and reliable.
• On the negative side, they can be
compulsive perfectionists and workaholics.
• Furthermore, extremely conscientious
individuals might be regarded as stuffy and
boring.
The Five Factor Model
• Unconscientious people may be criticized
for their unreliability, lack of ambition, and
failure to stay within the lines, but they will
experience many short-lived pleasures and
they will never be called stuffy (i.e. dull,
boring, unimaginative).
The Five Factor Model
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Conscientiousness Traits:
I am always prepared.
I am exacting in my work.
I follow a schedule.
I get chores done right away.
I like order.
I pay attention to details.
The Five Factor Model
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Unconscientious Traits:
I leave my belongings around.
I make a mess of things.
I often forget to put things back in their
proper place.
• I shirk my duties. [3]
The Five Factor Model
• Neuroticism
• Neuroticism, also known inversely as
Emotional Stability, refers to the tendency
to experience negative emotions.
• Those who score high on Neuroticism may
experience primarily one specific negative
feeling such as anxiety, anger, or
depression, but are likely to experience
several of these emotions.
The Five Factor Model
• People high in Neuroticism are emotionally
reactive.
• They respond emotionally to events that
would not affect most people, and their
reactions tend to be more intense than
normal.
• They are more likely to interpret ordinary
situations as threatening, and minor
frustrations as hopelessly difficult.
The Five Factor Model
• Their negative emotional reactions tend to
persist for unusually long periods of time,
which means they are often in a bad mood.
• These problems in emotional regulation can
diminish a neurotic's ability to think clearly,
make decisions, and cope effectively with
stress.
The Five Factor Model
• At the other end of the scale, individuals who
score low in Neuroticism are less easily upset and
are less emotionally reactive.
• They tend to be calm, emotionally stable, and free
from persistent negative feelings.
• Freedom from negative feelings does not mean
that low scorers experience a lot of positive
feelings; frequency of positive emotions is a
component of the Extraversion domain.
The Five Factor Model
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Neuroticism Traits:
I am easily disturbed.
I change my mood a lot.
I get irritated easily.
I get stressed out easily.
I get upset easily.
I have frequent mood swings.
I often feel blue.
I worry about things.
The Five Factor Model
• Emotional Stability (Non-Neuroticism)
Traits:
• I am relaxed most of the time.
• I seldom feel blue.
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Cattell, R. B. (1957). Personality and motivation: Structure and measurement. New
York: Harcourt, Brace & World. Journal of Personality Disorders, 19(1):53-67.
The Five Factor Model
• Openness to Experience
• Openness to Experience describes a
dimension of personality that distinguishes
imaginative, creative people from down-toearth, conventional people.
The Five Factor Model
• Open people are intellectually curious,
appreciative of art, and sensitive to beauty.
• They tend to be, compared to closed
people, more aware of their feelings.
• They therefore tend to hold unconventional
and individualistic beliefs, although their
actions may be conforming (see
agreeableness).
The Five Factor Model
• People with low scores on openness to
experience tend to have narrow, common
interests.
• They prefer the plain, straightforward, and
obvious over the complex, ambiguous, and
subtle.
The Five Factor Model
• They may regard the arts and sciences with
suspicion, regarding these endeavors as
abstruse or of no practical use.
• Closed people prefer familiarity over
novelty; they are conservative and resistant
to change.
The Five Factor Model
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Openness to Experience Traits:
I am full of ideas.
I am quick to understand things.
I have a rich vocabulary.
I have a vivid imagination.
I have excellent ideas.
I spend time reflecting on things.
I use difficult words.
The Five Factor Model
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Closed Traits:
I am not interested in abstract ideas.
I do not have a good imagination.
I have difficulty understanding abstract
ideas.
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Cloninger, C. R., Svrakic, D. M., Przybeck, T. R. (1993). A psychobiological
model of temperament and character. Archives of General Psychiatry, 50(12),
.
975-990