Adler
Freud
Jung
Fromm
Maslow
Horney
Skinner
Bandura
Rogers
To begin with, here are your
chapter projects. Yes that is
a plural! HOOAH!!!
Go to the following website:
http://queendom.com and
take one no-fee test. Write a
reaction.
There is more…
Here is your second requirement.
Go to the following website:
http://www.keirsey.com
Take the Keirsey Sorter: Sign in
as a first time user. After you
complete the test, you will receive
a score indicated by 4 initials: E or I, N or S, T or
F, J or P. On your paper, list your four initials
and what they stand for. Discuss what part of
the result most accurately describes you and
why and which ones you disagree with. Also
tell me what, if anything, you learned about
yourself from taking that survey.
Understanding the Kiersey Sorter
E/I E: extraversion; I: Introversion
N/S N: Intuition (innovation); S: Sensation
(practical)
T/F T: Thinking; F: Feeling
J/P J: Judging (must settle things)
P: Perceiving (keep all options open)
EIFP: Extravert who is innovative, makes
decisions based on personal reasons and
keeps options open.
Form up into groups of 1-4
people for an anticipatory set
activity. HOOAH!!!
In your group, think of a
person you all have
observed in a variety of
social settings. Discuss and
be prepared to describe how that person
interacts with others and how others
respond to him/her. How does the
person influence others and how is he/she
influenced by others? Green Mile Rule!
Who can provide us with a
definition of the term
personality?
The consistent, enduring,
and unique characteristics
that bring continuity to
a person in different
situations and times.
Personality theorists are often
former psychotherapists who try to
determine four things.
Personality theorists try to determine
four things:
Key issues about traits: whether
certain traits go together; why a
person may have some traits but not
others; why a person might exhibit
different traits in different situations
Differences among individuals
How people conduct their lives
How life can be improved
Types of personality theories
Psychodynamic
Humanistic
Cognitive
Temperaments, traits, types
(Behaviorist)
Implicit
Cross-cultural
Psychodynamic: call attention to motivation,
especially unconscious motives and the
influence of past experiences
Humanistic: emphasize present, subjective
reality: what we believe is important now
and how we think of ourselves in relation
to others
Social-cognitive: come out of research
experiments rather than clinical practice;
idea that personality is influenced by
learning, perception and social
interaction
Jean Charcot, treating
hysteria (conversion
disorder); could make
symptoms disappear
through suggestion
when his patients
were in a hypnotic
trance
Freud: not many
patients could be
hypnotized deeply
enough to affect
symptoms
Sigmund Freud
The unconscious is the
center of the personality; the
unconscious develops as a
result of repression of
socially unacceptable ideas
and impulses
•Dreams have meaning
•All have unconscious components
**Painful childhood episodes
**Still influence our behavior
Sigmund Freud
• Human personality = an energy system
• Life instinct and death instinct
Life: Eros—erotic/pleasure seeking
libido (acts, jokes, creativity)
Death: Thanatos—destructive/
aggressive behavior
Ego
Conscious level
Preconscious level
Id
Unconscious level
You may recall Freud’s iceberg analogy
from our study of dreams. Here is how
that analogy fits into his concept of the id,
ego, and superego.
• Structural concepts of the mind:
Id, Ego, Superego
Id
• Container of instinctual
or biological urges.
• Unconscious/primitive
• Pleasure principle—seeking
immediate gratification
• Not cognizant of consequences
Superego
• Source of conscience,
high ideals
• The moral principle
•
Defines what is right;
source of guilt
Ego
• Conscious
• Rational, thoughtful,
reality principle
•
Planning
Id
Ego Superego
Id-superego frequently in conflict
Ego must resolve, satisfying demands of
id without offending superego
It’s time for another group
reinforcement exercise.
Please form into groups of
1-4.
You will now have an
opportunity to practice some
psychoanalysis as well as use
your creativity. Pay attention to
the following scenario.
You are on a hike with a group of friends,
and a rain storm suddenly hits. Everyone’s
food is destroyed in the downpour, except
one person’s, who wrapped her food in
a plastic stuff sack. Night comes and
you are starving. You notice that your
friend has wandered away from her
backpack. Part of you wants to steal her
food—you need it to survive. Another
part of you says the action is morally
wrong. What will you do?
Alone or with a group
of 3 or 4, create a
three-part dialog in
which the id, ego,
and superego argue
about the resolution
of this moral
dilemma. Be sure
that your story has a
logical ending, with
one part of the
personality winning.
Freud & Psychosocial Development
All children are born
with powerful sexual
and aggressive urges
that must be tamed.
Controlling urges leads
to a sense of right and
wrong.
Boys & girls differ in development
Freud & Psychosocial Development
First years of life
girls: similar
boys and
experiences
Erotic pleasure through the mouth:
sucking on mother’s breast
Weaning—period of frustration.
Child first experiences not getting
what he/she wants
The Oral Stage
Failure to resolve: oral fixations in later life
Freud & Psychosocial Development
Stage 2: Anal Stage of development
Anus: source of erotic pleasure
Child enjoys holding in
or pushing out feces
Toilet training curbs
freedom; child learns social control
Failure to resolve: anal retentiveness;
an obsession with control and order
Freud & Psychosocial Development
Stage 3: Phallic Stage
Major conflict: ages 3-5
Child discovers he/she
can obtain pleasure
through genitals
Child becomes aware of differences
between genders
Freud & Psychosocial Development
Rivalry established between child
and parent of same gender
for affections of
parent of opposite
gender
Unconscious
struggle
Freud & Psychosocial Development
Son for mother: Oedipal
conflict
Oedipus Rex
Hates, but also fears, dad
To prevent punishment (castration)
the boy buries sexual feelings &
tries to emulate the father
Freud & Psychosocial Development
Boy’s process: identification with
the aggressor—assumes the
father’s values and moral principles
As he learns to behave like a
man, he internalizes his father’s
morality
Father’s voice: voice of conscience
Freud & Psychosocial Development
Girls experience Electra Complex
Wants to possess father and
exclude mother
To escape punishment
and possess father,
she begins to identify
with her mother
Freud & Psychosocial Development
Girls experience mother’s triumphs
and failures as if her own
Experiences penis envy: suspects
that her mother has removed the
penis she once had.
To make up for this “deficiency,”
desires to marry a man like dad.
Freud & Psychosocial Development
Stage 4: Latency Stage
Age 5
Sexual desires pushed into
background—explore world
and learn new skills
Sublimation: redirecting sexual
impulses into learning tasks
Freud & Psychosocial Development
How the child resolves Oedipal/
Electra complex influences his/her
relationships with opposite gender
throughout life.
Trevor’s nice
but I want
someone who
is less into
their feminine
side.
Stevie is
OK,
but
McKenna
is totally
HOT!
Freud & Psychosocial Development
Stage 5: Genital Stage
Adolescence
Equal satisfaction giving
and receiving pleasure
Freud: Adolescence = completion
of development
Criticizing Freud
Convoluted answers to difficult questions
Ignored influence of different forms of
socialization (at the time) for males and
females
Theories lack scientific support
One thing got right: fixations
Ego Defense Mechanisms
Rather than face intense frustration,
conflict, or feelings of unworthiness,
people deceive themselves into
believing nothing is wrong. They
defend the ego from experiencing
anxiety about failing in its tasks.
Freud believed they were necessary
to psychological well-being.
Ego
Conscious level
Defense Mechanisms Preconscious level
Id
Unconscious level
You may recall Freud’s iceberg analogy
from our study of dreams. Here is how
that analogy fits into his concept of the id,
ego, and superego.
I hate writing
Gabi, your essay was the
essays!!!
absolute worst I’ve ever
read in all my years of
teaching!
Repression: forget or push
out of awareness painful
memories or unacceptable
thoughts. The basis of the
unconscious
Feelings of anger and hostility
remain in the unconscious and
may show themselves in cutting
remarks, sarcasm, slips of the
tongue or dreams.
Ego
Conscious level
Defense Mechanisms Preconscious level
Id
Unconscious level
You may recall Freud’s iceberg analogy
from our study of dreams. Here is how
that analogy fits into his concept of the id,
ego, and superego.
Denial: falsify or refuse to accept
reality; opposite of repression.
I don’t care what
the grade was on
the top of the test
paper. I really
passed that test.
Rationalization: over think the
problem to justify an action.
OK, so I got a C
on that stupid
test. I really
could care less
about
psychology—it’s
a stupid subject.
Reaction Formation: replacing an
unacceptable feeling with its
opposite—covering up true
feelings.
Conscious
Unconscious
Divorced father resents having his son for
the weekend; so he showers the child
with affection, gifts, etc.
Displacement: take your anger
out on someone other than the
source of your frustration; the ego
unconsciously shifts the wish Grrrr—I
want to
to another, safer object.
scream at
Why is
Cameron
being so
mean? I
only said I
wished class
would be
over.
This is
getting
ugly!
Simoncini
for calling
me a
bonehead!
KARA, I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU
SAID SOMETHING SO
STUPID!!! YOU’RE LIKE A
TWO YEAR OLD!!!
Regression:
going back to an
earlier and less
mature pattern
of behavior.
Sublimation:
Sublimation redirecting a
forbidden desire into a socially
acceptable desire
Hayley, I’m so
proud of how you
worked so hard—
all those extra
hours of study—to
earn an A in my
class.
Thanks, Mr. Simoncini; but
psychology is so interesting!
Projection: unconscious desires are
projected outside onto other
people or objects, so the ego can
avoid anxiety. Projecting anger at
oneself onto another person.
I got
an A!
I don’t care what
you say, Jessica.
The only reason I
flunked that test is
because Simoncini
is an unfair jerk!
It was a fair test, Kellsey. You should have
studied instead of going to that party.
Excuse me. I have an
announcement. We are
going to take an informal
quiz about ego defense
mechanisms. I’ll read a
statement and you
identify the ego defense
mechanism indicated
as:
Repression
Projection
Reaction Formation
Regression
Rationalization
Denial
Rorschach Inkblot Technique
Probe innermost feelings, desires, conflicts
and desires; rely on projection
Rorschach Inkblot Technique
Hannah Arendt and
Stanley Milgram regarding
the defendants at the
Nuremberg trials. . .
…analyzed results of
Rorschach tests and
concluded the
defendants were
“guilty of possessing
a psychopathic
personality.”
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
Projective tests—see a photo and
make up a story that explains the
picture. (Like Rorschach test, relies
on projection)
Stories are based on test-taker’s
beliefs, motives and attitudes
David McClelland
Henry Murray
McClelland: Achievement motivation
Murray: TAT also can test for aggression,
sexual needs, and relationships because
the person being tested apperceives
(fills in) personal
interpretations and
explanations based
on his own
thoughts, feelings
and needs
Sigmund Freud
The Freudian slip:
psychic determinism
Not really mistakes—
something behind them;
an unconscious conflict
or desire
Expresses how you really feel
unconsciously; therefore nothing
you do or say is accidental
Carl Gustav Jung
Friend then adversary
of Freud
More positive view of
human nature
Believed people try to
develop their potential
as well as handle their instinctual
urges.
Jung
Distinguished between the personal
unconscious (similar to Freud’s
views of the unconscious) and the
collective unconscious, which is a
storehouse of instincts, urges, and
memories of the entire human
species throughout history.
Archetypes: inherited ideas, based on
experiences of one’s ancestors, which
shapes one’s perception of the world
Jung
The same archetypes are present
in every person
They reflect common experiences of
humanity: mothers, fathers, nature,
war, etc.
Examples:
• Animus (masculine) & anima (feminine)
sides of personalities
• Shadow archetype: destructive
and aggressive tendencies
Mental disorder: traumas and
conflicts in personal unconscious
and failure to acknowledge archetypes
we find unacceptable in collective
unconscious
Principle of opposites: each personality
is a balance between opposing pairs
of tendencies or dispositions
Introversion vs. extraversion
Karen Horney (horn eye)
Stressed importance of
basic anxiety, which a
child feels due to helplessness, and basic
hostility—a resentment
of one’s parents that generally
accompanies anxiety
Karen Horney
Disputed Freud’s concept of penis envy
Women’s superegos are just as strong as
men’s—want same opportunities and
rights
Personality differences between males
and females result from social roles,
not unconscious urges
Karen Horney
Ten neurotic needs:
Affection and approval
Partner (dread of being left alone)
Restrict one’s life (remain inconspicuous)
Power and control over others
Exploit others
Recognition or prestige
Personal admiration
Personal achievement
Self-sufficiency and independence
Perfection and unassailability
Alfred Adler
Driving force in
people’s lives is a
desire to overcome
feelings of inferiority
Examples: Demosthenes; Napoleon;
Glenn Cunningham
Adler
Everyone struggles with inferiority
Those who continually try to
compensate for weaknesses and
avoid feelings of inadequacy have an:
Inferiority complex
Adler introduced the term
Adler
All people feel inferior at some time—
as children because of small size and
dependence on adults, for example.
As we mature, we develop a pattern
of overcoming inadequacies—a
pattern that persists throughout our
lives. These patterns Adler called
lifestyles.
Adler
Parents influence children’s life
styles
Over-pampering: self-centered person
Neglect: angry or hostile person
Adler: child should learn selfreliance and courage from father
and generosity and a feeling for
others from mother.
Erich Fromm
also broke with
Freud with a
theory centered
around the need
to belong and the loneliness that
freedom can bring
The Art of Loving (1956)
Escape from Freedom (The Fear of Freedom) (1941)
Trait Theories
Gordon W. Allport (1897-1967)
Probed English
dictionaries looking
for words describing
personality traits.
18,000
Narrowed list
Trait Theories—Allport
Three kinds of individual traits
Cardinal trait: one that is so
pervasive that the person is
almost identified with that trait.
Honesty & Abraham
Lincoln
Very rare
Trait Theories—Allport
Three kinds of individual traits
Central trait—forms the core of our
personalities; makes us predictable
She is a flirt
Secondary trait—least important;
examples: preferences in music
or food
Abraham Maslow:
Humanistic psychology
Humanists: we are free
from instinctual pressures
(compared to other animals);
they focus on our ability to
create and live by personal
standards
The least deterministic approach
toward personality—people have free will,
so their behavior is not pre-determined
Abraham Maslow:
Humanistic psychology
All humans strive for SelfActualization (SA):
Openness to a wide range of
experiences
Awareness of/respect for uniqueness
Accept responsibilities of freedom
and commitment
Desire to become true to oneself
Abraham Maslow:
Humanistic psychology
Maslow studied most productive
people he could find—in history as
well as in his social & professional
life
Found that self-actualized people
share a number of traits. Even
though they may have had great
emotional difficulties, they adjusted
in ways that made them productive.
Abraham Maslow:
Traits of the self-actualized
Compared to “average people:”
Perceive reality accurately
Accept themselves, others and their
environments
Are more problem-centered than
self-centered
Decisions based more on ethical
principles than on calculations of
self-benefit or cost
Abraham Maslow:
Traits of the self-actualized
Strong sense of identity with other
humans
Strong sense of humor, laughing
with people, not at them
Exceptionally spontaneous
Autonomous—know selves and
maintain integrity in face of
opposition, unpopularity & ridicule
Abraham Maslow:
Traits of the self-actualized
Value privacy & often seek out
solitude
Focus on deep, loving relationships
with the few people with whom they
are truly close
Approach lives with a sense of
discovery—each day is a new day;
they are rarely bored or disinterested
Abraham Maslow:
Traits of the self-actualized
Self-actualizing first satisfy basic,
primary needs (Maslow’s hierarchy
of needs).
Much criticism of Maslow because
his study samples are considered, by
some, to be too subjective.
Carl Rogers
Humanistic psychologist
Primary concern:
detours on path to
fully functioning (his
term for selfactualization)
Fully functioning: high self-esteem,
which is congruent with messages
received from others
Found that many suffer
from incongruence: a conflict
between what they value in
themselves & what they
learn other people value in
them. Becomes a threat to
one’s self-esteem.
Phenomenal field—we
respond to subjective experiences of
perceptions and feelings, not to an
objective reality
Carl Rogers
Two sides to each person:
Side one: organism—the whole
person, including the body
Organism constantly struggling to
become more and more complete
and perfect
The organism wants
to be all it can be
Hooah!!!
Carl Rogers
Very optimistic view about
human nature—the essence of
humanism
Side two: the self
Your image of who you are and
what you value—in yourself, in
others, in life in general
You acquire the self gradually,
observing how others react to you
Carl Rogers
Mother = first most significant
person
You want her positive regard or
approval
Eventually that positive regard
has conditions—if you do what
she wants, she likes you and you
accept these as conditions of worth
Carl Rogers
You begin to see yourself as
being good and worthy only if
you act in certain ways—unless
you meet those conditions, you
won’t be loved.
People cope with conditions of
worth by rejecting or denying parts
of their organism that do not fit
their self-concept
Carl Rogers
The greater the gap between
the self and and organism, the
more limited and defensive a person
becomes
Rogers: prevention and cure for
“the gap”: unconditional positive
regard
If significant others convey the
attitude that they value you for what
you are:
Carl Rogers
you will gradually learn to
grant yourself the same positive
regard.
You will be able to accept your
organism and become open to all
of your feelings, thoughts and
experiences—and hence to other
people. Rogers calls this situation
fully functioning.
We are now going to take a
personality test that was once
used on an actual job
interview. Let’s see how you
do. Listen to the following
story.
1. An old lady who looks like she is
about to die.
2. An old friend who once saved
your life.
3. The perfect man (or woman)
you have been dreaming about.
Here’s another test.
Write down
the priority
in which you
will take
care of these
issues.
There are 5 things going on
simultaneously that need to be
taken care of:
1. The telephone is ringing
2. The baby is crying
3. Someone knocks at the front
door or rings the doorbell
4. There is laundry hanging on
the line outside and it begins
to rain
5. The water faucet in the kitchen
is running
Here’s what each represents.
The phone represents job or
career (school work)
The baby represents your family
The visitor represents your
friends
The laundry represents your
love life or sex life
The running water represents
money or wealth
Albert Bandura:
Social Cognitive Theory
A step beyond Skinner
Personality is acquired
not only by direct
reinforcement of behavior, but also
by observational learning or
imitation.
Albert Bandura:
Social Cognitive Theory
Young children acquire much of
their individual behavior &
personality by exposure to specific
everyday models—reciprocal
determinism
You can direct your own behavior
and personality by your choice of
models. Most effective models:
most similar to & admired by you.
Albert Bandura:
Social Cognitive Theory
Self-efficacy—one important aspect
that governs our behavior is our
view of our ability to succeed.
Before you do something,
you assess the
environment
Should I go to Princeton or Cal
Poly? How would my parents
react to me going to school on
the East Coast?
Albert Bandura:
Social Cognitive Theory
Example: whether or not to go on
a date.
You assess:
 weather
 parents’ current state of mind
 your potential date’s recent
behaviors
 your long-term past successes
and failures
Albert Bandura:
Social Cognitive Theory
Albert Bandura:
Social Cognitive Theory
From your assessment, you develop
an expectancy of success.
As behavior unfolds, you
develop outcome expectations.
As long as everything is
positive, you will keep trying
Julian Rotter: Locus of
Control: our personal power
Internal: feel you can
control things
Good grades are the
result of study and hard
work
External: forces outside your personal
sphere are in control
Good grades from luck or good graces
of teacher
B. F. Skinner (Behavioralism)
Behaviorism:
psychology is objectively
observing behavior.
Individuals differ in
learning experiences;
they therefore acquire
This is important,
different behaviors,
but
not
in
the
book.
hence different
So you may want to
personalities.
take notes.
B. F. Skinner (Behavioralism)
Reward good/punish bad behavior
Skinner focused studies on precisely
what causes a person to act in a
specific way.
Pragmatic approach: less concerned
with understanding behavior than
with predicting it and controlling it.
Walden II
B. F. Skinner (Behavioralism)
The example of Ruben’s
depression
Freud: seek roots of problem
in Ruben’s childhood
Skinner: reject label
“depressed” & ask “exactly
how does Ruben behave?”
Contingencies of reinforcement: what
conditions reinforce behavior.
B. F. Skinner (Behavioralism)
Skinner’s approach is pragmatic and
action-oriented: don’t get agitated
about what is wrong; just jump in
and try to fix it.
Radical behaviorism
Average human behavior can be
changed with rewards & punishments
but success limited because our
reinforcers are so complex
Hey! Guess what? We are
going to do another exercise.
I will read a series of
statements made by one of
three psychologists having
lunch together. For each
statement indicate which of
the following types of
psychologist has made it.
Psychoanalyst, behaviorist, humanist
Temperament
Inherited personality dispositions
that are apparent
in early childhood
and establish the
tempo and mood
of a person’s
behaviors
Single dominant theme: ie. shyness
Some individual differences
in temperament may also
arise from the balance of
chemicals in the brain—
genetic basis
Kagan and Zimbardo:
shyness can be seen on the
first day of life; 10-15% of children
appear to be born shy or introverted
while a similar percentage extraverted;
therefore, shyness is partly inherited; but
more is learned
Trait Theories
Focus: identifying, measuring, and
classifying similarities and differences in
personality characteristics or traits
Process used: factor analysis (the extent
to which different personality variables are
related)
A trait is any relatively enduring way in
which one individual differs from another
Trait theorists emphasize and try to
explain the consistency of a normal,
healthy individual’s behavior in different
situations
Trait Theories
Two basic assumptions of trait
theorists:
1. Every trait applies to all people
2.Trait descriptions can be qualified
Dependency on a scale of 1-10
Aggressiveness on a 1-10 scale
Trait theorists try to discover the
underlying sources of the consistency
of human behavior
Trait Theories
Hans Eysenck (1916-1997)
Three basic dimensions
of personality:
Stability v. Instability
Degree to which people
have control over their
feelings
Trait Theories--Eysenck
Three basic dimensions of personality:
Stability v. Instability
X
Spectrum
Emotionally stable
Easygoing
Relaxed
Well-adjusted
Even-tempered
X
Anxiety-dominated
Moody
Anxious
Restless
Trait Theories—Eysenck
Three basic dimensions of personality
Extraversion vs. introversion
Extraverts: sociable, outgoing,
active, lively people.
Enjoy parties, seek excitement
Introverts: more thoughtful,
reserved, passive, unsocial, quiet
Trait Theories—Eysenck
Three basic dimensions of personality
Psychoticism
Spectrum
X
X
Self-centered
High “superego”
Hostile
Sensitive
Aggressive
Caring
Act with little
Empathetic
thought
Easy to work with
The Robust Five Traits--appear repeatedly
• Extroversion—warmth, talkativeness,
being energetic
• Agreeableness—sympathetic to
to others, kind, and trusting
• Conscientiousness—dutiful, dedicated
to completing tasks, organized
responsible
The Robust Five Traits—continued
• Openness to experience—open-minded,
willing to try intellectual experiences,
new ideas, or creative experiences
• Neuroticism or emotional stability—
how we react to emotional disturbances;
amount of anxiety
Trait Theories
Raymond Cattell
studied factor analysis:
the extent to which
different personality
variables are related
Used Allport’s traits list
Proposed: characteristics that can be
observed in certain situations make
up 46 surface traits
Trait Theories
Raymond Cattell
Those traits make up behavior that
is based on people’s perceptions of
personality
Moreover, Cattell discovered that
certain surface traits seem to occur
in clusters; he called those clusters
source traits—traits he considered
to be at the core of personality
Cattell’s source traits (opposites
on a continuum)
Reserved
Outgoing
Less intelligent
More intelligent
Affected by feelings
Emotionally stable
Submissive
Dominant
Serious
Happy-go-lucky
Expedient
Conscientious
Timid
Venturesome
Tough-minded
Sensitive
Cattell’s source traits (opposites
on a continuum)
Trusting
Suspicious
Practical
Imaginative
Forthright
Shrewd
Conservative
Experimenting
Self-assured
Apprehensive
Group-dependent
Self-sufficient
Uncontrolled
Controlled
Relaxed
Tense
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
(MMPI-2)
567 statements dealing with attitudes,
habits, fears, preferences, physical
health, beliefs, and general outlook
Evaluated on 10 trait scales
Hypochondriasis
Depression
Hysteria
Psychopathic deviation
Masculinity-femininity
Paranoia
Psychasthenia
Schizophrenia
Hypomania
Social introversion
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
(MMPI-2)
Exemplary instrument:
• Good reliability—consistent and stable
scores (test on two different
occasions, scores likely to be the
same)
• Has validity—measures what it is
designed to measure
• Caution in giving to ethnic minorities
Walter Mischel’s challenge
•We behave far less
consistently from one situation
to another than most had
assumed
•Knowledge of the situation is
more important in predicting
behavior than knowing a
person’s traits
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
Four personality types:
Introversion-Extraversion
Thinking-Feeling
Sensation-Intuition
Judgment-Perception
A series of questions indicating how
testers make judgments, perceive the
world and relate to others
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
Evaluating the MBTI
Questionable reliability
Validity tests provide a mixed picture
Conspicuous lack of evidence
documenting a relationship between
personality type and occupational
success
Fundamental attribution error:
Error in judgment relies on the
assumption that another person’s
behavior is the result of a flaw in
personality rather than the situation
Clumsiness, inappropriate behavior
Less common in collectivistic cultures
Harry Triandis
Individualism vs. collectivism
Asian & African cultures:
emphasize family or other
social groups; individuals
are incomplete without the
group
Collectivistic cultures: people tend to
form identities that blend harmoniously
with the group while people in individualistic
cultures tend to form unique identities and
assume the same for others
Cultural differences regarding personality
 Status of age groups and genders
 Romantic love
 Stoicism
 Locus of control
 Thinking versus feeling
To finish up our chapter we are
going to take one of many
personality tests. This one is
called “Your True Colors,” and it is
oriented at teachers, but can be
applicable to personality in
general.
To start, on a piece of paper write
down the following terms: curious,
adventurous, responsible, and
harmonious.
Now, circle the one that
MOST represents you.
Next, read through the card packet
I’ve passed out. Carefully review
the attributes shown on each one.
Next, rank order the cards:
give a 4 to the card that MOST
describes you; a 3 to the card
that is next most like you, a 2
to the card that is third most
like you and a 1 to the card
least like you.
Now fill out the questionnaire I’ll
pass out. Above the top line, put
the numbers you assigned yourself
in the following boxes: orange—
adventurous; gold—responsible;
blue—harmonious; green—
curious.
Next, below the top line you will see 5
rows of attributes, 3 for each color.
For each row (left-to-right), rank order
the clusters of 3 attributes: 4 the
cluster most like you; 3—next, then 2
and 1 least like you.
Now add up each column (color)—
a total of 6 boxes: the one above
the top line and the 5 below the
top line. Mark the total for each
column in the appropriate box
under the bottom line.
The box with the highest value is your
“true color.” Ties are OK. Next we
shall discuss each color.
Blue:
 Esteemed by helping people
 Appreciated for unique contributions
 Validated by personal acceptance
 At work they are catalysts
 Their specialty is relationships
 Overall mood: committed
 Their key characteristic is authenticity
Blue:
About 12% of the general U. S. population
would be categorized as blue. A blue
spends life seeking identity; guilt plays
a powerful role in his/her life. Blues
are sympathetic, cooperative and
interactive. Their emphasis is on
relationships is demonstrated through
their integrity, freeness with
compliments, hypersensitivity to conflict
and interpersonal skills. At the same
Blue:
Time, blues are rewarded by encouragement and recognition. A blue is a
mysterious, creative personality
involved in an ongoing search for self.
Blues are supportive of others and
always see possibilities for people; they
often serve as the catalyst for action
within a group. Nearly one third of all
teachers (32%) are blue.
Gold:
 Esteemed by being of service
 Appreciated for accuracy &
thoroughness
 Validated by appreciation of service
 At work they are procedural
 Their specialty is results
 Overall mood: concerned
Their key characteristic is responsibility
Gold:
About 38% of the general U. S. population
would be categorized as gold. It is
important for a gold to belong. Disarray
or disorganization will cause a gold
great distress. Golds are stable, loyal,
and decisive. They are most comfortable
preserving traditions, working within
established systems and following
procedures. A gold often resists change,
as he or she believes that if something
is not broken, you shouldn’t try to fix it.
Gold:
Golds are super dependable, very
precise and authority dependent. They
have a strong sense of social
responsibility and many sets of “shoulds”
and “should nots.” Gold are stabilizers
and traditionalists; more than half (56%)
of all teachers fall into this category.
Orange:
 Esteemed by recognition
 Appreciated for creativity
 Validated by visible results
 At work they are flexible
 Their specialty is energy
 Overall mood: enthusiastic
 Their key characteristic is skillfulness
Orange:
About 38% of the general U. S. population
would be categorized as orange. The
true quest of an orange is action; routine
will pull him/her down. Oranges are
fun-loving, joyful, impulsive, realistic,
and flexible. They are action oriented
and are good in crisis situations. While
they are very practical in nature,
oranges are also spontaneous; they want
to DO something, to enjoy the moment.
Orange:
An orange feels a need for freedom and
space, seeks variety and change and
prefers hands-on experience. Oranges
focus on the immediate; they make good
trouble shooters and negotiators.
Oranges are least represented in college
and as educators, where they make up
just 2% of the teaching population
(those oranges who teach usually are
found in the industrial arts.)
Green:
 Esteemed by insights
 Appreciated for their ideas
 Validated by affirming their wisdom
 At work they are pragmatic
 Their specialty is strategy
 Overall mood: cool, calm, collected
 Their key characteristic is ingenuity
Green:
About 12% of the U. S. population would
be characterized as green. The true
quest of a green is competence; nothing
will halt a green (and his/her respect)
more quickly than a display of incompetence. Greens are high achievers, nonconformists who strive to be independent
from authority. They are known for their
respect of principles and knowledge,
as well as their objective perceptions
and intellectual curiosity.
Green:
Greens are independent and argumentative, they enjoy complexity and they
create competitions against themselves
and others. As avid conceptualizers,
greens are seen as architects of change
and systems designers. Their visionary
views often guide those they work with.
Greens make up just 8% of all teachers.
Hey: I’m a gold!—
Simoncini is
as good as gold.
Gold: 22
Blue: 18
Orange:13
Green: 7