PERSONALITY Ch. 15 Personality Notes.pdf• can have difficulty relating to peers; get along better...

PERSONALITY

BIRTH ORDER• information from Alfred Adler (1920s) and Frank

Sulloway (1996) Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics, and Creative Lives (Vintage, New York).

• the most intimate relationships we ever have in life are with our families

• families are a child’s greatest influence

• parents tend to identify with the child closest to their own birth order

BIRTH ORDER• in any family, a person’s birth order may have a

lifetime effect on who and what the person turns out to be, BUT...

• there are many factors that can intervene and change things for an individual

FIRST BORN

•

FIRST BORN• everything about this child is a “big deal”

FIRST BORN• everything about this child is a “big deal”

• either are compliant and wanting to please, OR are strong-willed and aggressive

FIRST BORN• everything about this child is a “big deal”

• either are compliant and wanting to please, OR are strong-willed and aggressive

• biggest problem is pressure--expected to do the most work

FIRST BORN• everything about this child is a “big deal”

• either are compliant and wanting to please, OR are strong-willed and aggressive

• biggest problem is pressure--expected to do the most work

• try to thrive in school

• have to grow up fast

• have fewer friends

ONLY CHILD

ONLY CHILD• tend to be critical of themselves and others

ONLY CHILD• tend to be critical of themselves and others

• can have difficulty relating to peers; get along better with older people

ONLY CHILD• tend to be critical of themselves and others

• can have difficulty relating to peers; get along better with older people

• have a strong current of repressed resentment because their life has been so structured

ONLY CHILD• tend to be critical of themselves and others

• can have difficulty relating to peers; get along better with older people

• has strong current of repressed resentment because their life has been so structured

• most first born qualities, but magnified

ONLY CHILD• tend to be critical of themselves and others

• can have difficulty relating to peers; get along better with older people

• has strong current of repressed resentment because their life has been so structured

• most first born qualities, but magnified

• strives for perfection

• often becomes cold blooded and objective OR everybody’s rescuer

MIDDLE BORN

MIDDLE BORN• second born will usually be opposite of first born

MIDDLE BORN• second born will usually be opposite of first born

• most influenced by sibling directly older

MIDDLE BORN• second born will usually be opposite of first born

• most influenced by sibling directly older

• very few pictures

MIDDLE BORN• second born will usually be opposite of first born

• most influence by sibling directly older

• very few pictures

• have many friends

MIDDLE BORN• second born will usually be opposite of first born

• most influence by sibling directly older

• very few pictures

• have many friends

• often feel misunderstood or like a 5th wheel in the family

• look for recognition and acceptance outside of the family

MIDDLE BORN• leave home the earliest

• often the leader in a teen group of friends

MIDDLE BORN• leave home the earliest

• often the leader in a teen group of friends

• considered the most monogamous

• tend to be more balanced later in life

LAST BORN

LAST BORN • treated with ambivalence--cuddled and spoiled but

also teased

LAST BORN• treated with ambivalence--cuddled and spoiled but

also teased

• the camera comes back out

LAST BORN• treated with ambivalence--cuddled and spoiled but

also teased

• the camera comes back out

• parents are “clingy” with this child; very protective

LAST BORN• treated with ambivalence--cuddled and spoiled but

also teased

• the camera comes back out

• parents are “clingy” with this child; very protective

• less restrictions--gets away with more

LAST BORN• treated with ambivalence--cuddled and spoiled but

also teased

• the camera comes back out

• parents are “clingy” with this child; very protective

• less restrictions--gets away with more

• less is expected--small achievements considered big

LAST BORN• treated with ambivalence--cuddled and spoiled but

also teased

• the camera comes back out

• parents are “clingy” with this child; very protective

• less restrictions--gets away with more

• less is expected--small achievements considered big

• free spirit

BIRTH ORDER• in large families, there can be sub-units of these

relationships within the family

BIRTH ORDER• a male child who is not first born will assume this role

if older siblings are female

BIRTH ORDER• if you want better odds for a good marriage, marry

out of your birth order

BIRTH ORDER• if you want better odds for a good marriage, marry

out of your birth order

• best match is a first born female and a last born male

SIGMUND FREUD (1856-1939) PSYCHOANALYTICAL

PSYCHOLOGY

• focus on the unconscious and subconscious

• experiences in our childhood are stored away and effect behavior/personality throughout a person’s life

FREUD’S BELIEFS...• free association

• the patient says whatever comes to mind; if the person is talking without filtering, this creates a window into the unconscious

• dream analysis

• manifest content - what you remember from a dream

• latent content - your unconscious wishes and desires interpreted from the manifest content

FREUD’S BELIEFS (CONT’D)...• “Freudian slips”

• when we “accidentally” say the wrong thing, we are really expressing what is in our unconscious (repressed feelings)

• trying to get out of an exam by saying “My grandmother lied...I mean died.”

• George Bush senior

FREUD’S BELIEFS (CONT’D)...all people have powerful and aggressive urges

through acting on these urges, we discover what is “right” and “wrong” in our society

FREUD

FREUD

• the human psyche (personality) has 3 parts

FREUD• Id - only concerned with immediate, personal

satisfaction

• operates on the “pleasure principle”

FREUD• Superego - conscience; ideal person

• follows the “morality principle”

• always wants to do what’s right and follow society’s rules

• makes you feel guilty

• Ego - mediates between the Id, reality and the Superego

• operates on the “reality principle”

• tries to satisfy the Id while keeping negative consequences to a minimum

• tries to avoid feelings of guilt from the Superego

FREUD’S STAGES• Phase 1: Oral Stage (0-18 mos.)

• pleasure principle

• focus on the mouth (must eat to survive; exploration)

• Phase 1 Fixation:

• oral-receptive (ingesting food)

• gullible (willing to take in anything)

• dependency on others

• obsessed with smoking, drinking from a straw, sweets, fingernail biting, thumb sucking

• oral-aggressive (biting and chewing)

• verbally aggressive in relationships, sarcastic, argumentative

• prefer rock candy and chewing on ice

FREUD’S STAGES• Phase 2: Anal Stage (18 mos.-3yrs)

• bowel/bladder retention and relief become a major source of gratification

• child gains “control” and parents try to exhibit “power”

• Phase 2 Fixation:

• anal-retentive

• delays gratification until the future - works hard and saves money

• super orderly, neat, and particular

• stubborn

• anal-expulsive

• sloppy, messy, disorganized, doesn’t care about being on time or following society’s rules

• can show aggressiveness and have emotional outbursts

FREUD’S STAGES• Phase 3: Phallic Stage (3-6 yrs.)

• focus on gender differences

• Oedipus Complex -- gender identity; learn morals and how to behave

• (others believed in Electra complex for girls; Freud seemed unsure)

• Phase 3 Fixation:

• problems in this phase can lead to—

• gender identity confusion

• attraction to same sex

• sexual promiscuity

• lack of proper and/or healthy intimate relationship with a partner (being dominant or submissive)

FREUD’S STAGES• Phase 4: Latency Stage (6 years to puberty)

• sublimation -- redirecting energy towards productive endeavors

FREUD’S STAGES• Phase 5: Genital Stage (puberty to death)

• begin to experience feelings of intimacy towards others

• forming important loving and caring relationships outside of the family

• finding interests and activities related to being productive and altruistic

FREUD• “Fixation” - caused by unresolved conflicts during one

of the first 3 stages (0-6 years)

• anal retentive (overly neat)

• hoarders (messy, disorganized)

• bedwetting

• issues with relationships (dominant or submissive in a relationship)

• oral fixation (thumb sucking, overeating)

FREUD • Defense Mechanisms

• ways to reduce or redirect stress, anxiety, and deficiencies

• we do these subconsciously

DEFENSE MECHANISMS• denial - to refuse to accept the reality of something

that makes you anxious/upset

DEFENSE MECHANISMS• denial - to refuse to accept the reality of something

that makes you anxious/upset

• refuse to admit an addiction or see the signs of a cheating partner

DEFENSE MECHANISMS• *projection - when we see our own undesirable traits

or motives in other people

• *projection - when we see our own undesirable traits or motives in other people

• an impolite person may accuse someone else of being rude

• the feeling “I can’t trust her” may be a projection of the actual feeling “I haven’t been completely trustworthy either”

DEFENSE MECHANISMS• compensation - an attempt to make up for a lack in

one area by putting forth extra effort and energy in another area

• compensation - an attempt to make up for a lack in one area by putting forth extra effort and energy in another area

• not good at academics, so try extra hard at sports or art

• someone who is illiterate becomes expert at avoiding reading

DEFENSE MECHANISMS• overcompensation - when people go even further than

just balancing their feelings of inferiority or inadequacy into unhealthy or destructive behaviors

• overcompensation - when people go even further than just balancing their feelings of inferiority or inadequacy into unhealthy or destructive behaviors

• shy student only studies and gives up what little social life she had

• working out or dieting too much

DEFENSE MECHANISMS• *regression - to return to earlier ways of behaving to

avoid present problems

• *regression - to return to earlier ways of behaving to avoid present problems

• temper tantrums from a 4 year old

• slamming a door

• saying mean things like an immature child

DEFENSE MECHANISMS• *repression - selective forgetting

• *repression - selective forgetting

• childhood abuse (according to Freud)

• forgetting to set your alarm the night before the ACT

DEFENSE MECHANISMS• procrastination - putting off a task due to stress/

anxiety

• procrastination - putting off a task due to stress/anxiety

• not telling your parents bad news

• avoiding doing a big assignment for school

DEFENSE MECHANISMS• stereotyped behavior - behavior that is not changed

by circumstances

• stereotyped behavior - behavior that is not changed by circumstances

• the “silent treatment” when you’re mad at your boyfriend/girlfriend

DEFENSE MECHANISMS• displaced aggression/*displacement - transfer of anger

from the source of the frustration to some innocent person or object

• displaced aggression/*displacement - transfer of anger from the source of the frustration to some innocent person or object

• yelling at your younger sibling when you are mad at your mom

• punching a wall

DEFENSE MECHANISMS• *rationalization - to use socially approved reasons

instead of real reasons to explain behavior

• *rationalization - to use self-justifying reasons instead of the real reasons to explain behavior

• shoplift because the store overcharges

• I can have one more drink before I drive because I had a really stressful day at work

DEFENSE MECHANISMS• *reaction formation - the ego unconsciously switches

unacceptable impulses into their opposites

• *reaction formation - switching unacceptable feelings and impulses into their opposites

• feeling low self-esteem leads to bragging

• feel afraid so you do something daring like drive 100 miles an hour or jump off a bridge

PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSESSMENTS

• projective - personality test that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics

PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSESSMENTS

• Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

• Test that asks individuals to make up a story from an ambiguous picture. It is assumed that their story projects their innermost feelings, thoughts and goals.

PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSESSMENTS

• Rorschach Inkblot Test

• Test that asks individuals what they see in 10 different inkblots. Again, it is assumed that their interpretations of the inkblots project their innermost feelings, thoughts and goals.

PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSESSMENTS

• miscellaneous tests

• have people draw pictures, finish a sentence or do free association

THE DE-BUNKING OF FREUD• development is a lifelong process

• he overestimated parental influence

• children don’t need a same-sex parent to form gender identity

• not scientific

• repression is highly controversial today

THE NEO-FREUDIANS...• they learned from Freud’s teachings and followed the

psychoanalytic perspective, but branched out and changed some of Freud’s ideas

• Karen Horney (1885-1952)

• Alfred Adler (1870-1937)

• Carl Jung (1875-1961)

HORNEY PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT

• It’s quiz time! I am going to ask you 9 multiple choice questions. Write your answers in the margin of your notes or on a scratch sheet of paper. Answer as honestly as you can.

KAREN HORNEY• influenced by Freud---emphasis on parent/child

relationship

• Horney’s ideas:

• children seek security

• if child does not feel secure, it leads to hostility against parents which must be repressed

• child feels anxiety due to lack of security

• by trial and error, child tries to resolve hostility and anxiety through 3 coping strategies

HORNEY’S 3 COPING STRATEGIES

• “moving towards people”

• extreme compliance

• “moving against people”

• aggression and domination

• “moving away from people”

• detachment and withdrawal

HORNEY’S 3 COPING STRATEGIES

• habitual use of only one of the strategies leads to neurotic tendencies and/or insecurity

• a healthy person will balance the 3 strategies and recognize which is appropriate for each situation

ALFRED ADLER• feelings of inferiority--normal feelings of inadequacy

brought on by childhood dependence, which set off the striving for superiority

• striving for superiority--the basic motivation in human life, a drive for perfection and power

• this leads to a “style of life”

• style of life is the unique way each individual expresses the striving for superiority

ADLER’S “STYLE OF LIFE”

• social interest

• contribution to society that the normal individual makes in the personal striving for superiority

• inferiority/superiority complex

• the inability to overcome feelings of inferiority; leads to self-centered and selfish goals

*you are basically a “giver” or a “taker”

OR

CARL JUNG• collective unconscious

• shared inherited memory traced from our species’ history

• archetypes

• archetype

• unlearned--we are born with them (babies are not a “blank slate”)

• universal thought - forms or mental images that influence an individual’s feelings and action

• help to organize how we experience certain things

• see them over and over in literature (mother figure, “trickster”, wise old man)

HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE• Abraham Maslow

• hierarchy of needs

HIERARCHY OF NEEDS7. self-actualization+

6. aesthetic* 5. need to know and understand

4. self-esteem 3. love and belongingness

2. safety 1. physiological (food and water)

---a need must be met before moving up to the next one

*truth, perfection, justice, art

+accept themselves and others as they are +good sense of humor +creative +concerned for the welfare of others +problem-centered rather than self-centered +objective

• Activity Time!

• What would you want if you were on a deserted island?

HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE• Carl Rogers:

• people will grow and achieve if nurtured by the proper environment which includes--

• genuineness

• acceptance (unconditional positive regard)

• empathy

CARL ROGERS• self-concept is key

• real vs. ideal self (need congruence)

HUMANISTIC CRITICS:• too subjective

• psychologists’ viewpoint of how people “should” be (are you interested in being self-actualized?)

• too much focus on how everyone is basically good and strives to achieve (is everyone really like that?)

• self-centered -- people worrying about themselves

TRAIT PERSPECTIVE• created by looking at clusters -- factor analysis

• personality is defined by looking at stable and enduring behavior patterns

• anti-Freudian; anti-humanistic

• similar to when BF Skinner started behaviorism

• place people in categories based on their common traits

THE BIG 5 (TRAIT THEORY)•openness

• imaginative, preference for variety, independent, curious

•conscientiousness

• organized, careful, disciplined, punctual

•extraversion

• sociable, fun-loving, outgoing, affectionate

THE BIG 5•agreeableness

• soft-hearted, trusting, easy-going, helpful

•neuroticism/emotional stability

• anxious, insecure, moody, high anxiety level

*based on observable behaviors that are consistent over time

PERSONALITY TRAIT ASSESSMENTS:

• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (4 letter code)

• “feeling” or “thinking” type

personality inventory: a questionnaire used to assess selected personality traits

• Eysenck Personality Questionnaire

• introvert/extrovert and stable/unstable

• Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) (most widely used and researched)

• looked at traits of people with psych. disorders vs. “normal” people

• empirically derived test - use a pool of items and then figured out which responses are common for specific groups (derived from or guided by experience or experiment — dictionary.com)

• i.e. people who answered “true” to “ my favorite ice cream is vanilla” also reported being shy

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE TRAIT PERSPECTIVE?

• people’s behavior changes situationally (a shy person is not always shy)

• simply describes behavior, does not explain

• only 5 traits

SOCIAL-COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE

• Albert Bandura:

• behavior occurs largely from modeling and conditioning

• we also think about each situation and that affects how we behave

• *reciprocal determinism - interaction between person and their environment

• Albert Bandura (cont’d)

• *research on link between violence on TV and aggressive behavior (and sharing candy)

• *Bobo doll (video)

• Big Ideas of S-C Perspective:

• Personal Control

• internal vs. external locus of control

• being ready for opportunities and acting upon them versus fate and destiny

• learned helplessness (shocked dogs) -- can come from a strong feeling of external locus of control

• *these are big factors in stress, health and morale (internals have less stress)

• Big Ideas of S-C Perspective (cont’d):

• Attributional Style

• how you explain why things happen the way they do

• optimism versus pessimism

• students with positive attribution (I know I can do well on this test if I study hard) get better grades than students with negative attribution (it’s just too difficult for me)

• BUT excessive optimism can lead to a feeling of invincibility and may move someone too far from reality

• focuses too much on the situation, not enough on a person’s individual traits

SOCIAL-COGNITIVE CRITICISM:

• We overestimate to what degree people are paying attention to (and judging) us.

1. Give a descriptive, personal example of the spotlight effect.

• We remember things better if they have to do with ourself—so we remember those “spotlight” moments more vividly.

2. Use question #1 to explain the self-reference phenomenon.

• better sleep

• less peer pressure

• more persistent

• less shy and lonely

• happier

3. List some of the benefits of high self-esteem that your textbook cites.

4. List some of the effects of low self-esteem found on p. 633.

• more likely to say something mean to someone else

• more likely to express racial prejudice

• more likely to be judgmental and critical of others

5. What does the research show about culture and self-esteem?

•People who are traditionally discriminated against do not suffer low self-esteem. They tend to compare themselves with people within their group.

6. What does the research show about self-esteem and aggression?

• People who have overly high self-esteem are much more likely to be aggressive when criticized…defensive self-esteem.

7. In a 1997 Galllup poll, white Americans estimated 44% of their fellow white Americans to be high in prejudice. Just 14% rated themselves similarly high in prejudice. What phenomenon does this illustrate?

• self-serving bias

• most people tend to see themselves in a positive light