Personality and Self-Concept

“Those inner psychological characteristics that both determine and reflect the tendencies that motivate a

person’s behaviour over time.”Schiffman et al (2001: 122)

“The sum total of ways in

which an individual reacts and

interacts with others.”Robbins (2001: 92)

What is What is PersonalityPersonality

??

THE NATURE OF PERSONALITY Personality reflects individual differences

Personality is consistent and enduring

But personality can change

SOME THEORIES OF PERSONALITY

Freudian Theory

Unconscious needs or drives are at the heart of human motivation

Neo-Freudian theory - e.g. C.G. Jung

Social relationships are fundamental to the formation and development of personality

Trait Theory

Quantitative approach to personality as a set of psychological traits

“unconscious needs and drives, especially biological drives such as sex, thirst and

hunger, are the bases of human motivation and

personality…”

FreudianFreudianPsycho-Psycho-analytic analytic TheoryTheory

THEORIES OF

PERSONALITY

...a distinctive and relatively stable pattern of behavior, thoughts, motives, and emotions that characterizes an individual.Sigmund Freud

Alfred Adler

Carl Jung

Carl Rogers

Jung and Adler were “Neo-Freudians”, who used some Freudian ideas but developed many ideas of their own...Rogers was a “Humanistic” theorist with a completely different approach.

FREUD’S PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY

Thoughts and behavior are guided mainly by the unconscious part of the mind.

Sexual motivation plays a central role in everyday life.

Concept of “infantile sexuality”: erotic experiences in infancy and early childhood shape personality in adulthood.

Three Main Components

FREUD & PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

“personality forms during the first few years of life,rooted in unresolved conflicts of early childhood”

“personality forms during the first few years of life,rooted in unresolved conflicts of early childhood”

Psychosexual StagesOral (0-18 mos) - centered on the mouth

Anal (18-36 mos) - focus on bowel/bladder elim.

Phallic (3-6 yrs) - focus on genitals/“Oedipus Complex”

(Identification & Gender Identity)

Latency (6-puberty) - sexuality is dormant

Genital (puberty on) - sexual feelings toward others

Strong conflict can fixate an individual at Stages 1,2 or 3

FREUD’S PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY

Conscious: everything we are aware of at the moment; just the “tip of the iceberg”.

Preconscious: memories that we can bring to consciousness.

Unconscious: memories, wishes, and instincts (desires) that are too threatening or painful to bring to consciousness.

Three Levels of the Mind

Freud said that personality is divided into 3 parts,

ID, EGO, and SUPEREGO. They are always in

conflict but most of the time the conflict is

unconscious.

THE ID

Contains life instincts (sex, hunger, thirst, etc.) and

death instincts (aggressive, destructive tendencies).

Libido: sexual energy that fuels the entire

personality; needed for everyday life.

Pleasure Principle: seeks immediate gratification of

impulses regardless of consequences.

Pleasure = reduction in tension. Tension increases if

we don’t release energy from impulses.

Everything in the id is unconscious (intensity of desires, goals that would give the most satisfaction).

THE EGO

Logical, rational.

Executive of personality: determines where, when, and

how impulses are expressed.

Goal: to satisfy the id in ways that are socially and

morally acceptable. This requires use of the...

Reality Principle: tendency to delay gratification of

impulses until they can be expressed in socially and

morally acceptable ways.

The ego is part conscious and part unconscious. The unconscious part distorts our perceptions of reality (including ourselves).

THE SUPEREGO

Contains moral values; not rational; doesn’t care about

consequences (like id).

Consists of two parts:

Conscience: memories of behaviors that have been

punished; if we repeat these actions, we feel guilty.

Ego Ideal: memories of behaviors for which we have been

praised or rewarded; repeating them gives us feelings of

pride.

The superego is part conscious and part unconscious; if we feel guilty and don’t know why, it’s caused by the unconscious part.

FREUDIAN THEORY

Id

Warehouse of primitive or instinctual needs for which individual seeks immediate satisfaction

Superego

Individual’s internal expression of society’s moral and ethical codes of conduct

Ego

Individual’s conscious control that balances the demands of the id and superego

THE UNCONSCIOUS

“the mind is like an iceburg - mostly hidden”“the mind is like an iceburg - mostly hidden”

Conscious Awarenesssmall part above surface

(Preconscious)

Unconsciousbelow the surface

(thoughts, feelings,wishes, memories)

Repressionbanishing unacceptablethoughts & passions to

unconsciousDreams

FREUD & PERSONALITY STRUCTURE

“Personality arises from conflict between agressive,pleasure-seeking impulses and social restraints”

Satisfactionwithout the guilt?

Ego SuperEgo

IdWoody Allen

SELF-IMAGES

Actual Self-Image

Ideal Self-Image

Ideal SocialSelf-Image

Social Self-Image

ExpectedSelf-Image

SELF- AND SELF -IMAGE

Multiple visions of self

1. actual self

2. ideal self - how I like to see me

3. social self - how I think others see me

4. ideal social self - how I would like others to see me

5. expected self - how I would like to see myself later

EXTENDED SELF

Modification or changing of the self by

which consumers use self-altering

products or services to conform to or

take on the appearance of a particular

types of person (e.g., a physician, a

lawyer, a University Student, a young

man - hair dye).

WAYS POSSESSIONS CAN EXTEND THE SELF Actually

Symbolically

By Conferring Status

By Bestowing Feelings of Immortality

By Endowing With Magical Powers