Chapter 10: Personality

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Personality

The pattern of enduring

characteristics that
differentiate people those
behaviors that make each of
us unique

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Psychoanalytic Approaches

Psychoanalytic theory
Freuds theory that our behavior is triggered by
forces within personality of which we are not
aware

Unconscious
A part of the personality of which a person is
not aware

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Structuring Personality

Id
Raw, unorganized, inborn
part of the personality
Libido
Psychic energy that
fuels primitive drives
Pleasure principle
Immediate reduction of
tension and the
maximization of
satisfaction

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Structuring Personality

Ego
Strives to balance the
desires of the id and the
realities of the objective,
outside world
Reality principle
Instinctual energy is
restrained in order to
maintain the safety of
the individual and help
integrate the person into
society

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Structuring Personality

Superego
The final personality
structure to develop that
represents the rights and
wrongs of society as taught
and modeled by a persons
parents, teachers, and other
significant individuals
Conscience
Prevents us from
behaving in a morally
improper way
Ego-ideal
Represents the perfect
person we wish we
were

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The Neo-Freudian Psychoanalyst

Jungs Collective
Unconscious
A set of influences we
inherit from our own
relatives, the whole human
race, and even nonhuman
animal ancestors from the
distant past

Adlers inferiority complex

Situations in which adults
have not been able to
overcome the feelings of
inferiority that they
developed as children

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Trait Approaches

Trait theory
Assumption that all people
possess certain traits

Traits
Enduring dimensions of
personality characteristics
along with which people
differ

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Allports Trait Theory

Cardinal trait
A single characteristic that directs most of a persons
activities

Central trait
The major characteristic of an individual

Secondary trait
Characteristics that affect behavior in fewer situations
and are less influential than central or cardinal traits

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Trait Approaches

Cattell
Factor analysis
A method of
summarizing the
relationships among a
large number of
variables into fewer,
more general patterns
Source traits
Represent the basic
dimensions of
personality

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Trait Approaches

Hans Eysenck
Extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism

The Big Five

Openness to experience
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Neuroticism

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Learning Approaches

Social cognitive approaches

Emphasizes the influence of a persons
cognitions thoughts, feelings, expectations,
and values in determining personality

Self-efficacy
Belief in ones personal capabilities

Self-esteem
Component of personality that encompasses
our positive and negative evaluations

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Biological and Evolutionary

Approaches

Suggest that important

components of personality
are inherited
Temperament
A basic, innate disposition

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