THEORIES OF PERSONALITY

SUDHESH N.T
Assistant Professor
Sudhesh.nt@gmail.com

CONCEPT OF PERSONALITY
Latin word persona
Allport
- dynamic organization
within the individual of those
psycho-physical
systems
that
determine his unique adjustment
to his environment
Cattell it is that which permits a
prediction of what a person will do
in a given situation

Personality is dynamic
Organized and not static
Includes physical, mental & emotional
traits
Unique and specific
Adjustment to ones environment
Exhibits self consciousness
Organization
of
psychophysical
systems

Sometimes disorganized
Product of heredity and environment
It is an end product of learning &
acquisition
Measured one
Its just an estimation
System of emotional disposition

THEORIES OF PERSONALITY

4 broad categories

Type approach, trait, psycho-analytic

and humanistic approach.

Hippocrates, Kretschmer & Sheldon

Ancient Indian concept Ayurveda

Vata(wind), pitt(bile) and kuf(mucus)

3 basic elements of body

CLASSIFICATION AYURVEDA
Dominance
of the
Element

Personality
Type

Somatic
characteristi
cs

Personality
characteristi
cs

Air & Ether

(space)

Vata

Slightly built,
dull dark hair
and eyes, dry
rough skin,
suffer from stiiff
joints,
constipation

Restless with
active minds,
emotionally
insecure, poor
memory,
insomnia,
depression,
good artists and
enjoying
travelling,
solitary &
rebellious

Water & Earth

Kapha

Big boned,
overweight,

Lot of sleep,
rational speak &

Dominance
of the
Element

Fire & Water

Personality
Type

Pitta

Somatic
characteristi
cs

Average build,
rudy
complexion or
red hair, moles,
Freckles or
acne, tendency
to go grey &
bald early,
green eyes

Personality
characteristi
cs
Intense,
argumentative,
critical sharp
intelligence,
good leaders,
enjoy sports,
hunting,
politics, vivid
dreams

HIPPOCRATES
Classified by body fluids
Blood, Yellow bile, Phlegm and Black bile
Sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic & Melancholic
Light hearted, optimistic, happy, hopeful,
accommodating
Irritable, angry but passionate, strong with active
imagination
Cold calm, slow indifferent
Bad tempered, sad, depressed, pessimistic, selfinvolved

KRETSCHMER
According to Biological Types with
respect to the physical structure
Pyknic (fat body) sociable, jolly,
easy going
Athletic
(balanced
body)

energetic, optimistic, adjustable

Leptosomatic(lean&
thin)

unsociable,
reserved,
shy,
sensitive, pessimistic

SHELDON
Physical structure temperament
Endomorphic highly developed
viscera easy going, sociable,
affectionate
Mesomorphic balanced viscera
craving for muscular activity, selfassertive, loves risk & adventure
Ectomorphic undeveloped viscera
pessimistic, unsociable, reserved.

RADICAL BEHAVIORISM

Learning Theories
Classical and Operant Conditioning
Pavlov, Thorndike and B.F Skinner
Reinforcement theory The basis of
Behaviour

B.F Skinner (1904 1990)

born in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania

elder of two sons

I was taught to fear God, the police, and

what

people will think (Skinner, 1967,

p. 407).

Experiments designed to test certain

hypotheses

Reinforcement The basis of behavior

The act of strengthening a response by
adding a reward, thus increasing the
likelihood that the response will be repeated
Respondent behavior and operant behavior

A response made to or elicited by a specific

stimulus. Eg: knee jerk
Behavior emitted spontaneously or voluntarily
that operates on the environment to change it.
Eg: Sneezing, any Human behavior

Skinner box

Schedules of reinforcement

Reinforcer and reinforcement

Negative reinforces and punishment

Shaping Behavior

Chaining Behavior

Positive and Negative

Reinforcement

A pleasant experience is given as a

reinforcer or reward immediately
after the desirable response occurs.

An
unpleasant
experience
is
withdrawn
from
the
situation
provided the desirable response is
given.

Punishment

Negative reinforcement is the elimination of an

unpleasant experience whereas punishment
involves

presentation

of

an

unpleasant

experience.

Effect of punishment is uncertain

Normally do not strengthen behavior

Likely to produce undesirable emotional effects

Shaping Behavior

How are these complex behaviors

learned?

How can an experimenter or a parent

rein-force and condition a pigeon or a
child to perform behaviors that are not
likely to occur spontaneously?

Method of successive approximation

or Shaping

Shaping
An explanation for the acquisition
of complex behavior. Behavior
such as learning to speak will be
reinforced only as it comes to
approximate or approach the
final desired behavior.
Superstitious behaviour

Self control the ability to exert

control over the variables that
determine our behavior
Self-control techniques stimulus
avoidance
Applications of operant conditioning
behavior modifications, token
economy programs

Schedules of
Reinforcement

Continuous reinforcement schedule.

Fixed interval reinforcement schedule.

Fixed ratio reinforcement schedule.

Variable reinforcement schedule.

TRAIT APPROACH
Thoughts, Feelings, Actions

May be defined as a property

within the individual that accounts
for his unique but relatively stable
reactions to environment

G.W Allport, R.B Cattell, H.J Eysenck

ALLPORTS THEORY OF PERSONAL

DISPOSTION
Basic unit of personality

Cardinal traits primary, dominant,

Central traits few characteristic

tendencies, less pervasive, generalized
behaviour

Secondary traits not dominant as such,

modifiable - attitudes

CATTELLS THEORY trait appraoch

Structure of personality
Common traits widely distributed.
E.g. Honesty, aggression, co-operation
Unique traits unique to a person.
E.g. emotional reactions.
Surface traits overt manifestation of behr.
Eg: dependability, curiosity
Source traits underlying stctr that
determines behavior of idvdl. Indirectone.
E.g. dominance, submission

EYSENCKS THEORY
Traits in to Types
Group of correlated traits
Personality Types

Introvert extrovert
Neurotic stability
Psychotic normal

Dynamics of personality

Four hierarchical levels

Specific response level child exhibits

a particular response to a situation.
Habitual response level similar
responses in similar situations
Trait level form behr patterns. Eg:
sociability
Type level highest level, correlated
traits integrate to form a type,
cooperation, eager extrovert.

HUMINISTIC APPROACH

Carl Rogers self theory

Client centered therapy
Structure of pty organism & self
Ideal self
Dynamics develop & expand self
Organism, self, ideal self & external reality
components
Self image (self concept) & actual image
(real self)
Client-centred therapy for healthy self
concept.

PSYCHO-ANALYTIC APPROACH

Freuds Psycho-analytic Theory

3 major parts

Theory of personality dynamics

Theory of personality structure

Theory of Psycho-sexual
development

DYNAMICS OF PERSONALITY
Unconscious part of human mind
3 levels of consciousness

The conscious mind contains

memories, thoughts & desires
The preconscious mind b/n
conscious & unconscious, not fully
aware but could be recalled easily
The unconscious mind needs &
wishes, strong anxiety, suppressed
experiences, hidden area

Factor of psychic activity is the unconsciousness

Unsatisfied desires & painful experiences
Forced down unconscious layer of the mind
repression
Bhr pattern, personality determined by the
suppressed desires & experiences
Repression of desires & feelings block the
libido- psychic energy provide power to mental
activity- leads to severe anxiety & conflicts
mental illness abnormal pty dvp

PERSONALITY STRUCTURE
Composed of 3 major systems
The id , ego and superego
Id
Original system
Instinctual
Reservoir of psychic energy
Operates on pleasure principle
Not concerned with good or bad

It is the true psychic reality

Its actions are more subjective
It is the primitive component of the
personality
Everything psychological that is
inherited including instincts
It neglects values, rules, justice etc

Right or wrong, Real or unreal

For reducing tension choose pleasurable path
Two process for fullfilling goal
Reflex action primary process
Inborn & automatic sneezing, blinking eys
Objects or actions selected by the id cathaxes
Sucking thumb
Primary process is not capable of reducing
tension
Hungry person cannot eat the image of food

Then the secondary process starts developing

its the second system ego
The ego
Ego obeys the reality principle
It is the decision making component
It acts practically
Balancing component
It mediate the id and external social world
Ego considers social realities rules, customs,
traditions

It decides how to behave

Freud compares ego to a man on horse back
and id to the horse
It is the executive of the pty
Never becomes completely independent from
id
It originate from id
Reality principle it uses secondary processgetting pleasure reality testing- whether
what is happening is what we wanted

Super ego
Moral component of personality
It works out according to social acceptance
It determines whether pty is good/bad
It focuses on perfection rather than pleasure
It focuses on ideal rather than real.
It emerge out of the age at around 3-5 years
It emerges from id
originally id alone, which later differentiates
into ego & superego

When ego stronger balanced personality

When ego weaker maladjusted personality

When super ego stronger neurotic pty

When id become stronger delinquent pty

Psycho Sexual
development

Oral stage

Anal stage

Phallic stage

Latency stage

Genital stage

Oral stage
The first year of life
Main source of erotic stimulation is the mouth
(in biting, sucking, chewing, and so on)
Oral sadistic period
Fixation at the oral stage could form the basis
for obsessive eating or smoking later in life
First autoerotic experience is thumb sucking, a
defense against anxiety that satisfies their
sexual but not their nutritional needs.

Anal stage
Children get their erotic pleasure from their
bowel movements, through either the
expulsion or retention of feces.
Anus emerges as a sexually pleasurable zone.
Two sub-phases, the early anal and the late
anal
Children often behave aggressively toward
their parents for frustrating them with toilet
training.
societys first systematic effort to regulate
the childs biological urges

excessive punishment might produce

a latent feeling of hostility toward the
trainer, usually the mother.
Late children take a friendly interest
toward their feces.
Genital
Concern and anxiety of
punishment - Genital anxiety sexual
anxieties in later life

Phallic stage

Around 4 yrs
Genitals become the focus for the childs
erotic energy
Oedipal complex - develop an erotically
tinged preference for their mother.
Oedipus was separated from his parents at
birth. Not knowing the identity of his real
parents, when he grew up he inadvertently
killed his father and married his mother.

They also feel hostility toward their

father, whom they view as a competitor
for moms affection.
Penis envy
The way parents and children deal with
the sexual and aggressive conflicts important

Latency stage

4 6 yrs
childs sexuality is largely suppressed
expanding social contacts beyond the
immediate family.
If parental suppression is successful,
children will repress their sexual drive
and direct their psychic energy toward
school, friend-ships, hobbies, and other
nonsexual activities.

Genital period

puberty - adults
Erogenous zone - sex organs
Sexual urges reappear and focus on the
genitals once again.
sexual energy is normally channeled
toward peers of the other sex
Freud believed that unconscious sexual
conflicts rooted in childhood experiences
cause most personality disturbances.

Instinct inborn psychological representation

of an inner somatic source of excitation

It determines the direction of bhr

Thurst, hunger, rest, sex etc

body is the source of instincts

No external factor lead to pty dev. Freud

Instinct bodily need + wish

Life instincts & Death instincts

LI - Help individual for survive & racial

propagation

Libido energy to keep life instinct

DI aggressive, destructive. Derivative

formula

Original form self destructive

Child is the father of Man

Develop pty in response to

Physiological growth process

Frustrations

Conflicts

Threats

Tension relieves through

Identification
Displacement
Identification method by which a person takes over the
features of another person
More similar to imitation its superficial
Takes place unconsciously
Children identify to avoid punishment

Identifying things from others

That person is model

Identification is also called Modeling

Unconscious modeling

Displacement if identification blocked, select original

object

Internal & external barriers

Strong repression, otherwise new cathexes will be

formed

Second identification, if it fails go for another cathaxes

- numerous ones, all this occurs unconsciously, up to
we get pleasure relieve tension

Punishment - good behaviors

Psychic energy is displaceable & distributable

Defense mechanism ego tries to relieve the

extreme anxiety

If id is dominant; give pleasure

If super ego dominates, will say to ego that dont

hear id. S.ego inhibits all desires of id.

tension always ego is not strong

Other systems demanding

Repression
denial
Projection
Reaction formation
Fixation & Regression
Sublimation
Aggression
Rationalization

Repression

One of the earliest concept of pty

Personality assessment

Questionnaire

Graphology

Inventory

Projective tests

Body language

Graphology
Handwriting can be a way to
understand your personality.
Your conscious mind determines WHAT
you write and your subconscious mind
controls HOW you write.
Personality characteristics can be
analyzed by size, pressure, speed,
spacing, slant, and over 20 others
elements.

Personal analysis - Want to know yourself or

people you care about better? You'll be
surprised by the insights you will receive.
Dating/counseling - If you want to understand
yourself or your relationships better
Understanding peers/Business associates You're in an important meeting but can't seem
to get a "read" on other participants. Knowing
about handwriting analysis will provide
important insights..

Child monitoring - Handwriting analysis is

very helpful for parents who want to
understand and monitor their children
through development.
Criminal cases - What kind of person
committed the crime? Who is telling the
truth? Knowing this can help law enforcement
determine what they're up against and the
type of person sought.
"Poison pen" letters - How dangerous is that
nasty note? What is the nature of the writer?
Handwriting analysis can shed light on these
questions.
Old letters - What was Grandpa really like?

Method

Letter size

Upper zone

Middle zone

Lower zone

Pressure

Spacing

Handwriting is really brain writing

.. And you cant fool your
brain, no matter how hard you try!
Mary Ann Matthews

Questionnaire

according to Bogardus, "is a list of

questions sent to a number of persons
for their answers and which obtains
standardized results that can be
tabulated and treated statistically".

Use of Questionnaire

Types

Structured

Closed ended yes/no, 3 points, five points

etc
Open ended - used for intensive studies

Unstructured - interviews
Pictorial questionnaire for children
want to tick the picture

Inventory

Resembles with questionnaire

Qstn. general device

Designed to seek answers about the

person & pty Traits

Respondent asking questions himself

Personal Data Sheet (PDS) R.S woodworth

116 questions
Related to feelings, fear & symptoms of mental
disorder
MMPI best known 550 items
yes/no/doubtful
EPI assessing neurotic tendencies
Sable unstable, introverted extroverted
Study Habits Inventory
Bells Adjustment Inventory

Projective Techniques

Which study the unconscious mind

Most suitable technique

Personality disorder

Based on projection

Own desires, repressed wishes, hope,

fears

Rorschach Ink-blot Test

Swiss Psychiatrist Herman Rorschach 1921
10 cards - bisymmetrical ink-blot
We drop ink-drops on a piece of paper and
then fold it, we can obtain such ink-blots
Deviant personality
TAT Morgan & Murray 20 pictures
CAT Leopold Bellak 3- 11 yrs - 10 cards
Sentence completion test, Draw a Man, etc.

Body language

THANKS
FOR SHARING YOUR
RESOURCES

SUDHESH.N.T
Sudhesh.nt@gmail.c
om
Mb: 09846069853