chp 14 psych

• Personality


  The unique and enduring patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that distinguish individuals from one another
• Personality arises from the observation of meaningful differences in how people think, feel, and act
• Despite the influence of social environments, individuals typically demonstrate consistency in their behavior across different situations
• Personality traits are characterized by three main aspects

  • They distinguish individuals from one another, forming part of their identity
  • They are primarily influenced by internal rather than external factors
  • They exhibit a cohesive and meaningful pattern of behavior, suggesting an underlying personality guiding behavior
• Components of Personality


  • Thoughts: Refers to the cognitive processes, beliefs, and perceptions unique to an individual
  • Feelings: Include emotional responses and affective experiences that characterize an individual's mood and temperament
  • Actions: Encompass observable behaviors and responses to various life situations
• Thoughts


  The things we think about and believe
• Thoughts


  • If someone believes they're good at sports, that's a thought about themselves
• Feelings


  Our emotions and moods
• Feelings


  • Feeling happy, sad, or angry are all different feelings we experience
• Actions


  The things we do, like the behaviors we show
• Actions


  • If someone helps a friend in need, that's an action they've taken
• In simple terms, thoughts are what we think, feelings are what we feel, and actions are what we do
• Understanding personality helps explain how individuals interact with the world and why they respond to situations in certain ways. 

  • It provides insight into predicting behavior and understanding interpersonal dynamics.
• Behaviors as Components of Identity


  The things we do, like how we act and react in different situations, are part of what makes us who we are
• Behaviors as Components of Identity

  • If someone is always kind and helpful, those actions become part of how we see and know that person
• Attribution to Personality


  When we see someone's behaviors, we often link them to that person's personality
• Attribution to Personality


  • If someone is always outgoing and friendly, we might think, "Oh, that's just how they are"
• Perceived Internal Cause


  We often think our behaviors come from within ourselves, from our own thoughts and feelings, rather than just being reactions to what's happening around us
• Perceived Internal Cause


  • If we're always shy in social situations, we might think it's because of our own personality traits, like being introverted
• We believe that are behaviors are a result of who we are and it is not simply a reaction to our environment
• Organization and Connection to Personality

  Our behaviors seem to fit together in a way that reflects our personality
• Organization and Connection to Personality

  • If someone is generally outgoing and friendly, we might expect them to act that way in different situations, like with friends, family, or strangers
• Perspectives on Personality


  • Psychodynamic
  • Humanistic
  • Biological
  • Cognitive
  • Sociocultural
• The diversity of theories reflects the individual personalities and perspectives of theorists, shaping how they perceive and understand personality
• Theorists who tend to have a more positive outlook


  May be inclined to develop humanistic theories that emphasize individual growth, self-actualization, and the inherent goodness of people
• Theorists with a more skeptical or pessimistic view


  May develop theories that focus on darker aspects of personality or emphasize the role of unconscious conflicts, as seen in psychodynamic theories
• Usefulness of a theory: 

  The usefulness of a theory in psychology is determined by its ability to provide a comprehensive framework, predict future events accurately, and stimulate the discovery of new knowledge. 

  A good theory in psychology needs to do three things well: 

  Cover a Lot: It should explain a wide range of stuff about its topic. 

  Guess Right: It should be able to predict what will happen in the future pretty accurately. 

  Keep Us Learning: It should make us curious and want to learn more, leading to new discoveries. 
• Psychodynamic Theorists: They believe behavior is influenced by inner conflicts and unconscious forces. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory is a major example. 

  Observations: Freud believed symptoms were related to repressed memories and feelings. Bringing these to awareness often improved symptoms
• Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory


  Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) initially pursued a career in medical research but became interested in treating patients with conversion hysteria (in which physical symptoms such as paralysis and blindness appeared suddenly and with no apparent physical cause) during a fellowship in Paris with famous French neurologist Jean Charcot
• Conversion hysteria

  Physical symptoms such as paralysis and blindness appeared suddenly and with no apparent physical cause
• Freud observed that the symptoms were often linked to repressed memories and feelings, that seemed to have been repressed, or pushed out of awareness
• When his patients were able to re-experience these traumatic memories and unacceptable feelings, which were often sexual or aggressive in nature, their physical symptoms often improved and even disappeared
• Psychoanalysis


  Freud's theory that unconscious forces greatly influence behavior and his experimentation with techniques like hypnosis and dream analysis to access the unconscious mind
• In an attempt to relieve painful bouts of depression he was experiencing, Freud conducted an extensive self-analysis based on his own dreams
• Freud's work on dream analysis culminated in the publication of his book The Interpretation of Dreams in 1900
• Despite facing criticism, Freud's ideas gained followers, and psychoanalysis evolved into a comprehensive theory of personality and a method for treating psychological disorders
• Over time, psychoanalysis became a theory of personality, an approach to studying the mind, and a method for treating psychological disorders
• Personality

  Divided into three parts: the id, ego, and superego
• Id


  • The innermost core of the personality, the only structure present at birth, and the source of all psychic energy
  • Has no direct contact with reality and functions in a totally irrational manner
  • Operates according to the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification or release regardless of rational considerations and environmental realities
• The id is like a wild child living in our unconscious mind. It wants what it wants, when it wants it, and doesn't care about rules or reality