Personality
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Personality
Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N)
-Cattell (1940s) - Pioneer in personality scaling. 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF)
-Eysenck (1940s) - "Big Two", then 3
extroversion/introversion; neuroticism/stability; psychoticism/socialization
Way of perceiving information
Extroverts (E) vs. Introverts (I)
Source of energy expression
Sensing
Observant, rely on their senses, absorbed in practical matters, focus on what has happened. Take in information you receive from the world.
Intuitive
Introspective, rely on their imagination, absorbed in ideas, focus on what might happen. Rely on own internal world.
Extroverted
Expressive, outgoing, prefer group activities, eager to speak their minds, more comfortable when around other people than when alone, get energized by social interaction
Introverted
Reserved, listen carefully, prefer solitary activities, more comfortable when alone than when around other people, get exhausted by social interaction
What is personality?
Is personality constant and stable?
Personality Theories
4 principle psychological functions through which we experience the world.
Seemingly random variation in people's behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent
This is due to basic differences in the ways people use their perception and judgments in situations
All types are equal - they are descriptive
-Freud (1920s) - Psychoanalytic approach, the role of early experiences and the unconscious
-Allport (1930s) - Rejected psychoanalysis. Developed trait theory. One of first in personality psychology.
What is personality?
Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)
Way of processing information
Individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving (APA).
A dynamic and organized set of characteristics possessed by a person that uniquely influences his or her cognition, motivations, and behaviors in various situations.
The collection of patterns of reacting to and interacting with others and the environment that distinguish each person (Bee & Boyd, 2007).
Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)
How you implement information
Thinking
Follow their minds, suppress feelings, focus on objectivity and rationality. Makes decisions based on logic and objective analysis.
Feeling
Sensitive, follow their hearts, keep feelings close to the surface, focus on harmony and cooperation. Makes decisions based on personal values and convictions.
Judging
Decisive, prefer clear rules and guidelines, eager to commit. Organized, a planner.
Perceiving
Prefer keeping their options open, reluctant to commit, relaxed about their work, seek freedom, improvises.
Extroversion (E)
Agreeableness (A)
Reflects a concern for harmony and getting along with others.
Those who score high tend to be empathetic, trusting, generous, good-natured, and cooperative.
Those low in agreeableness may be less interested in others' problems, irritable, abrasive, and suspicious. Tend to 'tell it like it is'.
The extent to which people are outgoing or shy; the extent to which one seeks fulfillment from outside sources.
Those high on this trait tend to be very social, affectionate, talkative, active, get energy from others.
Those low on this trait are reserved and quiet, prefer to work alone, get drained from social situations.
Now what can we say about personality?
Genes, childhood, family experiences all matter - no change is 'total' - but personality shifts can occur in adulthood (Berger, 2011).
"Personality is not fixed - emerging adults open to new experiences which allows personality shifts and opportunity for more education" (Berger, 2011; McAdams & Olson, 2010; Tanner et al., 2009).
Longitudinal research:
Early temperament and childhood personality predict later personality in adolescence and beyond - but change is always possible (Berger, 2011; Kagan, 2007; McCrae & Costa, 2003).
Openness to experience (O)
Conscientiousness (C)
Extroversion (E)
Agreeableness (A)
Neuroticism (N)
Conscientiousness (C)
Openness to Experience (O)
Personality trait of thoughtfulness and organization.
Those who score high in conscientiousness tend to be responsible, planners, tidy, and self-disciplined.
Those low on the scale dislike structure, are disorganized, impulsive, and messy.
Trait of seeking new experiences and intellectual pursuits.
Those with high scores tend to day-dream. They are emotional, curious, creative and vulnerable.
Those with low scores tend to be very down to earth. They are calm and even-tempered, organized, and like to stick to routine.
Personality traits correlate with all aspects of our lives (education, relationships, work) and they affect our choices.
But with your genes being your genes your whole life, the Big Five, which are the 5 basic clusters of personality traits, remain relatively stable (Berger, 2011).
Neuroticism (N)
(Emotional stability)
This describes the extent to which a person is anxious, moody, and critical.
People scoring high on this trait experience a lot of stress, feel anxious, worry, get overwhelmed
People scoring low on this trait are relaxed, deal well with stress, are emotionally resilient