Personality Written Report
Personality Written Report
I. PERSONALITY
1.1. DEFINITION
Personality is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both
consistency and individuality to a person‘s behavior. (Myers, 2005)
Personality is the dynamic and organized set of characteristics and traits possessed by a person that
uniquely influences his or her cognitions, motivations, and behaviors in various situations. (Ryckman,
2008)
Traits are relatively permanent and broad reaction tendencies and serve as the building blocks of
personality. These are habitual patterns of behavior, thoughts, and emotion.
Characteristics are unique qualities of an individual that include such attributes as temperament,
physique, and intelligence.
Attitude is a favorable evaluative reactions towards something or someone exhibited in one‘s beliefs,
feeling, or intended behavior (Myers, 2005). It is the consistency of reaction to a given situation.
Behavior is the observable changes in the way the individual copes with or adjusts and reacts to the
environment.
Personality Psychology is a branch of psychology that studies personality and its variations among
individuals.
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It impacts behaviors and actions - Personality does not just influence how we move and
respond in our environment; it also causes us to act in certain ways.
Multiple expressions - Personality is displayed in more than just behavior. It can also be seen in
our thoughts, feelings, close relationships and other social interactions.
2. Ego
- Reality principle
- Understands that other people have needs and desires
- Executive part, ego‘s job to meet the needs of the id
- A psychologically healthy person is dominated by the ego
3. Superego
- Conscience, it dictates our belief of right and wrong
- Moral or ethical restrains
- A guilt-ridden or inferior-feeling person is dominated by the superego
At age 5, the 3 structures of personality are already formed and have a solid relationship.
The first 5 years of the child is crucial for the child‘s foundation.
3. Unconscious (submerged deep into the water and the large part of the iceberg)
- Bad experiences, emotions, beliefs, feelings and impulses are not available at conscious
level, buried due to extreme anxiety they caused but has continuous impact in our
personality.
- Ego is free floating in all 3 levels
1. Ego
- identifies with the conscious mind
2. Personal unconscious
- Anything which is not conscious, but can be.
- Memories that can be easily brought to mind
- Memories that are suppressed for some reason
3. Collective unconscious
- ―psychic inheritance‖
- Reservoir of our experiences
- Knowledge we are all born with
- It influences all our experiences and behaviors most especially the emotional ones
- Latent learning with later applications
THEORIES:
1. BEHAVIORIST THEORY
Suggest that personality is a result of interaction between the individual and the
environment. Behavioral theorists study observable and measurable behaviors, rejecting
theories that take internal thoughts and feelings into account.
3. TRAIT THEORY
Traits contribute to individual differences in behavior, consistency of behavior over time,
and stability of behavior across situations. Traits may be unique, common to some group,
or shared by the entire species, but their pattern is different for each individual. Thus
each person, though like others in some ways, has a unique personality.
4. PSYCHOANALYSIS
Present behaviors are influenced by what is in the unconscious or past. All human
behavior is motivated by drives or instincts which in turn are the neurological
representations of physical needs.
5. HUMANIST THEORY
Individual drives and habit to achieve self-actualization and self-realizations. Personality
is an interaction among the environment, behavior, and the person‘s psychological
processes. It focuses on subjective experiences of persons as opposed to forced, definitive
factors that determine behavior.
6. EXISTENTIAL THEORY
It is concerned with the great problems of human existence, and understanding of human
nature. It focuses on the irrational as well as the rational side of our natures (needs).
1. Introversion
- People who prefer their internal world of thoughts, feelings, fantasies, and dreams
2. Extraversion/ Extroversion
- People who prefers the external world of things, people and activities
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4.2.1. 4 Scales:
1. Extroversion-Introversion (E-I)
2. Sensing-Intuiting (S-N): Perceiving Functions
3. Thinking-Feeling (T-F): Judging Functions
4. Judging-Perceiving (J-P): to determine superior functions
Basic Principle:
a. Striving for Perfection/Success
- Overcoming feelings of inferiority by psychologically healthy people
b. Striving for superiority
- Overcoming feelings of inferiority by psychologically unhealthy people
Trait Theories are primarily interested in the measurement of traits which are relatively
stable over time and differ across individuals.
3. Central Traits- traits that are closely tied to one self than to others. Building blocks of our
personality. Characteristics found in some degree in every person (honesty)
4. Secondary Traits- traits that are not quite so obvious, or so general or so consistent, are
seen only on certain circumstances(preferences, attitudes)
5. Cardinal Traits- traits that define a person‘s life, shape a behavior, tends to develop late
in life(passions, obsessions)
5.2.1. The Five Factor Theory (R.R McCrae and P.T. Costa, Jr.)
1. Extraversion: adventurous, assertive, frank, sociable, talkative, vs.
Introversion: quiet, reserved, shy, unsociable
2. Openness to experience: cultured, esthetic, imaginative, intellectual, open-minded
3. Agreeableness: altruistic, gentle, kind, sympathetic, warm
4. Conscientiousness: competent, orderly, responsible, thorough
5. Neuroticism: angry, anxious, depressed (emotional) vs.
Emotional Stability: calm, relaxed, emotionally stable
2. Anal stage (lasts from about 12-18 months to three or four years old). Focus of pleasure
is the anus. Holding feces in and letting it go are greatly enjoyed. Toilet training starts.
- conformity to toilet training: orderly and neat
- appreciated: creativity, productivity
- fixation: anal expulsive personality (defecate anywhere): sadistic, cruel, destructive,
temper tantrums, vandalism, disorderly
- fixation: anal retentive personality (hold back feces): stubborn, stingy, hoards/retains to
feel secure, rigid, compulsively neat, obstinate, overly conscientious, aggressive
3. Phallic stage (lasts from three up to six or seven years old). Focus of pleasure is the
genitalia. Masturbation is common. Incestuous desires and sexual curiosity.
- Oedipus complex fixation: self-assured, repeated sexual conquests
If castration anxiety is resolved: child will remodel his father, identification, masculinity
Unresolved: promiscuous, exhibitionist, homosexual, sexual deviant (bestiality, fetishism,
incest, voyeurism). Ideal wife is mother.
- Electra complex fixation: strong narcissism, acting to be attractive, difficulty establishing
mature heterosexual relationships, exaggerate femininity, uses talents/ charms to conquer
men, flirt, feeling of superiority over men
4. Latency stage (lasts from six or seven to puberty). Sexual impulses were suppressed in
the service of learning. Most children seem to be fairly sexually calm and stable during
their school years when conflicts are resolved. Busy with asexual pursuits such as
school, athletics, and same sex friendships.
5. Genital stage (begins at puberty to adulthood). Represents the resurgence of the sex
drive in adolescence, and the more specific focusing of pleasure in sexual intercourse and
masturbation. Develop satisfaction in love and being loved, intimacy, and work as a
socially acceptable outlet. Positive: ability to love unselfishly, ability to find fulfillment
in work, responsible. Negative: aimless, stagnation, self-centered.
Maladaptation is too much of positive and little of negative, result of overcompensation or over
gratification
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Malignancy is too little of the positive and too much of the negative aspect of the task, unmet needs.
Psychosocial
Stage (age) Ego crisis Maladaptation Malignancies
virtues
I (0-1) -- sensory
trust vs mistrust hope withdrawal
oral-sensory maladjustment
II (2-3) -- autonomy vs shame
will impulsivity compulsion
muscular-anal and doubt
III (4-5) --
initiative vs guilt purpose ruthlessness inhibition
locomotor- genital
IV (6-12) -- narrow
industry vs inferiority competence inertia
latency virtuosity
V (13-19) -- ego-identity vs role-
fidelity fanaticism repudiation
adolescence confusion
VI (20-40’s) --
intimacy vs isolation love promiscuity exclusion
young adulthood
VII (40’s to 60’s) -- generativity vs
care overextension rejectivity
middle adulthood stagnation
VIII (60’s and beyond)
integrity vs despair wisdom presumption despair
-- late adulthood
Chart based from Erikson's 1959 Identity and the Life Cycle (Psychological Issues vol 1, #1)
1. Infancy or the oral-sensory stage. The task is to develop trust without completely
eliminating the capacity for mistrust.
- Virtue – Hope: strong belief that even when things are not going well, they work out
well in the end, to pursue with faith
- Maladaptation - Sensory maladjustment: overly trusting/gullible
- Malignancy - Withdrawal: depression, paranoia, and possibly psychosis
2. Anal-muscular stage of early childhood, from about eighteen months to three or four
years old. The task is to achieve a degree of autonomy while minimizing shame and
doubt.
- Virtue – Will/ willpower : determination with insistence and persistence, a ―can do‖
attitude
- Maladaptation – Impulsiveness: shameless willfulness that leads to jumping into things
without proper consideration of abilities
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4. Latency stage, or the school-age child from about six to twelve. The task is to develop a
capacity for industry while avoiding an excessive sense of inferiority. Children must
"tame the imagination" and dedicate themselves to education and to learning the social
skills their society requires of them.
- Virtue – Competence: capability of doing something
- Maladaptation – Narrow Virtuosity: children aren‘t allowed to ―be children‖
- Malignancy – Inertia: suffer from inferiority complex never developed social skills
(become inert)
5. Adolescence. The task during adolescence is to achieve ego identity (fit in to the rest of
the society), and avoid role confusion.
- Virtue – Fidelity: loyalty, the ability to live by societies standards despite their
imperfections, incompleteness, and inconsistencies
- Maladaptation – Fanaticism: his way is the only way, promote their beliefs and life
styles without regard for others‘ rights to disagree
- Malignancy – Repudiation: repudiate/refuse/decline their need for an identity and ―fuse
with groups eager to provide the details of identity (gangs, fraternity, cults, etc.)
8. Late adulthood. The task is to develop ego integrity with a minimal amount of despair.
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- Virtue – Wisdom: seeing the meaning and significance of life, ―generosity of spirit‖
- Maladaptive – Presumption: presumes ego integrity without actually facing the
difficulty of old age
- Malignancy – Disdain: a contempt of life, one‘s own life or anyone‘s life
3. Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 years)- the child is able to mental representations to
think about physical objects and events but is not yet able to think abstractly. Thinking
falls short of adult intelligence.
4. Formal Operational Stage (11 years onwards)- able to use symbolic representations in
abstract thought and think logically through hypothetical situations (can discuss
philosophy, religion, and morality with concepts of justice and freedom). Can also think
of all possible outcomes in a scientific problem, not just the most obvious ones.
2. Transcendence
- Need of finding the meaning and purpose of existence
- Transcending by destroying or creating people or things (creativity)
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3. Rootedness
- Need to establish roots and to feel at home again in the world
- It enables to grow beyond the security of the mother and establish ties with the outside
world
- Productive way is to relate to the world by weaning (independence)
- Unproductive way is fixation, dependence and incestuous (psychological incest-afraid to
leave home or mother)
4. Sense of Identity
- Need to have a sense of identity or individuality in order to stay sane.
- Unproductive is conformity to a group for signs of status (pretend identity)
5. Frame of Orientation
- Need to have a road map with a destination and goal at the end to stay excited and
stimulated
- Understanding the natural and human world, and our place in it
- Rationalization to a have a frame of orientation but a good frame of orientation is one that
is useful and accurate where reason comes in
- Need to be provided with meaning and want understanding but a warm human
understanding
- Formulate philosophy in life as guiding rule or principle to stay effective and feel
accomplished
4. Self-Esteem Needs
- met: self-confident, cooperative, generous and kind
- unmet: fearful of criticism, fear of failure and risks, frustrated or angry, envious and bitter
5. Self-Actualization Needs
- met: desire to grow, polish more virtues, creative, positive and energetic, think of others
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- unmet: restless and bored, lack of zest for life, life is meaningless, boring, and without
purpose
7.3.Karen Horney’s Needs Theory: (Coping mechanism to cope with basic anxiety)
Childhood is characterized by two needs: the need for satisfaction of the basic needs, the
need for safety to feel wanted, loved, and protected.
Parental behavior may have caused basic anxiety to the child that leads to the
development of becoming neurotic as they try to achieve idealized self-image.
3 aspects of idealized self-image: neurotic search for glory (need for perfection, neurotic
ambition, drive towards a vindictive triumph), neurotic claims, neurotic pride
I. Compliance: Moving Towards People “If I give in…I shall not be hurt.”
1. Need for Affection and Approval
- indiscriminate need in striving to be loved and admired by others
- characterized by overly sensitive to criticism, afraid of rejection and unfriendliness
II. Aggression: Moving Against People “If I have the power no one can hurt
me.”
4. Need for Power
- to control and dominate other people
- hate weakness and always seek for strength
- a façade of omnipotence and believe in one‘s own rational powers
- need to feel important and valued and desperate to remind everyone of their importance
- they live with flattery and enflated flawless self-image
III. Withdrawal: Moving Away from People “I don’t care about anything, if I
stay away nothing can hurt me.”
8. Need for Personal Ambition
- obsessed with ambition and they have to be on top of everything they do
- if academic abilities are their strength, physical abilities are of no importance
- strive to be the best, perfect regardless of the consequences and they are afraid of failure
References:
Berk, L. A. (2004). Development through the lifespan (3rd edition).Boston, MA: Pearson
Corey, G. (2009). Transactional analysis for theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy
(8th edition). Web Tutor.
Fiest, G. J., Feist, J. (2008). Theories of personality (7th edition). USA: McGraw-Hill.
Schultz, D.P., Schultz, S. E. (2005). Theories of personality (8th edition). Belmont, CA: Thomson
Wadsworth
www.wikipedia.com/personality psychology