Course Name:Introduction to Personality Types: Your Own Genius

Unit 1: Introducing You - Studying Your Personality

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Preparing for Your Course

Before beginning this course, it’s helpful to understand the resources within the content that
can help you remember what you’ve learned and be ready for the exam. This page will give
you an overview of how to prepare.

Quick Checks
link(https://courses.portal2learn.com/content/enforced/26954-HSE022_02_1/img/quickcheck.mp4)
Example of a Quick Check

Quick Checks are designed to test your understanding as you read the content. They aren't
graded, so you can check your learning as you read and review them again before you take
the exam.

Practices
link(https://courses.portal2learn.com/content/enforced/26954-HSE022_02_1/img/practice.mp4)
Example of a Practice

Practice exercises are an interactive way to help you put together everything you’ve learned
in a lesson. Practices don’t count toward your final grade, so you can use them to check your
understanding as you learn and retake them to prepare for the exam.

Note-Taking
Written note-taking in your own handwriting is a proven way to retain more of what you’ve
learned. As you read, take note of the Quick Checks and Practices, since the exam will likely
ask you to recall these important concepts.

Review Flashcards
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Example of Flashcards

Flashcards appear at the end of each unit to help you recall key terms and concepts. You can
use them to quiz yourself after each unit, and again just before the exam.

Before Your Exam

Before beginning the exam, consider reviewing the Quick Checks, Practices,
Flashcards, and your notes. If you read all the content and use the resources outlined
above, you’ll be better prepared to take your exam. If you still have questions, contact
your instructor before beginning the assessment.

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Course Name:Introduction to Personality Types: Your Own Genius

Unit 1 Overview

Watch this video to learn more about your personality:

http://videos.pennfoster.com/index.html?vid=6284565586001

Download transcript(this link opens in a new window/tab)

(http://lessons.pennfoster.com/savi/transcripts/VID00402_T.pdf)

Overview
What exactly is personality? How do personalities develop? What parts of your life does your
personality affect? These questions have puzzled psychologists for a long time. To
understand the psychology of personality, you'll start with the basics. In this unit, you’ll learn
how different psychologists explain personality. As you form a definition for personality, you’ll
learn what factors shape its development. Finally, you’ll learn how your personality affects
your success and your relationships with others.

What You'll Learn in this Unit:

Define personality in the context of the field of psychology

Examine the role of personality in your life

Analyze the effects of personality in your personal relationships

Explain the influence of personality on your professional relationships

Unit 1 Assignments:

Assignment Format Grading Percent

Discussion: Your Perspective on the Written response and one response

Ungraded
Four Perspectives to another student

Multiple choice questions with

Lesson 1 Practice Ungraded
feedback

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Course Name:Introduction to Personality Types: Your Own Genius

Reflection: Your Personality in Tough

Writing prompt Ungraded
Situations

Multiple choice questions with

Lesson 2 Practice Ungraded
feedback

Survey: Your Priorities for Personality

Survey questions Ungraded
Traits

Multiple choice questions with

Lesson 3 Practice Ungraded
feedback

Survey: Traits for Coworkers Survey questions Ungraded

Multiple choice questions with

Lesson 4 Practice Ungraded
feedback

25% of your final

Unit 1 Exam 20 multiple choice questions
course grade

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Course Name:Introduction to Personality Types: Your Own Genius

Lesson 1: Who Are You?

When you meet someone new, you might wonder about who they are. You may ask
yourself if they’re friendly, outgoing, confident, or kind. What you’re wondering about is
their personality. In this lesson, you'll learn about the psychology of personality. Then, you’ll
define personality traits and examine some factors that shape personality.

From a psychological perspective, your personality is made up of the differences in how

you think, behave, and feel. Over decades of scientific study, psychologists have formed
various theories about how personalities are shaped. You'll start to learn about some of the
popular theories in this lesson.

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The Roots of Personality Study

The word “personality” comes from the Latin word persona, which means “mask.” This refers
to the masks that actors wore in theater performances to convey a certain feeling to the
audience.

People can use their personalities to show certain parts of themselves the same way actors
used masks. People may show something different than how they feel, which makes
personality tricky. Part of what psychologists do is figure out the reasons why. They focus on
human nature and differences in people's behaviors, thoughts, and emotions to determine
personality.

Key Takeaways
People have pondered the meaning of personality and its beginnings for centuries.

The four major perspectives on personality are the Psychoanalytic Perspective, the Humanistic Perspective, the
Trait Perspective, and the Social Cognitive Perspective.

Your personality involves traits that shape your attitudes and behaviors.

What Does Personality Mean to You?

When you think about personality, what comes to mind? Think about how other people have
described your personality. Did you agree with them? What does personality mean to you,
and how would you describe your own personality?

Everyone has a different definition of personality. Even psychologists have different views and
theories about it and how it can be measured. They also try to categorize people by their
personality types.

Experts and everyday people continue to debate whether someone can change their
personality and if so, how they can do it.

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External Reference(https://www.youtube.com/embed/tj-qmRm4A60?start=305&end=641;&wmode=opaque)

The Psychology Behind Personality

In this video, a student shares her experiences with specific traits within her own
personality type and her struggle to change certain aspects of it. Have you ever tried to
change something about your personality? If so, why?

Clip Length: 5 minutes, 36 seconds (view clip from 5:05 to 10:41)

Personality is more than your interests, hobbies, and temperament (your attitude). It also
involves your emotions. how you recharge, how you like to work, how you get along with
others, and more.

Origins of Personality Psychology

Examples of choleric, melancholic, sanguine, and phlegmatic temperaments

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The history of personality psychology goes back to ancient Greece. Philosophers tried to
define what makes people who they are. One ancient Greek doctor named Hippocrates
created a theory called humorism. He thought that personality comes from four fluids in the
body called humors. The humors shaped four temperaments, or attitudes:
If you had more yellow bile in the liver, your temperament was choleric, or grumpy.

If you had more black bile from the kidneys, your temperament would be melancholic, meaning sad.

With more red blood from the heart, your temperament would be sanguine, or cheerful.

If you had more white phlegm from the lungs, your temperament would be phlegmatic, or calm.

Sounds kind of gross, doesn't it? Although psychologists no longer use this specific theory,
the questions of the ancient Greeks shaped modern psychology.

Psychologists continue to debate these questions today:

1. Freedom versus determinism. Do you make your own decisions, or do your genetics and environment make
decisions for you? For example, think about the music that you like. Do you like this music because it’s something
you freely explored, and you like it because you choose to? Or, do you like this music because your DNA makes
you like it, and you grew up with people who influenced your musical preferences?

2. Nature versus nurture. Are you influenced by your inherent nature or by your environment? Biological psychology
focuses on genetics, while behaviorism focuses on the environment. For example, think about how you talk to the
server when you go out to eat, the way you eat, and the conversations you have. Did you develop these habits
yourself? Or were they predetermined and passed down through the generations in your family?

3. Uniqueness versus universality. Are all individuals unique, or are they generally similar in nature—universal? Are
you very different from those around you, or do you think that most people generally have a lot in common? While
people do share many characteristics, most people are unique in one way or another.

4. Active versus reactive. Do you decide how you respond to situations? Or are you reactive and impacted by your
environments to the point that it shapes you? For instance, do you control where you focus your thoughts and how
you express yourself? Or, do you feel that you live in reaction to your environment to the point that your thoughts,
emotions, and behaviors are almost at the mercy of your environment?

5. Optimistic versus pessimistic. Can you change your personality, or is it set in stone? Do you believe that people
can change into who they want to be, or do you feel that they’re fated to stay who they are? This may sound similar
to the freedom-versus-determinism question. However, it’s more focused on whether or not personality can be
changed; freedom versus determinism is more concerned with what governs our decisions.

You can use these questions to shape your opinions as you learn the different perspectives
that psychologists have towards personality.

Quick Check
Alex’s friends say that Alex is the funniest person in their group. According to Hippocrates,
which temperament does Alex have?

Choleric Melancholic

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Sanguine Phlegmatic

Four Major Perspectives of Personality

The four perspectives of personality

The four major perspectives of personality are the psychoanalytic perspective, the humanistic
perspective, the trait perspective, and the social cognitive perspective.

Psychoanalytic Perspective
The psychoanalytic perspective states that your personality is based on the unconscious
experiences you had growing up. This means that experiences shaped your personality even
when you didn't realize it. Famous theorists with this perspective include Sigmund Freud, Erik
Erikson, and Carl Jung.

A counselor with a psychoanalytic perspective would predict your success in high school by
digging into your early childhood experiences. They would see how these events affected
you, and use them to predict your future success.

Humanistic Perspective

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The humanistic perspective focuses on psychological growth, free will, and awareness of
self. It's mainly focused on how an individual can achieve their potential. Abraham Maslow
and Carl Rogers are well-known psychologists in this theory.

A humanistic counselor would study your daily decisions, level of self-awareness, and
psychological growth to look for potential success. This counselor believes that you have an
internal drive to reach their full potential and the free will to make the types of decisions that
set them up for success.

Trait Perspective
The trait perspective focuses on the specific traits that make up someone's personality. A
counselor with a trait perspective would assess your potential for success based on the
results of a personality test. Later in this course, you'll take a personality test that follows the
trait perspective and analyze your own results.

Social-Cognitive Perspective
The social-cognitive perspective focuses on learning, cognition, and observing others as
the reasons that everyone is different. Albert Bandura is the most well-known psychologist
with this view. In this model, parents, guardians, and teachers are the most influential on a
person's growth.

From this perspective, a counselor would estimate your potential for success in a course by
making sure the course uses varied learning opportunities, such as videos and other
supplemental materials. Then, the counselor would see whether the you learn by watching
your parents, guardians, or teachers, and whether you mimic their behavior.

You’ll learn more about the founders of these perspectives and their theories. First, you'll
focus on the trait perspective. Some psychologists combine certain aspects of each
perspective, so it’s helpful to understand the features of each.

Quick Check
Sam is on a journey of self-improvement that includes psychological growth and an awareness
of himself. He uses his free will to make decisions that shape his reality into what he desires for
his future. Which perspective is Sam most likely following?

Social-Cognitive Humanistic

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Trait Psychoanalytic

Traits

A spectrum displaying the shy to outgoing range

Traits are unique characteristics that influence your behavior. Trait theorists believe that
these characteristics form your unique personality that typically sets you apart from other
people. For example, respectful, genuine, generous, empathetic, outgoing, or shy are some
examples of personality traits. There isn't one trait that can describe your entire personality.

You must understand that traits influence behavior, but they don’t force it. Consider these two
examples:
If you're respectful, you tend to respect other people. You might also go out of your way to show your respect.
However, if someone makes you mad or acts disrespectful to you or someone you care about, you might be rude to
them in return.

You might feel shy in a large group of strangers, but feel extremely outgoing and relaxed with people you know and
care for. That’s because most people aren’t 100-percent extroverted or 100-percent introverted. They desire to be
around people might even change day-to-day or hour-to-hour.

Because you might act outside of your trait in some situations, traits are usually measured on
a scale, or a spectrum of values that measure how much of each trait each person has. It's
very rare—almost impossible—that any person has 0 or 100 percent of any individual trait.

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That's why models exist to try to capture all of the traits that make up a person's personality.

External Reference(https://www.youtube.com/embed/KCwHV9HCxH0?wmode=opaque)

The Big Five Personality Traits

Watch this video to learn more about a personality theory that ranks individuals on a
spectrum of traits. These are known as the Big Five Personality Traits. Many modern
psychologists point to five fundamental realms of personality: extroversion,
agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. Where would you place
yourself on the spectrum of the Big Five Personality Traits?

Length: 6 minutes, 23 seconds

The Big Five Personality Traits consists of the following five traits:
Openness measures curiosity, a willingness to try new things, and the ability to think outside of the box.

Conscientiousness measures self-discipline, attention to detail, organization, goal-setting, and impulse control.

Extroversion measures the desire for interaction with others. It describes how a person gets their energy, either
from social situations or from being alone.

Agreeableness measures empathy, trust, modesty, and altruism (the desire to help others).

Neuroticism measures anxiety, self-consciousness, vulnerability, hostility, and dramatic shifts in mood. Neuroticism
is the only one of the Big 5 Personality Traits that impacts people negatively if they have too much of it. It can make
it hard to form or maintain friendships and relationships.

Quick Check
Max is quiet and reserved, and he feels drained when spending time with large groups of
people. He feels recharged when he’s by himself, and he prefers to work alone. Based on this
information, which of these traits may be most difficult for Max to achieve?

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Agreeableness Conscientiousness

Neuroticism Extroversion

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4. Reflection: Your Perspective on the Four

Perspectives

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ou=26954&type=dropbox&rcode=ashworth-595339

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The Shaping of Your Personality

Everyone's personality is unique. Two people can share similar personality traits, but they’re
never identical. Understanding what factors influence personality development can reveal
how you became the person you are today.

You’ll study how the nature-versus-nurture argument relates to the psychology of personality.
Are you the way you are because you were born that way? Or, are you that way because of
how you were raised? You'll consider both sides of this argument and psychologists'
arguments for each.

Key Takeaways
The nature side of the debate argues that DNA shapes most of your personality.

The nurture side of the debate argues that personality depends on the people who raised you.

A caregiver may follow one of three styles: authoritative, permissive, or authoritarian.

What is the Nature-versus-Nurture Debate?

The nature-versus-nurture debate has persisted for centuries. It’s a scientific, cultural, and
philosophical debate about where personality develops.

The nature side of the debate suggests that everything about you is coded into your DNA. It
claims that it doesn’t matter what happens to you after you're born. You'll develop into the
person that your genes predetermined you to be, regardless of your environment.

“ All of our experiences fuse into our personality. Everything that ever happened to us is an
ingredient.”

Malcolm X, human rights activist

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The nurture side of the debate is heavily influenced by behaviorism. This theory believes that
personality is the result of your interactions with your environment. Some behaviorists believe
that experience and training also influence personality. For instance, you could shape the
person a baby becomes by placing them in a certain environment with specific experiences.

Quick Check
What theory of psychology is responsible for influencing the nurture side of the nature-versus-
nurture debate?

Humorism Psychoanalytic

Behaviorism Cognitive

Nature
Genes and DNA are important components of the nature argument. Genes are the basic
biological units that transfer DNA from parents to their children. DNA is the material that
carries all the information about organisms. The more genetically related you are to someone,
the more like them you'll be in height, weight, and intelligence.

Research on identical twins has taught psychologists that genes also play a vital role in
personality. Identical twins always have the same DNA, or the same genetic makeup. Some
identical twins are separated at birth and grow up in different environments. Researchers
found that twins who grow up in different locations will develop similar personalities. Scientists
can now say that close to 50 percent of one’s personality comes from nature.

Quick Check

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Tasha is concerned with certain aspects of her personality. She researches nature versus
nurture to see if there’s something she can do to change. What will Tasha’s research show?

She can’t change anything because nature is fully responsible for shaping her
personality.

She can change any part of her personality by changing her environment.

Tasha may be able to change, but it will require a plan and hard work.

Nurture

Many factors affect your personality, including family, education, and more.

While nature plays a major role in the development of personality, so does nurture. In this
context, nurture refers to all of the variables in your environment that impact who you are.
These include early childhood experiences, how you were raised, relationships with other
people, your education, and your culture. Family is the most influential environmental factor.
This is because you learn behaviors from those who raise you.

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There are three major styles of parents, guardians, or caregivers, and their differences help
explain how your upbringing develops your personality.

Take the following survey to understand the different parenting styles:

Download transcript(this link opens in a new window/tab)

(http://lessons.pennfoster.com/savi/transcripts/INV00004_T.pdf)

Authoritative
The authoritative style encourages children to be independent while setting limits and
boundaries. These caregivers reward children for following rules. They also encourage
independence, which leads to independent thinking.

Children with authoritative caregivers often have well-developed social skills, self-control, and
self-reliance. This is because they were raised to respect boundaries, themselves, and others
while receiving support.

Permissive
The permissive style describes caregivers who set rules but rarely enforce them. They rarely
inflict consequences for behavior, and they tend to act more like a friend than a parent.
Caregivers with this style are often unaware of what their children are doing and don’t spend
considerable time parenting.

Children with permissive caregivers lack strong self-discipline. They tend to struggle in school
and dislike rules and authority. These children may have poor time management and social
and behavioral skills. This is due to a lack of necessary social support, parental attention, and
healthy boundaries.

Authoritarian
The authoritarian style describes caregivers who show very little nurturing or warmth. They
give children few to no choices. Caregivers who are authoritarian rarely explain punishments,
and they’re impatient with unwanted behaviors.

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Children of authoritarian caregivers are often fearful and overly shy. They have low self-
esteem, conduct issues, self-control issues, and difficulties in social situations. This is
because they didn't learn independence or receive the support needed to develop their social
skills and strengthen their self-esteem.

Now think about your own upbringing. You may feel that your experience was mainly with one
of these styles (authoritative, permissive, or authoritarian), or you may have experienced a
variety of parenting styles. How do you think this has influenced your personality today?

Quick Check
Sebastian is raised by his aunt, who is very busy. She rarely asks him about his day, what he
does, or where he goes. Which parenting style is most likely used by Sebastian’s aunt?

Authoritarian Authoritative

Pessimistic Permissive

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6. Lesson 1 Practice

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4be2-b4f8-d8fcc1af41a2?linkId=109755&ou={orgUnitId}

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Lesson 2: Your Personality as an Influencer

An easy way to explain personality is that it influences how you think, feel, and behave.
Everyone has different genetics and life experiences that affect how their personality
develops. In this lesson, you’ll learn why personality matters. You’ll think about how
personality makes each person unique, how your personality can help you succeed, and
why your personality affects how you handle different situations.

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Approaching Your Personality

One of life's most fascinating features is that everyone approaches it differently. Personality is
a main influencer for how many people live their lives. It’s what makes you unique since no
one’s personality is the same. Earlier, you learned how nature and nurture shape people's
distinct personalities. Now, you'll think about how personality influences your relationships,
how you learn, and your career success.

Key Takeaways
Personality types influence your communication and career choices.

Similar personality traits are necessary to succeed in any career.

Traits may be desirable or undesirable depending on your values.

Personality Makes You Unique

Personality is your outward expression of yourself. It affects how you interact with others,
learn, and excel in your career. Layers of personality traits can make communication more
intricate and unique.

This also applies to career success. Research shows people with similar personality types
tend to gravitate toward certain careers. Their success in those careers is then influenced by
the layers of their personalities.

People also learn and gather information in unique ways depending on their personality type.
Some people prefer to see the main idea, while others like to focus on interesting details or
supporting evidence. Some don't focus on any details, and instead try to absorb everything at
once to get the bigger idea.

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Quick Check
Your personality type can affect

your communication style. your ideal careers.

how you learn. All of the above

Powering Your Success

Personality traits can help you find success in life. Have you ever thought of the types of traits
a CEO has?

Read about nine personality traits that are often shared by CEOs:
1. Ambitious. A person with ambition has the desire to do or achieve something. This typically takes determination
and hard work.

2. Hardworking. Hardworking people are successful because they see what needs to be done and work hard to
achieve it. They work at the same level of high quality whether other people are observing or not, and whether the
day has been difficult or easy.

3. Passionate. People who are passionate love what they do, and it shows in their work. It’s much easier to work hard
when you have enthusiasm for what you’re doing.

4. Optimistic. Optimistic people expect opportunities to have favorable outcomes and are more likely to have a
positive attitude.

5. Confident. Confidence is the ability to understand what you’re capable of and give yourself credit where it’s
deserved.

6. Assertive. Assertive people are straightforward and confident in their communication with others. Communication
skills are a must when working with other people.

7. Persistent. People who are persistent will continue to try even—often especially—after failing. Success comes from
starting something and being able to keep it going.

8. Humble. Humble people practice humility: they admit that they don’t know everything and allow themselves to
consider other people’s views. People learn more when they’re humble, and that knowledge is important to success.

9. Aggressive. Being aggressive doesn’t mean fighting all the time. It involves bringing constructive, positive energy
to projects to make sure that things get done.

You might read these traits of successful CEOs and feel inspired. Or, maybe you feel that
CEO isn’t an occupation you would enjoy because you don't share these traits.

For a different career perspective, consider these traits that are shared by successful
construction project managers:
1. Logical. A person who is logical thinks clearly about the order of events, how they’re related, what tasks they include, and
how other factors may impact them.

2. Assertive. Assertive people are straightforward and confident in their communication with others. Communication skills are a
must when working with other people.

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3. Organized. Organization is essential for work to be accomplished effectively. An organized person is able to create a plan
and arrange any necessary materials in an efficient way.

4. Hardworking. Hardworking people are successful because they see what needs to be done and work hard to achieve it.
They work at the same level of high quality whether other people are observing or not, and whether the day has been difficult
or easy.

5. Proactive. Proactive people get started without anyone telling them to do so. They identify a need, and they take the initiative
to do what they can to meet it.

6. Flexible. A flexible person is ready for the changes that often happen in life. When a plan needs to be adjusted or replaced,
they quickly accept the new circumstances with a positive attitude.

7. Humble. Humble people practice humility: they admit that they don’t know everything and allow themselves to consider other
people’s views. People learn more when they’re humble, and that knowledge is important to success.

Although these lists of traits are for very different occupations, some of the traits are the
same. Whether you’re a successful CEO or construction project manager, you can apply
personality traits such as hard-working, assertive, and humble to reach your goals.

Your traits evolve as you learn, grow, and exercise new behaviors, ways of thinking, and
emotional understanding. Just as a muscle strengthens with exercise, you must continue to
work toward learning, growing, and developing the traits you desire to achieve success.
Everyone is a work in progress. It’s important to be kind to yourself on this journey of life, as
no one is perfect.

Quick Check
Humble people tend to be

better communicators. happier.

open to new ideas. aggressive.

Thoughtfully Describing Traits

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Most people would agree that it’s important to be hardworking, optimistic, or organized. What
if you don’t feel that these traits describe you? Maybe you would describe yourself as
pessimistic, disorganized, or lazy. Some people may think these terms are negative. However,
researchers encourage people to think more carefully before separating traits into negative or
positive categories.

Science: Lazy people are likely to be smarter, more successful, and better employees. Who knew?

The author in the following article explains that many people have incorrectly defined
laziness. They've associated it with doing certain activities like playing video games or
avoiding certain activities like exercise. While the word "lazy" may seem negative, a
closer examination shows that being lazy can have a positive impact as well.
Researchers have found a link between laziness and intelligence levels. Read
“Science: Lazy people are likely to be smarter, more successful, and better
employees. Who knew?”(https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/15/the-science-backed-
reason-lazy-people-are-smarter-more-successful-and-better-employees.html)

Length: 8 minutes

Your values influence your opinions on whether a trait is desirable or undesirable. Think about
what traits seem most important to you. Then, consider what experiences and beliefs have
shaped your opinions of these personality traits.

Quick Check
In the article, the author points out that people are often unfairly labeled as lazy for playing
video games. What does he identify as a positive aspect of playing video games?

Better strategic thinking Improved self-awareness

Higher annual salary Wider network of friends

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8. Reflection: Your Personality in Tough Situations

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9. Lesson 2 Practice

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4bf2-8786-df38cc2c136d?linkId=109756&ou={orgUnitId}

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Lesson 3: Personality in Your Relationships: From Casual to

Complicated

Human beings aren’t solitary creatures. They aren’t meant to be constantly alone. As you
grew up, you learned how to be social by watching the way other people react to your
environment. Personality shapes how you see others and yourself. In this lesson, you’ll
learn about the different types of relationships you have and how your personality affects
them.

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The Subtle Sway of Friends and Your Personality

Your personality and your friendships simultaneously influence each other. Think about the areas in
your friendships that could improve if you had a better understanding of your personality traits as
well as your friends’ traits.

Key Takeaways
Your personality can support you in starting and developing friendships.

You can categorize the Big Five Personality Traits by their negative, positive, or lack of impact on friendships.

Some personality traits have obvious benefits, while others need more careful consideration.

Personality and Friendships

Anyone with close friendships knows that these relationships can bring deep happiness. Friendship
is one of the most important types of relationships you can have. Personality plays a vital role in
meeting people, forming a relationship, being a good friend, and maintaining that relationship.

As you’ve learned, your environment influences your personality by about 50 percent. One
component of your environment is your relationships: the people that you spend time with.
Therefore, your friendships have a major impact on how your personality develops.

In the article "How Your Friends Change Your Habits—For Better and Worse,"
(https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190520-how-your-friends-change-your-habits---for-better-and-
worse) Park (2019) examines how friendships affect everyday situations, including what you eat and
whether you apply sunscreen. The author focuses on a study in northern California that found that
students talked differently about the environment depending on others’ comments. Another example
showed that people eat more and different types of food if they eat with friends versus eating alone.
Through multiple studies, it's clear that friendships can encourage certain behaviors, both positive
and negative.

Quick Check
Based on the examples from "How Your Friends Change Your Habits—For Better and Worse," what
can you conclude about the influence of friendships?

You should limit your friendships so you can eat better.

Your friendships have the power to move you toward positive or negative behaviors.

Your friendships have minimal effect on your decisions because your internal drive is more
important.

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Your Friends with the Big Five

Researchers have studied the effects of the Big Five Personality Traits on relationships. They found
that people feel more satisfied in their friendships with these traits:
Extroversion (one’s preference for social interactions)

Conscientiousness (wanting to do well)

Agreeableness (wanting to get along with others)

Meanwhile, openness (lacking restrictions) didn't impact friendship satisfaction at all. Not
surprisingly, neuroticism (emotional instability) had a negative impact on friendships.

Your kinds of friends are often influenced by your personality. Psychologists think that your
friendships are connected to your personality's combination of the Big Five Personality Traits. This
model helps you understand how you compare to others and gives you names to talk about your
characteristics. For example, extroverts tend to want to be around others and will gravitate toward
other extroverts. Those with high openness, or who have a positive perspective, may also find that
they prefer to be with others who share a similar mindset. People often attract others who share
things in common with them, and personality traits are no exception.

Quick Check

Which of the Big Five Traits has no impact on friendship satisfaction?

Conscientiousness Extroversion

Openness Neuroticism

Trait Advantages
When you look at the Big Five Personality Traits, it might be obvious how some can be helpful. An
extrovert will probably be more social and find it easier to meet people. Those who have
conscientiousness are organized and responsible, which helps to make friendships stronger.
Agreeableness allows people to have more solid, trusting relationships with less conflict.

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Researchers have often focused on the Big Five Personality Traits when trying to understand what
brings people together. While people who share traits often become friends, people who are
opposite may still enjoy each other's company. In fact, friends with different personality traits often
benefit the most because they get different perspectives on the world. Being exposed to different
personality types can compliment your own type and make you a more well-rounded person.

Quick Check
Ted and Leo are best friends. Leo is shy and reserved, while Ted is spontaneous and outgoing. When
they’re together, Ted helps Leo try new things, and Leo helps Ted to think before making choices.
What describes the personality relationship of these two friends?

Their personality differences enrich their friendship and positively impact their personalities.

They’re incompatible because they have different personality types.

Introverts don’t associate with extroverts, so either Ted, Leo, or both are being dishonest.

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The Intricate Effects of Personality

As your relationships grow in complexity, so do the effects of your personality. In addition to

friendships, romantic relationships are also influenced by your personality traits and the traits
of your significant other.

Key Takeaways
People form relationships with others who are like themselves.

Your personality can influence your community, and your community can influence your personality.

Personality disorders involve a person's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that are in conflict with society.

Personality and Romantic Relationships

Although people often use the expression “Opposites attract,” there actually isn’t much
evidence that opposite personalities are drawn to each other. In fact, the expression might be
completely wrong.

It turns out opposites probably don't attract

Have you had relationships with people who were similar to or different from yourself?
How could a relationship succeed or struggle based on the individuals’ traits? A recent
study points toward the notion that opposites rarely attract; people are more interested
in others who share similar opinions and beliefs. Read “It turns out opposites probably
don't attract— here's why we like people who are similar to
ourselves.”(https://www.businessinsider.com/why-opposites-dont-attract-2018-3)

Length: 5 minutes

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In one study “The Psychology of Romance: The Impact of Personality Traits on Romantic
Relationships,”(http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1776/the-psychology-of-romance-the-
impact-of-personality-traits-on-romantic-relationships) researchers developed a couple-based
compatibility test to measure the compatibility of couples based on similarity in looks,
personality, intelligence, social skills, attitudes, habits, and leisure preferences. Married
couples had the most similarities compared to randomly coupled people. This information
suggests that we’re more likely to look for people who are just like ourselves. Science
certainly seems to suggest that opposites don't always attract.

External Reference(https://www.youtube.com/embed/-BQcF8irz9k?wmode=opaque)

An Algorithm for Happily Ever After

In this video, Ty Tashiro explains the "three wishes" most people ask for when looking for
a romantic partner, and how they don't always lead to long-term relationship success. Ask
yourself how you would spend your three wishes based on his explanation.

Length: 5 minutes, 27 seconds

Quick Check
What have researchers discovered about how personality types interact with one another?

Personalities have no effect on people’s relationships.

People with opposite personality traits like each other more.

Opposites rarely attract, although sometimes they do.

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Personality and Community

How you decide to interact with your community also depends on your personality traits. If
you’re an introvert, you may choose different community activities than those who score
higher on the extroverted spectrum. Other traits also may have an effect. Those who are more
giving or helpful may find that they donate significant amounts of time to help people directly.

Your community is part of your environment, so the community also shapes you and your
personality. Think about the community you live in or the community you grew up in. How did
it influence your personality’s development? Do you think it had any positive or negative
impacts on who you are today?

Quick Check
Imagine that you’re a person who identifies as an introvert. You enjoy time by yourself, but you
want to show gratitude and care for your community. What activity might be most appealing for
you?

Cleaning up the local park once a week

Brainstorming with other community members for after-school programs

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Knocking on neighbors’ doors to survey their environmental interest

Personality Disorders and Relationships

When a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors conflict a society’s expectations, they're
considered to have a personality disorder. Personality disorders can negatively impact a
person’s relationships and livelihood. The causes of these disorders are vast, and there are
10 different personality disorders that a person may be diagnosed with.

Approximately nine percent of adults in the United States have been diagnosed with at least
one personality disorder. Of course, it’s also possible for a person to have more than one
personality disorder.

Personality disorders encompass long-term patterns of behavior, thoughts, and emotions. A

person must be impacted by at least two of these four factors to be considered to have a
personality disorder:
The way they think about themselves or others

How they respond emotionally

How they relate to others

The ways they control their behavior

Unfortunately, personality disorders tend to be long-lasting and can be pervasive throughout a

person's lifespan. They need a professional mental health practitioner to diagnose and treat.

Quick Check
Personality disorders are

easy to treat. temporary.

easy to ignore. long-lasting.

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Your Priorities for Personality Traits

Take the following survey to understand Introverts vs Extroverts:

Download transcript(this link opens in a new window/tab)

(http://lessons.pennfoster.com/savi/transcripts/INV00002_T.pdf)

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13. Lesson 3 Practice

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447d-beef-12e94e258700?linkId=109757&ou={orgUnitId}

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Lesson 4: Putting Your Personality to Work

Your personality plays a role in you personal relationships as well as your professional
ones. This includes your communication, working style, and more. How you behave and
think and how you feel emotions can impact your professional competence and
connections.

This is important to consider as you decide where your future will lead. Do you want to
choose a career path that’s compatible with your personality type to prepare for success?
Or, would you rather choose what career you would like to work in, and shape your
personality traits to set yourself up for success? The choice is yours.

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Professional Relationships and Personality Traits

Your personality traits will impact how you relate to your colleagues, supervisors, and others.
In this section, you’ll learn how your personality influences your relationships at work. A
happy work life includes having happy relationships, and that comes down to your personality
and how you interact with others.

Key Takeaways
Understanding your personality and others’ personalities can help you to develop successful professional
relationships.

Supervisors can prepare for success by identifying how workers’ personalities complement or conflict with each
other.

The workplace often includes these four personality types: controller, analyzer, influencer, and supporter.

Personality and Employers

Money and benefits aren’t the only things to consider when choosing a career goal. If you
want a fulfilling future, knowing your unique strengths will guide you on the path toward
success and happiness. If you know the ideal projects and work environments for your
personality traits, you won't have to experiment with careers and education. Understanding
how personalities interact and work well together can also help you as you form networks,
friendships, and partnerships.

When you’re spending 40 hours a week with the same people, it’s not going to be their
experiences or education that will help you like them better. It will be their personalities!

Personality forms an individual’s character. As a supervisor, knowing your employees’

personalities can help you predict how people will interact with one another. It will also help
you figure out if they’re equipped for the job or if they need more training and support.

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As a worker, here's how knowing your personality traits can help:

Motivate you

Keep you from conflicting with others and help you work better with them

Prevent you from burning out

Help you communicate more effectively

External Reference(https://www.youtube.com/embed/yzAxu1nBMfE?wmode=opaque)

How Can Different Personality Types Work Together Effectively?

Watch this video to better understand how personality traits interact in the workplace and
beyond. Then, think about this question: How can different personalities get along with
each other?

Length: 2 minutes, 57 seconds

Quick Check
According to the video, “How Can Different Personality Types Work Together Effectively?”
what’s the benefit of being a perceptive type?

You’re more adaptable and less stressed by change.

You’re more focused on details instead of the overall idea.

You’re able to make decisions and move on to the next need.

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Employer-Employee Relationships

The Four Personality Types

Understanding your coworkers’ and employer’s personalities along with your own will help
you work better together. If you think of your coworkers as teammates, personality can hold
the team together or tear it apart. Members of your team must work together to get the job
done. So, you must to know colleagues’ personalities to get work done more effectively.

When you’re aware of your own personality, you can figure out ways to get along better with
your team. This doesn’t mean that you have to work with people who have the same
personality traits as you. It’s about how your personality traits work together.

Imagine that one of your coworkers is an introvert and doesn't like talking, but you do. They
find organizing reports easy, while you struggle with them. Your personality types can support
each other by taking on specific tasks. For example, they might prepare a report which you
present to others. This takes advantage of both of your personality strengths.

Understanding your personality and those of people you work with can only benefit you in the
long run, no matter what position you're in. You’ll be able to communicate more effectively,
resolve conflicts easier, and work more efficiently.

These four personality types are common in the workplace:

1. The Controller is the most competitive and likes to get things done. The Controller often takes charge and makes
assignments to finish tasks on time. Their strength is their motivation and dedication to their tasks. Their weakness
is that they can come across as bossy or aggressive.

2. The Analyzer is organized, analytical, private, and task-oriented. The Analyzer asks as many questions as
necessary to understand their tasks, and they're meticulous in their work. Their strength is their attention to detail.
Their weakness is that they may come across as pessimistic because they ask so many questions.

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3. The Influencer is people-focused, fun, and enthusiastic. The Influencer will learn everything about every team
member and won't hesitate to tell their own life story. Their strength is their empathy and communication with the
team. Their weakness is their tendency to get off-task with personal conversations.

4. The Supporter is stable, accommodating, and likes to keep things in harmony. The Supporter is easy-going and
willing to jump on any tasks when their teammates need help. Their strength is being calm under pressure to
resolve issues. Their weakness is that they may appear less motivated due to their easy-going nature.

Quick Check
Do you only work better with people whose personalities match your own?

Yes No

Review
Humorism
The ancient Greek theory that your personality was controlled by four bodily fluids that produced four
temperaments
Traits
Unique characteristics that influence your behavior
Psychoanalytic Perspective
The idea that your personality is based on the unconscious experiences you had growing up
Humanistic Perspective
The idea that your personality depends on your internal drive to reach your full potential and the free will to
make related decisions
Trait Perspective
The idea that your personality has certain traits that predict your possible success
Social-Cognitive Perspective
The idea that your personality depends on your learning and your belief in your abilities
Behaviorism
The theory hypothesizing that your personality is the result of your interactions with your environment
Nature versus Nurture
The debate about whether your personality is shaped more by your biological makeup or by your lifetime
environment

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Traits for Coworkers

Take the following survey to evaluate how you handle workplace situations:

Download transcript(this link opens in a new window/tab)

(http://lessons.pennfoster.com/savi/transcripts/INV00003_T.pdf)

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16. Lesson 4 Practice

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476a-a163-7fcc62be2aed?linkId=109758&ou={orgUnitId}

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17. Review

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47c9-8541-dddd9275701e?linkId=109705&ou={orgUnitId}

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Preparing for Your First Exam

If you've read and completed all of the assignments in this unit, you are ready to take your
first exam!

If you are not sure of the right answer when taking the exam, you can go back to the lesson to
find it. You have as much time as you need to complete exams, so don't rush.

You have two chances to pass an exam. If you don't pass your exam the first time, that's
okay! Study the concepts you didn't do so well on, and try again. Only the highest score will
count toward your grade.

Watch this video to learn more about taking your exams and viewing the results:

Download transcript(this link opens in a new window/tab)

(http://lessons.pennfoster.com/savi/transcripts/INV00001_T.pdf)

Select each item to learn helpful tips about taking Penn Foster assessments:

Exam Preparation

These suggestions can help you prepare to take an exam:

Review the quick checks and practice exercises in each section. If you have trouble with those
questions, review the topic before taking an exam.

Review any notes you took while completing your coursework often as you get ready for your exam.

Use the flashcards in the Review sections to help you better remember and recall concepts.

Ask your instructor before beginning the exam if you have any questions about the material or the testing
process.

Get enough sleep the night before an exam. Eat well. Test in a calm environment.

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Strategies for Answering Exam Questions

These suggestions can help you while taking your exam:

Look for keywords in questions and multiple-choice answer options. They often provide a clue to the best
answer.

Carefully read every answer option; do not quickly choose the first answer that sounds correct without
reading the rest!

Answer questions that you're confident about first.

Watch for words such as not, never, and best describes or most correct in the questions.

Watch for words such as always, every, and never in answer options.

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