Personality Dr. Radwan Bani MustafaMD MRCpsych. DPM

PersonalityCharacteristic pattern of thinking,feeling and acting.Four major perspectives on PersonalityPsychoanalytic - unconscious motivationsTrait - specific dimensions of personalityHumanistic - inner capacity for growthSocial-Cognitive - influence of environment

Psychoanalytic Perspectivefirst comprehensive theory of personality(1856-1939)University of Vienna 1873Voracious ReaderMedical School GraduateSpecialized in NervousDisordersSome patients disordershad no physical cause!

Psychoanalytic Perspectivefirst comprehensive theory of personalityQ: What caused neurologicalsymptoms in patients with noneurological problems?Unconscious

The Unconsciousthe mind is like an iceburg - mostly hiddenConscious Awarenesssmall part above surface(Preconscious)Repressionbanishing unacceptablethoughts & passions tounconsciousDreams & Slips

Freud & Personality StructurePersonality arises from conflict twixt agressive,pleasure-seeking impulses and social restraints

Freud & Personality StructureId - energy constantly striving to satisfy basic drivesPleasure PrincipleEgo - seeks to gratify the Id in realistic waysReality Principle Super Ego- voice of consciencethat focuses on howwe ought to behave

Freud & Personality Developmentpersonality forms during the first few years of life,rooted in unresolved conflicts of early childhoodPsychosexual StagesOral (0-18 mos) - centered on the mouthAnal (18-36 mos) - focus on bowel/bladder elim.Phallic (3-6 yrs) - focus on genitals/Oedipus Complex(Identification & Gender Identity)Latency (6-puberty) - sexuality is dormantGenital (puberty on) - sexual feelings toward othersStrong conflict can fixate an individual at Stages 1,2 or 3

Defense MechanismsIdSuperEgoEgoWhen the inner wargets out of hand, theresult is AnxietyEgo protects itself viaDefense MechanismsDefense Mechanisms reduce/redirectanxiety by distorting reality

Repression - banishes certain thoughts/feelings from consciousness (underlies all other defense mechanisms)Regression - retreating to earlier stage of fixateddevelopmentReaction Formation - ego makes unacceptable impulses appear as their oppositesProjection - attributes threatening impulses to othersRationalization - generate self-justifying explanations to hide the real reasons for our actionsDisplacement - divert impulses toward a moreacceptable objectSublimation - transform unacceptable impulse intosomething socially valuedDefense Mechanisms

Thematic Apperceptions Test (TAT)Rorschach Inkblot TestThe Unconscious & AssessmentHow can we assess personality?(i.e., the unconscious)Objective Tests?No - tap the consciousProjective Tests?Yes - tap the unconscious

Evaluating the Psychoanalytic PerspectiveWere Freuds theoriesthe best of his timeor were they simplyincorrect?Current researchcontradictsmany of Freudsspecific ideas

Freuds Ideas as Scientific TheoryTheories must explain observationsand offer testable hypothesesFew Objective ObservationsFew Hypotheses(Freuds theories based on his recollections &interpretations of patients free associations,dreams & slips o the tongue)Does Not PREDICT Behavior or Traits

Trait PerspectiveNo hidden personality dynamicsjust basic personality dimensionsTraits - peoples characteristicbehaviors & conscious motives How do we describe & classify different personalities?(Type A vs Type B or Depressed vs Cheerful?)Myers-Briggs Type Indicator - classify peoplebased upon responses to 126 questions

Are There Basic Traits?What trait dimensions describe personality?Combination of 2 or 3genetically determineddimensionsExpanded set of factorsThe Big 5Extraversion/IntroversionEmotional Stability/Instability

The Big FiveEmotional StabilityExtraversionOpennessAgreeablenessConscientiousness Calm/Anxious Secure/Insecure Sociable/Retiring Fun Loving/Sober Imaginative/Practical Independent/Conforming Soft-Hearted/Ruthless Trusting/Suspicious Organized/Disorganized Careful/Careless

Assessing TraitsHow can we assess traits?(aim to simplify a persons behavior patterns)Personality InventoriesMMPI most widely used personality inventory assess psychological disorders (not normal traits) empirically derived - test items selected basedupon how well they discriminate twixt groupsof traits

The Humanistic PerspectiveMaslowsSelf-ActualizingPersonRogersPerson-CenteredPerspectiveHealthy rather than SickIndividual as greater than the sum of test scores

Maslow & Self-ActualizationSelf-Actualizationthe process of fufilling our potential Studied healthy, creative people Abe Lincoln, Tom Jefferson &Eleanor Roosevelt Self-Aware & Self-Accepting Open & Spontaneous Loving & Caring Problem-Centered not Self-Centered

Rogers Person-Centered PerspectiveGiven the right environmentalconditions, we will developto our full potentialsGenuineness, Acceptance, EmpathySelf Concept - central featureof personality (+ or -)

Assessing & Evaluating the Self?Primarily through questionnaires in whichpeople report their self-concept.?Also by understanding others subjectivepersonal experiences during therapyXConcepts are vague & subjective.Assumptions are navely optimistic.

Social-Cognitive PerspectiveBehavior learned throughconditioning & observationWhat we think about our situationaffects our behaviorInteraction ofEnvironment & Intellect

Reciprocal DeterminismPersonal/CognitiveFactorsBehaviorEnvironmentFactorsInternal World + External World = Us

Personal ControlInternal Locus of ControlYou pretty much control your own destinyExternal Locus of ControlLuck, fate and/or powerful others control your destinyMethods of Study Correlate feelings of control with behavior Experiment by raising/lowering peoples sense ofcontrol and noting effects

Outcomes of Personal ControlLearned HelplessnessUncontrollablebad eventsPerceivedlack of controlGeneralizedhelpless behaviorImportant Issue Nursing Homes PrisonsColleges