Personality Development

-Psychology-scientific study of human and animal behavior and human mental processes.
-Logos-logic : Ancient greek philosophers. Introduce logos. Explain natural world.
-Natural Philosophers-naturalistic/physicalistic explanations. Mythos: story or legend.
-Empiricism-knowledge based on observable events. Instantly applied to understanding of natural world.
-Personality Psychology-scientific study of unique, characteristic patterns of thinking. Feeling, acting(cognition, emotion, behavior)
--Various Theories
“Different focus will produce different conclusions.” Hebrew Tradition (mythos) - two basic impulses that are identified. 1. yetzer ra: selfish impulse. Drive towards survival. 2. Yetzer Tov: Selfish/altruist impulse. Moral.
Christian Tradition (mythos) - Original sin. Basic Nature is selfish.
Early Greek Tradition (logos) - Greek physicians:
Hippocrates (460-370bc) Human health/behavior-result of bodily fluids/humors. Imbalance of humors produces illness(blood, phlegm, bile). Related to fire water wind earth air. Galen (131-200ad) Development of Theory of Impernment (personality types) 4 Types: *Sanguine (blood and air) Personalities: extraverted, social. Extreme: arrogant, indulgent, impulsive ** Cholaric (yellow bile, fire) Personality: passionate, charismatic, ambitious, energetic. Extreme: dominary ***Melancholic (Black bile, earth) Personalities: thoughtfulness, considerate, creative. Extreme: OCD ****Phlematic (phlegm, water) Personalities: kind, dependable, reliable. Extreme: inhibited, reserved.
^Continues as Trait Theory
Myers Brigg personality type indicator--invented by Carl Jung
E-I: extrovert/introvert
S-N: Sensing/intuative
T-P: thinking/feeling
J-P: judging/percepting
*16-17 Century:-------Essential Nature: Three Philosophies Thomas Hobbs (original Sin) - inherently selfish, egotistically, aggressive. Must be controlled by society
Jean Jacque Rousseau (noble savage) - inherently good, selfless, altruistic. Corrupted by society.
John Locke (tabla rasa, blank slate) - neither inherently good or bad. Shaped by society.
*20 Century-----Each philosophy is going to influence a psychology (Personality Theory) Three Psychologies: Sigmund Freud (psychodynamic) - selfish, pleasure seeking, aggressive (Id). Controlled by internalized social constraints (superego)
Carl Rogers (humanistic/ existential) - inherently good. Possess potential for positive growth. Basic needs not met.
B.F Skinner (behaviorism) - neither good/bad. Shaped by experience, environment. Learning
Sigmund Freud First comprehensive theory or personality dev. Three components:
Personality structures - personality composed of 3 interacting elements. Biologically focused. Id - inborn selfish, self serving, aggressive, pleasure serving. Superego - Voice of conscience. Conflicts with Id--produces anxiety. Ego - Mediator between Id and Superego. Seeks to satisfy Id’s demands in a socially acceptable way. Reduce anxiety. Develops defense mechanisms.
* Defense mechanisms - Ego and Id. Reduce tension or anxiety between the Id and Superego. Believed repression was the primary defense. Remove from conscious awareness deny existence of conflict.
Developmental Stages
__Anna Freud Focus on ego development. Focus on adaption to social world. Defense mechanisms facilitate social adaptation. Development of Ego Psychology - Focused on social relatedness as a motivator vs biological. Responsible for negotiating between individuals needs and outside world. *Success of defense mechanisms based on how well they work meeting needs. Adaptive vs. Maladaptive
*#*# Ego Psychology - Basic Propositions: 1. Inborn capacity to function adaptively. Life long process of active adaptation to external envir. 2. Ego has autonomous functions within “conflict free zone”(interaction between individual and world). Ego mediates between the individual and the social world.
__Heinz Hartman - Ego Psychology and the problem of Adaptation
-Individual adapts to interactions with “real” world. Autonomous function of ego--Arise from evolution and enhances survival.
>Process of Adaptation: Occurs in two domains: 1. Alloplastic Adaptation - change and choose environment. 2. Autoplastic Adaptation - change self to meet needs.
__Erik Erikson - Identity and the life cycle.
Epigenic Principle - development occurs in series of stages. Stages are universal. Stages unfold in pre-determined order. Each stage requires mastering of tasks. Life long process. Have cumulative effect.
__Alfred Adler - “Individual Psychology”. Still considered psychodynamic. Develops as reaction to freud. Most influential unknown psychologist. Contributions: Positive psychology. Emphasis on: uniqueness of each person. Social/cognitive influences. *Active construction of self.
-Based on four concepts:
Striving for significance
Private Logic
Fictional Finalism
Style of life
-*-Striving for Significance - Perfection. Completeness. Self Actualization. Based on private logic and fictional finalism. Inborn sense of inferiority. Develop compensation. Failure to overcome results in inferiority complex (overcompensation).
-*-Private Logic - emphasizing creative power of self. Suggest “self” is not passively determined. actively constructed. Function is served by fictional finalism and life style.
-*-Fictional Finalism - future oriented. The goal towards which we strive. Exist subjectively. Goal is to satisfy striving for superiority. Individuals pursue goals through various behavioral choices. Each person develops unique patterns of behaviors.(style of life)
-*-Life Style - Attempts to gain goal through various behavioral patterns/choices. Each person express striving different. Based on private logic and fictional finalism. Individually unique patterns of behaviors/responses.