1.

Introduction to Personality Theories

 Definition of Personality:

o Originates from the Latin word "persona," meaning a theatrical mask worn by Roman
actors to project a role or false appearance.

o Personality refers to consistent individual differences in behavior within a species.

o It is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both
consistency and individuality to a person's behavior.

o Traits: Contribute to individuality, consistency, and are common to some groups or

shared by the entire species, but their pattern differs for each individual.

o Characteristics: Unique qualities of an individual, including attributes like temperament,

physique, and intelligence.

 What is a Theory?

o Theories are tools used to generate research and organize observations.

o A scientific theory is a set of related assumptions that allow scientists to use logical
deductive reasoning to formulate testable hypotheses.

2. Perspectives in Theories of Personality

 Psychodynamic Theories:

o Primary Assumptions:

 Focus on the first five years of life, which are crucial in shaping personality.

 Emphasize the importance of early childhood experiences and relationships with

parents.

 Unconscious forces are the most important drivers of behavior.

 Neurosis results from unhealthy relationships or unresolved conflicts.

o Key Theorists:

 Sigmund Freud: Psychoanalysis

 Alfred Adler: Individual Psychology

 Carl Jung: Analytical Psychology

 Melanie Klein: Object Relations

 Karen Horney: Psychoanalytic Social Theory

 Erik Erikson: Psychosocial Theory

 Erich Fromm: Humanistic Psychoanalysis

 Humanistic-Existential Theories:

o Primary Assumptions:

 People strive to live meaningful, happy lives.

 Positive emotions and happiness foster psychological health and prosocial

behavior.

 Personality is shaped by freedom of choice, response to anxiety, and awareness

of death.

o Key Theorists:

 Abraham Maslow: Holistic-Dynamic Theory

 Carl Rogers: Person-Centered Theory

 Rollo May: Existential Psychology

 Dispositional Theories:

o Primary Assumptions:

 People are predisposed to behave in unique and consistent ways.

 Personality is defined by unique and long-term tendencies called traits.

 Traits serve the function of making certain behaviors more likely in some
people.

o Key Theorists:

 Gordon Allport: Psychology of the Individual

 Biological-Evolutionary Theories:

o Primary Assumptions:

 Behavior, thoughts, feelings, and personality are influenced by genetic,

epigenetic, and neurological differences.

 Human thoughts and behaviors have been shaped by evolutionary forces.

 The body, brain, and environment coexist and coevolve.

o Key Theorists:

 Hans Eysenck: Biologically Based Factor Theory

 David Buss: Evolutionary Theory

 Learning-Cognitive Theories:

o Primary Assumptions:
  All behaviors are learned through association and consequences (reinforcement
or punishment).

 Personality is shaped by how we think and perceive the world.

 Learning occurs through observation, success, failure, and interaction between

internal and external characteristics.

o Key Theorists:

 B.F. Skinner: Behavioral Analysis

 Albert Bandura: Social Cognitive Theory

 Julian Rotter and Walter Mischel: Cognitive Social Learning

 George Kelly: Psychology of Personal Constructs

3. Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory

 Introduction:

o Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of

psychoanalysis.

o He proposed the first comprehensive theory of personality development, focusing on

instinctual drives (primarily sexual) and the conflict between the id, ego, and superego.

o Child development is described as a series of psychosexual stages, where sexual

gratification focuses on different body parts.

 Levels of the Mind:

o Unconscious: Contains drives, urges, or instincts beyond our awareness that motivate
most of our behavior.

o Preconscious: Facts that are not currently conscious but can be recalled.

o Conscious: Mental elements in awareness at any given time.

 Provinces of the Mind:

o Id: Operates on the "pleasure principle," seeking immediate gratification without regard
for reality or morality.

o Ego: Operates on the "reality principle," mediating between the id and superego, and
making rational decisions.

o Superego: Represents the moral and ideal aspects of personality, striving for perfection
and often conflicting with the id.

 Defense Mechanisms:

o Repression: Pushing anxiety-producing thoughts into the unconscious.

 o Suppression: Deliberately pushing anxiety-producing thoughts into the unconscious.

o Regression: Reverting to an earlier stage of development.

o Fixation: Getting stuck in a particular stage due to over or under-gratification.

o Reaction Formation: Adopting the opposite behavior to avoid anxiety.

o Rationalization: Creating logical explanations to justify behavior.

o Projection: Attributing one’s undesirable traits to others.

o Introjection: Adopting the characteristics of someone else.

o Displacement: Redirecting energy to a substitute object.

o Sublimation: Channeling instinctive energy into socially acceptable behavior.

o Denial: Refusing to accept reality.

 Stages of Development:

o Oral Stage (Infant): Focus on the mouth; key task is weaning.

o Anal Stage (Toddler): Focus on bowel and bladder control; key task is toilet training.

o Phallic Stage (Preschooler): Focus on genital area; key task is identifying with gender
role models.

o Latency Stage (School-age child): Personality development appears dormant; key task is
social interaction.

o Genital Stage (Adolescent): Focus on sexual maturity; key task is establishing

relationships with the opposite sex.

 Freudian Terms:

o Erogenous Zone: Areas of the body sensitive to stimulation (mouth, anus, genitals).

o Fixation: Getting stuck in a particular stage due to over or under-gratification.

o Complexes:

 Oedipus Complex: A boy’s desire for his mother and jealousy of his father.

 Electra Complex: A girl’s desire for her father and jealousy of her mother.

4. Key Concepts in Freudian Theory

 Oral Fixation:

o Oral Receptive: Overeating, smoking, drinking alcohol.

o Oral Aggressive: Nail-biting, gossiping, being overly demanding.

 Anal Fixation:
 o Anal Retentive: Overly neat, stingy, rigid.

o Anal Expulsive: Messy and disorganized.

 Phallic Stage Complexes:

o Oedipus Complex: Boys experience castration anxiety.

o Electra Complex: Girls experience penis envy.

5. Conclusion

 Freud’s psychoanalytic theory provides a comprehensive framework for understanding

personality development through the interplay of the id, ego, and superego, as well as the
impact of early childhood experiences and psychosexual stages.

 The document also introduces various other personality theories, including psychodynamic,
humanistic-existential, dispositional, biological-evolutionary, and learning-cognitive
perspectives, each offering unique insights into the development and functioning of personality.