LESSON PROPER:

LET’S BEGIN!

Based on the preliminary activity, were you able to use the adjective that really much your
personality?
___________________________________________________________________________
THAT’S GREAT!
You may now proceed to the lesson.

What Is Personality?

 Personality refers to the long-standing traits and patterns that propel individuals to consistently think,
feel, and behave in specific ways.
 Our personality is what makes us unique individuals. Each person has an idiosyncratic pattern of
enduring, long-term characteristics and a manner in which he or she interacts with other individuals
and the world around them.
 Our personalities are thought to be long term, stable, and not easily changed.
 The word personality comes from the Latin word persona. In the ancient world, a persona was a
mask worn by an actor. While we tend to think of a mask as being worn to conceal one’s identity, the
theatrical mask was originally used to either represent or project a specific personality trait of a
character.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

 The concept of personality has been studied for at least 2,000 years, beginning with Hippocrates in 370
BCE (Fazeli, 2012). Hippocrates theorized that personality traits and human behaviors are based on four
separate temperaments associated with four fluids (“humors”) of the body: choleric temperament (yellow
 bile from the liver), melancholic temperament (black bile from the kidneys), sanguine temperament (red
blood from the heart), and phlegmatic temperament (white phlegm from the lungs).
 Centuries later, the influential Greek physician and philosopher Galen built on Hippocrates’s theory,
suggesting that both diseases and personality differences could be explained by imbalances in the
humors and that each person exhibits one of the four temperaments.
 In 1780, Franz Gall, a German physician, proposed that the distances between bumps on the skull reveal
a person’s personality traits, character, and mental abilities. According to Gall, measuring these
distances revealed the sizes of the brain areas underneath, providing information that could be used to
determine whether a person was friendly, prideful, murderous, kind, good with languages, and so on.
The pseudoscience of measuring the areas of a person’s skull is known as phrenology. (a) Gall
developed a chart that depicted which areas of the skull corresponded to particular personality traits or
characteristics. (b) An 1825 lithograph depicts Gall examining the skull of a young woman. (Credit b:
modification of work by Wellcome Library, London)

 In the centuries after Galen, other researchers contributed to the development of his four primary
temperament types, most prominently Immanuel Kant (in the 18th century) and psychologist
Wilhelm Wundt (in the 19th century) Kant agreed with Galen that everyone could be sorted into one of
the four temperaments and that there was no overlap between the four categories. He developed a list
of traits that could be used to describe the personality of a person from each of the four temperaments.
However, Wundt suggested that a better description of personality could be achieved using two major
axes: emotional/non-emotional and changeable/unchangeable. The first axis separated strong from
weak emotions (the melancholic and choleric temperaments from the phlegmatic and sanguine). The
second axis divided the changeable temperaments (choleric and sanguine) from the unchangeable ones
(melancholic and phlegmatic). Developed from Galen’s theory of the four temperaments, Kant proposed
trait words to describe each temperament. Wundt later suggested the arrangement of the traits on two
major axes.
  Sigmund Freud’s psychodynamic perspective of personality was the first comprehensive theory of
personality, explaining a wide variety of both normal and abnormal behaviors. According to Freud,
unconscious drives influenced by sex and aggression, along with childhood sexuality, are the forces
that influence our personality. Freud attracted many followers who modified his ideas to create new
theories about personality. These theorists, referred to as neo-Freudians, generally agreed with
Freud that childhood experiences matter, but they reduced the emphasis on sex and focused more
on the social environment and effects of culture on personality. The perspective of personality
proposed by Freud and his followers was the dominant theory of personality for the first half of the
20th century.

THE NATURE OF PERSONALITY

 Personality is an hypothetical construct referring to an organized system of reaction tendencies that
mediates relations between the person and his/her environment, rendering the person's behavior
distinctive and more or less uniquely identifying.
 The scientific necessity for the concept appears to rest on three common observations:
(l) Characteristic patterns of behavior vary from one person to another in ways that tend to be
idiosyncratic and distinctively identifying;
(2) Each person's behavior exhibits a certain lawfulness or regularity, even if not surface consistency,
across situations and over time; and
(3) Notwithstanding to the above, a person's characteristic behavior undergoes modification in the face
of changing circumstances and in ways not readily explained by any notion of rigid unfolding of an
innately determined "program."
 It would seem, then, that a person's personality represents his or her largely acquired style of coping
with the world, including certain underlying structural characteristics where, however, the system
normally retains a degree of malleability on a continuing basis. Looked at in this way, early
structuralization might be of special significance and indeed most theories of personality assume this
to be the case.
Personality Traits and Personality Types

There are many ways to measure personality but psychologists have mostly given up trying to divide
humanity neatly into types. Instead, they focus on personality traits. The most widely accepted of these
traits are the Big Five: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.
Conveniently, you can remember these traits with the handy OCEAN mnemonic (or, if you prefer, CANOE
works, too). The Big Five were developed in the 1970s by two research teams. These teams were led by
Paul Costa and Robert R. McCrae of the National Institutes of Health and Warren Norman and Lewis
Goldberg of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and the University of Oregon, according to Scientific
American. The Big Five are the ingredients that make up each individual's personality. A person might have
a dash of openness, a lot of conscientiousness, an average amount of extraversion, plenty of agreeableness
and almost no neuroticism at all. Or someone could be disagreeable, neurotic, introverted, conscientious and
hardly open at all. Here's what each trait entails:

Openness
Openness is shorthand for "openness to experience." People who are high in openness enjoy
adventure. They're curious and appreciate art, imagination and new things. The motto of the open individual
might be "Variety is the spice of life." People who are low in openness are just the opposite: They prefer to
stick to their habits, avoid new experiences and probably aren't the most adventurous eaters. Changing
personality is usually considered a tough process, but openness is a personality trait that's been shown to
be subject to change in adulthood.

Conscientiousness
People who are conscientious are organized and have a strong sense of duty. They're dependable,
disciplined and achievement-focused. You won't find conscientious types jetting off on round-the-world
journeys with only a backpack; they're planners. People who are low in conscientiousness are more
spontaneous and freewheeling. They may tend toward carelessness. Conscientiousness is a helpful trait to
have, as it has been linked to achievement in school and on the job.

Extraversion
Extraversion versus introversion is possibly the most recognizable personality trait of the Big Five.
The more of an extravert someone is, the more of a social butterfly they are. Extraverts are chatty, sociable
and draw energy from crowds. They tend to be assertive and cheerful in their social interactions. Introverts,
on the other hand, need plenty of alone time, perhaps because their brains process social interaction
differently. Introversion is often confused with shyness, but the two aren't the same. Shyness implies a fear
of social interactions or an inability to function socially. Introverts can be perfectly charming at parties — they
just prefer solo or small-group activities.

Agreeableness
Agreeableness measures the extent of a person's warmth and kindness. The more agreeable
someone is, the more likely they are to be trusting, helpful and compassionate. Disagreeable people are cold
and suspicious of others, and they're less likely to cooperate. Men who are high in agreeableness are judged
to be better dancers by women, suggesting that body movement can signal personality.

Neuroticism
People high in neuroticism worry frequently and easily slip into anxiety and depression. If all is going
well, neurotic people tend to find things to worry about.

Other personality measures

Sensing and intuition refer to how people prefer to gather information about the world, whether
through concrete information (sensing) or emotional feelings (intuition). Thinking and feeling refer to how
people make decisions. Thinking types go with logic, while feeling types follow their hearts.

DIMENSION OF THEORIES OF FREUD AND ERICKSON

Sigmund Freud's psychosexual theory and Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory are two well-
known theories of development. While he was influenced by Freud's ideas, Erikson's theory differed in a
number of important ways.
Like Freud, Erikson believed that personality develops in a series of predetermined stages. Unlike
Freud’s theory of psychosexual stages, Erikson’s theory describes the impact of social experience across
the whole lifespan. Let's compare and contrast these two theories by looking at some of the key similarities
and differences at each stage.

Age: Birth to 1 Year

The two theories of development both focus on the importance of early experiences, but there are
notable differences between Freud's and Erikson's ideas. Freud centered on the importance of feeding, while
Erikson was more concerned with how responsive caretakers are to a child's needs.
Freud's Stages of Psychosexual Development
 Freud's called this the oral stage. At this point in development, a child's primary source of pleasure
is through the mouth via sucking, eating, and tasting. Problems with this stage can result in what
Freud referred to as an oral fixation.

Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development

 Erikson called this the trust versus mistrust stage. Children learn to either trust or mistrust their
caregivers. The care that adults provide determines whether children develop this sense of trust in
the world around them. Children who do not receive adequate and dependable care may develop a
sense of mistrust of others and the world.

Age: 1 to 3 Years

While there are a number of differences between Erikson's and Freud's ideas, their theories both
focus on how children develop a sense of independence and mastery.

Psychosexual Development
 Freud called this the anal stage of development. Children gain a sense of mastery and competence
by controlling bladder and bowel movements. Children who succeed at this stage develop a sense
of capability and productivity. Those who have problems at this stage may develop an anal fixation.
As adults, they might be excessively orderly or messy.

Psychosocial Development
 Erikson called this the autonomy versus shame and doubt stage. Children develop self-sufficiency
by controlling activities such as eating, toilet training, and talking. Those who succeed at this stage
develop a sense of independence while those who struggle will be left doubting themselves.

Ages: 3 to 6 Years
During the preschool and early elementary years, Freud's theory was much more concerned with
the role of the libido while Erikson's theory was more focused on how children interact with parents and peers.
Freud's Theory
 Freud referred to this as the phallic stage. The libido's energy is focused on the genitals. Children
begin to identify with their same-sex parent. Boys experience the Oedipus complex while girls
experience the Electra complex.

Erikson's Theory
 Erikson's called this the initiative versus guilt stage. Children begin to take more control over their
environment. Those who are successful at this stage develop a sense of purpose while those who
struggle are left with feelings of guilt.

Ages: 7 to 11 Years
Freud believed that this age served as more of a transitional period between childhood and
adolescence. Erikson, on the other hand, believed that kids continue to forge a sense of independence
and competence.

Psychosexual Development
 Freud referred to this as the latent period. The libido's energy is suppressed and children are focused
on other activities such as school, friends, and hobbies. Freud believed this stage was important for
developing social skills and self-confidence.

Psychosocial Development
 Erikson called this the industry versus inferiority stage. Children develop a sense of competence by
mastering new skills. Kids who succeed at this stage develop pride in their accomplishments while
those who struggle may be left feeling incompetent.

Age: Adolescence
 Adolescence played a critical role in both Freud's and Erikson's theories of development. In both
theories, teens begin to forge their own sense of identity.

Freud's Theory
 Freud referred to this point in psychosexual development as the genital stage. Children begin to
explore romantic relationships. The goal of this stage is to develop a sense of balance between all
the areas of life. Those who have successfully completed the earlier stages are now warm, caring
and well-adjusted.

Erikson's Theory
 Erikson's called this point in psychosocial development the identity versus role confusion stage.
Children develop a personal identity and sense of self. Teens explore different roles, attitudes, and
identities as they develop a sense of self. Those who receive support and encouragement will
emerge with a strong sense of who they are and what they want to accomplish. Those who struggle
to forge a strong identity will remain confused about who they are and what they want to do with their
life.

Age: Adulthood

Freud's theory focused exclusively on development between birth and the teen years, implying that
personality is largely set in stone by early childhood. Erikson, on the other hand, took a lifespan approach
and believed that development continues even in old age.

Freud's Theory of Psychosexual Development

  Freud's theory largely focuses on the period between birth and adolescence. According to Freud,
the genital stage lasts throughout adulthood. He believed the goal is to develop a balance between
all areas of life.

Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development

Eriksons' theory includes three more stages that span adulthood. These three stages are:
 Intimacy vs. Isolation: Young adults seek out romantic love and companionship.
 Generativity vs. Stagnation: Middle-aged adults nurture others and contribute to society.
 Integrity vs. Despair: Older adults reflect on their lives, looking back with a sense of fulfillment or
bitterness.

SIGNIFICANCE OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

An individual’s personality refers to his/her appearance, characteristics, attitude, mindset and
behavior with others. Personality development grooms an individual and helps him make a mark of his/her
own. Personality development goes a long way in reducing stress and conflicts. Personality development
helps you develop a positive attitude in life. Personality development helps an individual to inculcate positive
qualities like punctuality, flexible attitude, willingness to learn, friendly nature, eagerness to help others and
so on.

We had just finished the discussion on the introduction of personality. Let’s now move on to the
next higher level of activity that demonstrates your potential skills / knowledge of what you have
learned.