PSYC 221 CHAPTER 1

Question 1

PERSONALITY

Answer 1

• Personality comes from the latin word “persona” which means “to wear a mask”. what you see is the public self (choice).
• has an internal mechanism that ocntrols behavior.
• internal traits (e.g laziness) can lead to certain types of behavior and can determine how you will behave,

Question 2

Self- Theories

Answer 2

• one’s perception of himself will determine how one will behave (self-worth, self-concept, self-esteem)
• we project certain images to the public.
• In order to change personality, you have to change the traits.
• personality is consistent (like temperament)

Question 3

Origins of consisten behavior patterns

Answer 3

• Genetics
• Nativism vs. empiricism
• learning
• socio-culturam determinance
• Existential Humanistic Approach (humanist theory)

Question 4

Genetics + self-actualization

Answer 4

• “Personality traits are inherited as consistently as physical traits.”
• physiology (Freud, Skinner, Maslow) : physiological needs (food, warmth, air, sex) will determine howo we behave (in a sense, personality).
• self- actualization: each person becoming all that he is capable to become (Maslow).

Question 5

Nativism VS. Empiricism (Nature VS. nurture)

Answer 5

• Nativism: personality traits are inherited solely genetically. Certain traits (such as maximum intelligence) are determined at birth.
• Empricism: traits are maximized through environment at play.
• Behavior = 100% heredity + 100% environment
• both are equally important

Question 6

Socio-cultural determinance

Answer 6

• The belief that our culture and sociology will have to determine the consistency of our personality.
• We each carry out certain roles that are expected from society and culture.
• we are expected to behave in a certain way.
• When we deviate from these roles, we get censored by society. we don’t want to be censored, so we stay on the same path.
• socio-economic status seems to be a pre-requisite to certain types of behavior.

Question 7

Learning

Answer 7

• The empiricist side deals with learning. Learning = experience.
• one assumption is that we are what we are rewarded for (Skinner).
• our personality, from a behavioursit point-of-view), comes through reward and personality.
• Language Development to an extent based on reward and punishment.

Question 8

Existential Humanistic Approach

Answer 8

• “How do others think of me” begins to explore the consistency of our behavior.
• To answer that question is to acknowledge the fact that we have behaved in a certain way in the past and will continue to do so consistently.
• The Humanist part - acknowledging that human beings have the potential to decide what they’re going to be.
• Personality can be maintained (what most people choose)
• because we have the ability to adapt/control our personality, our personality will be consistent.

Question 9

Issues confronting the Personality Test

Answer 9

• purpose
• heathenism
• Depth psychology
• Uniqueness VS. Lawfulness

Question 10

purpose

Answer 10

• “To what extent is behavior pulled by the future and pushed by the past?”

Question 11

Heathenism

Answer 11

• The tendency to seek pleasure and avoid pain.
• These desires will affect personality.

Question 12

Depth Psychology

Answer 12

• Treating the unconscious as being very active.
• Explore questions such as “what is the relationship between the conscious and unconscious? how do we understand the unconscious? can we be aware of what the unconscious is going?”
• We need to understand what the unconscious is doing to usFreudian slip, action)
  
  • early experiences
  • To what effect is human behavior determined?

Question 13

Early Experiences

Answer 13

• How does Early childhood behavior relate to adult behavior?
• Can the effects of childhood be reversed?
• Freud believed that personality is fully developled at 5 years old.
• Jung believed that the development of adult personality is only fully complete at the age of 40.
• Inoncence and early experiences will affect adult personality

Question 14

To what effects is human behavior determined?

Answer 14

• Our life behaviors are determined by many things (gender, age, environment, etc.)
• The determinist belief is the belief that our behavior is determined by many factors.
• if you do not believe that behavior is determined by certain factors, then you are a “Free will” .
• Since determinists haven’t been able to determine all the factors that determine behavior, it may be safe to say that there are no determinists/

Question 15

Uniqueness VS. Lawfulness

Answer 15

• Each individual is unique.
• Human beings have a great deal in common.
• We share a culture which tells us what is pleasant and unpleasant (humor is culturally determined).
• General- law which governs human behavior.
• we are all unique but we also have some differences.
• Idiographic research (research on individualism) VS. nomothetic research (research on mutual culture).

Question 16

How do we find the answers?

Answer 16

• Rationalist and Empiricist answers.
• Rationalism believes that we gain knowledge through logic and reasoning. Information has to be sorted out by the mind.
• Empiricist: certain experiences are the bases of all knowledge. We learn to be active through experience.