According to the text what is the definition of personality?

Theories of Personality Power Point Presentation by Christopher T. Arra, Ph.D. Northern Virginia Community College This presentation copyright Susan C. Cloninger. Some images are from “Holy Cow! 250,000 Graphics,” by Macmillan Digital Publishing USA. Prepared to accompany Theories of Personality (6th ed.) by Susan C. Cloninger (2013), published by Pearson. All rights reserved. CHAPTER ONE Introduction to Personality Theory Chapter Overview  Personality: The Study of Individuals Definition of Personality  Description of Personality Differences Between People: Groups or Gradations? Comparing People or Studying Individuals  Personality Dynamics Adaptation and Adjustment Cognitive Processes Culture Chapter Overview  Personality Development  Biological Influences  Experience in Childhood and Adulthood  The Scientific Approach  Theory  Criteria of a Good Theory  Relationship Between Theory and Research  Methods in Personality Research  Personality Measurement  Correlational Studies  Experimentation  Studying Individuals  One Theory or Many? Eclecticism and the Future of Personality Theory Personality: The Study of Individuals Definition of Personality The underlying causes within the person of individual behavior and experience Description of Personality Description of Personality Comparing People or Studying Individuals???? Nomothetic: comparisons with other individuals; research based on groups of people  comparing various people’s scores on a test  taking a personality test and seeing if you scored higher or lower than most people Idiographic: focuses on one individual  an intensive case study of a single individual  a clinical report about an unusual psychiatric patient Personality Dynamics  Adaptation and Adjustment  Cognitive Processes  Culture  How do people adapt to life’s demands?  How does a mentally healthy person act?  What behaviors or thoughts are unhealthy? Personality Dynamics  Adaptation and  Do our thoughts affect Adjustment our personality?  Cognitive Processes  What kinds of thoughts are  Culture important for personality?  Do unconscious processes influence us? Personality Dynamics  Adaptation and Adjustment  Cognitive Processes  Culture  How does culture influence our functioning?  Does culture affect us by its expectations for men and women? For different classes? Personality Development  Biological Influences  Experience in Childhood and Adulthood  How do biological processes affect personality?  Is personality inherited? Personality Development  Biological Influences  Experience in Childhood and Adulthood  What do children learn that matters for personality?  Does childhood experience determine adult personality?  Do adults change? Or has personality been determined earlier? The Scientific Approach Scientific method: method of knowing based on systematic observation Examples:  conducting an experiment to see whether an intervention increases self-esteem  correlating defense mechanisms with reports of childhood experience The Scientific Approach Determinism: Examples: the assumption that phenomena have causes that can be discovered by empirical research  neurotransmitter causes of experience  thoughts that influence moods and choices Determinism… as in a chemical imbalance? It’s my parents’ fault? Violence in the media? The Scientific Approach THEORY A conceptual tool for understanding certain specific phenomena Levels of Thinking in Theory Hypotheses Derived From a Theoretical Proposition CRITERIA OF A GOOD THEORY  Verifiability  It can predict correctly or incorrectly (confirmation or disconfirmation).  Comprehensiveness  It applies to a variety of phenomena  Applied Value  It helps improve life  Applied research vs. basic research  Parsimony and Heuristic Value  A small number of constructs to explain phenomena Relationship between theory and research Theory Research Relationship between theory and research Implicit theories: ideas about personality that are held by ordinary people (not based on formal theory) Examples:  assuming that attractive people are warm and trustworthy  assuming that HIV positive people look different from HIV negative people Methods in Personality Research Personality measurements:  Reliability  Validity  Measurement Techniques Methods in Personality Research Reliability: Examples: repeatability, as when a measurement is repeated at another time or by another observer, with similar results  a correlation between assessment of extraversion once and a month later shows good agreement  two raters assess a person’s behavior, with similar results Methods in Personality Research Methods of Reliability Testing:  test-retest reliability  alternate forms reliability  split-half reliability Methods in Personality Research Validity: Examples: desirable characteristic of a test, indicating that it actually does measure what it is intended to measure  a trait of extraversion  a fixation from childhood conflict Methods in Personality Research measurement techniques  direct self-report measures, i.e., “How important is achievement to you?” (on a 10-point scale)  indirect methods  open-ended questions, i.e., “What would you look for in an ideal job?”  projective tests, i.e., inkblots  behavioral measures  How often does the person choose to spend time alone instead of with other people?  How often does the student turn in assignments late? Methods in Personality Research Correlational research: research method that examines the relationships among measures Examples:  research that correlates intelligence measures with career success  research that correlates maladjustment with childhood abuse Methods in Personality Research Experimental research: Examples: research strategy that manipulates a cause to determine its effect  manipulating exposure to television violence to determine effect on aggressive behavior  subliminal exposure to stimuli to determine effect on symptoms Methods in Personality Research Experimental research:  Manipulate the variable thought to be a “cause,” called the “independent variable.”  for example, violent vs. nonviolent TV  experimental group watches violent TV  control group watches nonviolent TV  Everything constant except the cause  Random assignment to control 3rd variables  Does the “effect” (dependent variable) change? Methods in Personality Research Case Studies & Psychobiography:  case study  an intensive investigation of a single individual  e.g., clinical observation of one person  psychobiography  the application of a personality theory to the study of an individual’s life  theoretical emphasis One Theory or Many? Eclecticism and the Future of Personality Theory Eclectic: Examples: combining ideas from a variety of theories  accepting symbolic interpretation of dreams (psychoanalytic) and also effect of reinforcement on behavior (learning) One Theory or Many? Eclecticism and the Future of Personality Theory Paradigm: Examples: a basic theoretical model, shared by various theorists and researchers  behavioral perspective  humanistic perspective  evolutionary perspective One Theory or Many? Eclecticism and the Future of Personality Theory Chapter summary Personality: The Study of Individuals Description of Personality Personality Dynamics Personality Development The Scientific Approach Methods in Personality Research One Theory or Many? Eclecticism and the Future of Personality Theory

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