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Topic 9

Personality

Personality

• the way children and adults relate to the people and objects in their environment

General features of personality

• there are patterns of behaviour
• the patterns are persistent
• behaviour patterns are complex, e.g. dimensions include:
  aggressivness-placidity
  dependence-independence
  gregariousness-shyness
  secure attachment-insecure attachment

Reasons for personality differences

1. Biological

2. Learning theory

3. Personality theory
 
 

• Temperament (level of emotional reactivity and style of interacting).
• NYLS,
• EAS,
• Rothbart,
• Kagan all tell something about temperament
• Biological State

Temperament (NYLS, Thomas & Chess) studies are with infants

• Activity -amount of physical/motor activity
• Rhythmicity -predictable routines
• Approach/withdrawal - response to a new event or stimulus
• Adaptability -ease or rate of adjustment to new
• Intensity -energy level
• Threshold -amt of stimulation necessary
• Mood -happy/positive vs sad/negative
• Distractibility -disrupted by other events
• Attention span & persistence

Temperament (EAS, Plomin & Buss) studied adults as well

• Emotionality -arousal & response
• Activity -energy use
• Sociability -with others

Temperament (others)

• Rothbart - Reactivity, Self regulation
• Kagan - Inhibition

Biological State

• temperament is inherited
• temperament is influenced by health & well-being (physical & psychological), hormonal activity/cycle, nervous system
• but temperament persists

Bandura- social learning

We learn our behaviours from those around us through:

• observation
• modelling
• specific activity (teaching, reinforcement)
• inconsistency

Helps explain:

• situation variation
• change
• cognition and moral dimensions

• Personality is the major part of individual identity, that is, of being human
• One of each person's basic drives is to establish identity (who we are and how we relate to the environment, especially others)
• The drive for identity can be described in a stage like sequence marked by success or failure

Two important psychoanalytic theories describing personality

• Erikson : 8 stages of psychosocial development
• Bowlby & Ainsworth

• 0 - 1 year
• Trust in mother or central care giver
• Trust in self to direct environment
• Key element in attachment

• 2 to 3 years
• Child learns self control (walk, talk, toilet, do things independently)
• Child learns about choices
• Autonomy if choices and control are positive and consitent
• Shame/doubt if negative & inconsistent

• 4 - 5 years
• Becomes aware of goals and tries to achieve them
• Becomes assertive & aggressive
• Aware of roles and may conflict with same sex parent

• 6 - 12 years
• Learns culture (language, social structures, relationships, cultural knowledge, skills)
• Success feels good
• Lack of success leads to inferiority (low self concepts)

• 13 - 18 years
• Physical changes (puberty)
• Sexual identity
• Occupation & learning
• Own set of values
• Independent cultural practices
• Family to outside group to self to all

• 19 - 25 years
• One or more intimate relationships beyond adolescent attraction (love)
• consistency in relationship
• Family group (marriage) procreation

• 26 - 40 years
• bear & rear children
• occupational achievement
• creativity/contribution
• train next generation

• 41 +
• integration & satisfaction with earlier stages
• come to terms with self (identity) and achievements
• accept self

How relationships are formed

• Phase 1: Birth to 2 mths - innate responses, indiscriminate not caregiver focused
• Phase 2: 2-7 mths - focused on caregiver (familiar), trust, reliance, social reference
• Phase 3: 8-24 mths - connected to emotions (fear joy), separation protest, supportive & child has secure attachment (working model)

Personality next few weeks

• self concept (identity)
• gender roles
• relationships (attachment)
• empathy
• prosocial behaviour
• moral development

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