SELF&

PERSONALITY
by
VandanaPandey
 PERSONALITY
Definitions and key concepts

Personality refers to our characteristic ways of responding to individuals and situations.

In this sense, personality refers to unique and relatively stable qualities that characterise an
individual’s behaviour across different situations over a period of time

In brief, personality is characterised by the following features:

1. It has both physical and psychological components.
2. Its expression in terms of behaviour is fairly unique in a given individual.
3. Its main features do not easily change with time.
4. It is dynamic in the sense that some of its features may change due to internal or external
situational demands. Thus, personality is adaptive to situations.
 TYPE & TRAIT APPROACH
TYPE TRAIT
It attempts to comprehend It focuses on the specific
human personality by psychological attributes along
examining certain broad which individuals tend to differ
patterns in the observed in consistent and stable ways.
behavioural characteristics of For example, one person may
individuals. Each behavioural be less shy, whereas another
pattern refers to one type in may be more; or one person
which individuals are placed in may be less friendly, whereas
terms of the similarity of their another may be more.
behavioural characteristics with
that pattern
TYPE APPROACH
[Link]
Theory of
Personality
[Link] Samhita
[Link] theory of
Personality
[Link] Jung
[Link] &
Rosenmann Thoery
HIPPOCRATES THEORY
CHARAK SAMHITA
Personality Typology in Ayurveda
[Link] (Vata, Pitta, Kapha): Classifies people based on three bodily humours, influencing
temperament (Prakriti).- Body types; energy types that influence physical and mental charateristics.
Vata: (Nervous system & large intestine) Movement and creativity; energetic, quick thinkers, and
imaginative, but they can also be nervous or restless.
Pitta: (Digestive system & small intestine) Energy and transformation; goal-oriented, determined, and
have a strong focus
Kapha: (Lungs & muscles) Stability and structure; calm, loyal, and steady, but they might also feel
sluggish or resistant to change.

2. Trigunas (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas): Describes mental and emotional tendencies.

Sattva: Calm, truthful, disciplined, detached
Rajas: Active, desire-driven, materialistic, restless
Tamas: Lazy, angry, depressed, helpless

Combination of all three: Everyone has a mix of these qualities in different proportions, affecting behavior.
SHELDON THEORY OF
PERSONALITY
CARL JUNG
Friedman & Rosenmann
TRAIT
APPROACHES
A trait is considered as a relatively enduring attribute or
quality on which one individual differs from another.

Building blocks of personality

traits are relatively stable over time

they are generally consistent across situations,

their strengths and combinations vary across individuals

Allport’s Trait
Theory
Cattell: Personality
Factors
Eysenck’s Theory
Allport’s Trait Theory
He proposed that individuals possess a
number of traits, which are dynamic in
nature. They determine behaviour in
such a manner that an individual
approaches different situations with
similar plans. The traits integrate stimuli
and responses which otherwise look
dissimilar. Allport argued that the words
people use to describe themselves and
others provide a basis for understanding
human personality. He analysed the
words of English language to look for
traits which describe a person.
Cattel’s Personality Factors
EYESNCK’S PEN MODEL
Neuroticism vs. emotional
stability
Extraversion vs. introversion
Psychoticism vs. Sociability
 PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY
Sigmund Freud
Unconscious memories
Childhood experiences
Life & Death Instinct
1. Levels of Consciousness
2. Structure of Personality
3. Psychosexual Stages
4. Defence Mechanism
Levels of Consciousness
Levels of Consciousness
Defence Mechanism
Repression
Projection
Denial
Reaction Formation
Rationalisation
POST FREUDIAN APPROACHES
1. ERIK ERICKSON
2. KAREN HORNEY
3. ERICH FROMM
4. ALFRED ADLER
5. CARL JUNG
Erik Erickson Psychosocial Stages of Development

Epigenetic Principle
occurence of conflict
Psychological quality (Virtue)
Develop ego strength and mastery
KAREN HORNEY: OPTIMISM

Adopted an optimistic view of human life, focused on growth & self-

actualisation.

No sex/gender is superior or inferior

women are not inferior but affected by social & cultural factors &

pressures.

Disorders are caused by disturbed interpersonal relationship; basic anxiety

parenting is important
ALFRED ADLER

Individual Psychology

Human behavior is purposeful and goal directed

We have free will; Personal Goals guide us

Inferiority complex’; arise from childhood

parenting is important
ERICH FROMM: THE HUMAN CONCERNS

Based his theory on social relationships

Human beings could be understood in terms of their relationship with

others.

Desire for freedom & Striving for justice and truth are guiding forces.

End goal is to achieve growth & realisation of potential.

Love & tenderness in society leads to healthy personality development

CARL JUNG: AIMS & ASPIRATIONS

He argued that humans are more guided by aims & aspirations than by sex

& aggression. (Analytical Psychology).

There are competing forces within the individual that must be balanced.

Humans have collective unconscious (archetypes), they are inherited.

According to him, for achieving unity and wholeness, a person must

become increasingly aware of the wisdom available in one’s personal and

collective unconscious, and must learn to live in harmony with it.

 PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT
Self-report Projective Behavioral
measures tests Analysis
The Rorschach
The Minnesota Inkblot Test
Multiphasic Personality
Inventory (MMPI)
The Thematic
Eysenck Apperception Test
Personality (TAT)

Questionnaire
(EPQ)
Sentence
Completion Test
Sixteen Personality
Factor Questionnaire Rosenzweig’s Picture-
(16 PF) Frustration Study (P-F
Study)
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
Hathaway and McKinley developed this test as a helping tool for psychiatric diagnosis &
Psychopathology

Revised MMPI 2- 567 statements

True/False
10 Subscales

hypochondriasis, depression, hysteria, psychopathic deviate, masculinity-femininity,

paranoia, psychasthenia, schizophrenia, mania and social introversion
 EYSENCK PERSONALITY QUESTIONNAIRE
(EPQ)
introverted-extraverted and emotionally stable-emotionally unstable. These dimensions are
characterised by 32 personality traits. Later on, Eysenck added a third dimension, called
psychoticism.

16 PF
Developed by Cattell
Factor Analysis
Challenges of SELF REPORT
Social Desirability
Aquisiscence
 PROJECTIVE TEST

Indirect method
Unconscious
These techniques are based on the assumption that a less structured or unstructured
stimulus or situation will allow the individual to project her/his feelings, desires and
needs on to that situation.
While the nature of stimuli and responses in these techniques vary enormously, all of
them do share the following features:
(1) The stimuli are relatively or fully unstructured and poorly defined.
(2) The person being assessed is usually not told about the purpose of assessment and
the method of scoring and interpretation.
(3) The person is informed that there are no correct or incorrect responses.
(4) Each response is considered to reveal a significant aspect of personality.
(5) Scoring and interpretation are lengthy and sometimes subjective.
 RORSCHACH INK BLOT TEST
Hermann Rorschach
10 inkblot cards
5- black & white
2- red
3- pastel
printed in white card board paper

Administered in two phases-

1. Performance proper
2. Inquiry
THE THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST (TAT)
Morgan & Murray
30 black & white card; 1 blank card

The cards are presented one at a time. The subject is asked to tell
a story describing the situation presented in the picture: What led
up to the situation, what is happening at the moment, what will
happen in the future, and what the characters are feeling and
thinking?

Uma Chaudhury’s Indian adaptation of TAT is also available

ROSENZWEIG’S PICTURE FRUSTRATION (P-F
STUDY)
This test was developed by Rosenzweig to assess how people express aggression
in the face of a frustrating situation.

.The test presents with the help of cartoon like pictures a series of situations in
which one person frustrates another, or calls attention to a frustrating condition.

The subject is asked to tell what the other (frustrated) person will say or do. The
analysis of responses is based on the type and direction of aggression. The
direction of aggression may be towards the environment, towards oneself, or it
may be tuned off in an attempt to gloss over or evade the situation.

Pareek has adapted this test for use with the Indian population.
 SENTENCE COMPLETION TEST
This test makes use of a number of incomplete sentences.

The starting part of the sentence is first presented and the

subject has to provide an ending to the sentence.

It is held that the type of endings used by the subjects reflect

their attitudes, motivation and conflicts.

My father——————————————. 2. My greatest fear is

—————————. 3. The best thing about my mother is —
—————————. 4. I am proud of ————————————
 DRAW A PERSON TEST
After the completion of the drawing, the subject is generally
asked to draw the figure of an opposite sex person.

Finally, the subject is asked to make a story about the person as if

s/he was a character in a novel or play.

Some examples of interpretations are as follows:

(1) Omission of facial features suggests that the person tries to
evade a highly conflict-ridden interpersonal relationship.
(2) Graphic emphasis on the neck suggests a lack of control over
impulses.
BEHAVIOURAL ANALYSIS

Interview
Observation
Ratings
Nominations
Situational tests
Self theories- how people perceive himself or herself.
personal growth happens by personal responsibility and
innate tendency
people are born to be good, creative and loving

CARL ROGERS

people are born to be fully functioning

due to distortion’s and denial people are able to bloom-
reason is conditional positive regard