Human Psychology

Lecturer
Ms. Kainat Amanat
University of Punjab GRW Campus
Department of Business Administration
Chapter 2 : Personality
i. Personality
ii. Personality Traits
iii. Five Factor Model of Personality Traits
iv. Freud’s Psycho Analytic Theory
v. Maslow’s Theory
Personality
“Personality refers to an Individual's unique set of consistent behavioral Traits”

Trait : Inherited characteristic typically one belonging to a person.

Behavioral traits describe the characteristics that consistently describe a person's behavior
Example : When someone acts spontaneously, without giving a lot of thought to the consequences,
we may describe them as impulsive.

Impulsive personality results in destroying the relationships

Personality Traits

“ A durable disposition to behave in a particular way in a variety of situations”

Disposition: person's usual way of behaving, or a tendency to act in a specified

way
Example
Situation : Stuck in elevator
Behavior of people : Someone is likely to panic, someone is likely to anger etc.
Adjectives such as moody, suspicious, friendly, impulsive describes dispositions
that represent personality traits.
 Continue….

• Personality traits are enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that distinguish
one individual from another. They are relatively stable across time and situations and help
psychologists understand how a person typically responds to the world.
• Key Points
• Traits are stable: They do not change quickly and remain consistent across most life situations.
• Traits are measurable: Psychologists can assess them using standardized tests and observations.
• Traits differ across individuals: Each person has a unique combination of personality traits.
• Traits influence behavior: They guide how a person thinks, feels, reacts, and interacts with
others.
Five Factor Model Of Personality Traits

• Robert McCrae & Paul Costa identified personality traits and named as “Big Five”
Extraversion

• Extraverts are commonly understood as being an energetic

, sociable, friendly, assertive (confident, being not
frightened to say anything), upbeat (positive, hopeful
about a situation, happy)
• They are motivated to peruse social contact , intimacy
(loving in nature, love close relationships with another
person or groups)
• Meaning
• Extraversion assesses how much a person is energized by
social interaction.
• Characteristics of High Extraversion
• Outgoing and sociable
• Likes meeting new people
• Energetic and talkative
• Often seeks excitement
• Enjoys being the center of attention
• Characteristics of Low Extraversion (Introversion)
• Quiet and reserved
• Prefers small groups or solitude
• Reflective and thoughtful
• May avoid overly stimulating environments
• Examples
• High: Someone who enjoys parties and social events.
• Low: Someone who prefers reading or spending time alone
after social interactions.
Neuroticism

• Personality Trait associated with negative emotions

• Individuals with high score of neuroticism tend to be
Anxious (nervous and afraid of what may happen) , hostile
(show strong disliking, enemy), self conscious, insecure
and vulnerable (hurt easily emotionally and physically)
• They tend to exhibit more impulsiveness and emotionally
instability than others.
• They experience feelings such as anxiety, jealousy
frustration, envy, guilt and depressed mood.
• Meaning
• Neuroticism measures emotional stability versus
emotional reactivity.
• Characteristics of High Neuroticism
• Experiences stress easily
• Prone to anxiety, worry, or mood swings
• Easily frustrated or sensitive
• Struggles with emotional regulation
• Characteristics of Low Neuroticism (Emotional Stability)
• Calm and composed
• Can handle stress well
• Rarely feels anxious
• More emotionally resilient
• Examples
• High: A person who worries a lot about small issues.
• Low: A person who remains calm in difficult situations.
Openness to Experience

• It is associated with curiosity, flexibility and

imaginativeness and interested in new ideas.
• People who are high in openness are tend to be open
minded, creative, seek new experiences, and tend to be
tolerant of ambiguity (the degree to which an individual
is comfortable with uncertainty, unpredictability,
conflicting directions, and multiple demands. Tolerance
for ambiguity is manifest in a person's ability to operate
effectively in an uncertain environment).
• Meaning
• Openness reflects how much an individual is willing to engage
with new ideas, creative pursuits, and novel experiences.
• Characteristics of High Openness
• Very imaginative and creative
• Curious about the world
• Enjoys abstract thinking
• Prefers variety and change
• Open-minded and willing to consider new perspectives
• Characteristics of Low Openness
• Prefers routine and familiarity
• Traditional in thinking
• Practical and down-to-earth
• Less interested in creative or artistic activities
• Examples
• A person high in openness may enjoy traveling, reading diverse
books, or artistic hobbies.
• A person low in openness may prefer sticking to established rules or
routines.
Agreeableness

• A person put others needs before their own.

• People who are high in agreeableness are tend to
be sympathetic, trusting, cooperative, and
straightforward. It is correlated with empathy and
helping behavior.
• find pleasure in helping others and working with
people who need more help.
• Meaning
• Agreeableness reflects how much a person values
cooperation, kindness, and social harmony.
• Characteristics of High Agreeableness
• Helpful and compassionate
• Trusting and cooperative
• Good at teamwork
• Empathetic and polite
• Characteristics of Low Agreeableness
• Competitive or stubborn
• Less trusting
• More critical or skeptical
• May prioritize self-interest over group harmony
• Examples
• High: A person who avoids conflict and tries to maintain peace.
• Low: A person who is blunt or more focused on winning arguments.
Conscientiousness

• People who are high in conscientiousness are tend to

be diligent (hardworking and careful) , well organized
(plan everything, punctual and neat)
• They plan their time very well.
• It is associated with strong self discipline and the
ability to regulate oneself effectively.
• Meaning
• Conscientiousness refers to a person's level of self-
discipline, organization, and goal-directed behavior.
• Characteristics of High Conscientiousness
• Highly organized and punctual
• Responsible and hardworking
• Good at planning and time management
• Self-controlled and reliable
• Characteristics of Low Conscientiousness
• Disorganized and easily distracted
• May procrastinate
• Less reliable with commitments
• More spontaneous rather than planned
• Examples
• High: A student who follows a study schedule and meets deadlines.
• Low: A person who often forgets tasks or works best under last-
minute pressure.
Activity

Impact of Personality Traits on Investment Decision-making:

How 5 big personality traits influence Investment decision making?
Maslow’s Theory OF Self Actualization

• Abraham Maslow (1970)

• He proposed that motives are organized into hierarchy of needs.
• Hierarchy of needs- systematic arrangement of needs, according to priority, in
which basic needs must be met before fewer basic needs are aroused.
• Hierarchal arrangement is in pyramid
• The needs at the bottom of pyramid are the most basic need.
• When a person manages to satisfy a level of needs reasonably well, this satisfaction
activates at the next level.
• When lower needs are satisfied , individual move to upward, but they may regress
back to lower level if basic needs are no longer satisfied.
Marketing Perspectives
Physiological Needs (Basic survival needs: food, water, shelter)
• Example: Fast-food brands like McDonald's or Subway highlight affordable, filling
meals in their ads, addressing the basic need for food.

Safety Needs (Security, stability, and health)

• Example: Insurance companies like Geico or Allstate emphasize protection and
financial security. Pharmaceutical companies focus on health benefits.
Continue…

Social Needs (Belonging, friendship, love)

• Example: Coca-Cola’s "Share a Coke" campaign encouraged people to share a Coke with
friends, fostering a sense of connection.

Esteem Needs (Self-esteem, status, recognition)

• Example: Luxury brands like Rolex, Gucci, and Mercedes-Benz target consumers’ desire for
status and recognition.

Self-Actualization Needs (Personal growth, fulfillment, potential)

• Example: Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign promotes self-empowerment, encouraging people to
reach their potential.
• By aligning their products with these needs, brands effectively connect with consumers at
various psychological levels, enhancing their appeal and customer loyalty.
Activity

Give practical Implementation of this theory from organizational

Perspective (take any organization of your choice)
Take any brand of your choice and describe which brand is
fulfilling which need.
Continue..
• He describe the needs in uppermost reaches of his hierarchy as growth need.
• These includes the need for knowledge, understanding, order and aesthetic beauty.
• Foremost among them is the need for self actualization, which is the need to
fulfill one’s potential.
• It is the highest need in the Maslow’s motivational hierarchy.
• “What a man can be , he must be”
• People will be frustrated if they are unable to fully utilize their talent or peruse their
true interest
• If you have great musical talent but must work as an accountant, your need of self
actualization will be thwarted.
Continue…

Healthy Personality
Maslow called the self actualizing persons as healthy personalities because of their
commitment to continued personal growth
Traits:
i. Problem centering ( having something outsides themselves they must do as
mission)
ii. Strong friendship but limited in number
iii. Clear, efficient perception of reality
iv. Need Privacy
v. Autonomous.
Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory

• Albert Bandura (1986, 2012)

• Humans are obviously conscious, thinking, and feeling
• Argue that skinner ignored the most distinctive and important feature of human
behavior i.,e cognitive processes.
• Albert Bandura believes that personality is largely shaped through learning
• He contends that conditioning is not a mechanical process in which people are
massive participants.
• Instead he said people actively seek out and process information about their
environment to maximize favorable outcomes.
Continue…

Observational Learning
• Observational learning occurs when an organism is influenced by the observation of
others.
• According to bandura operant conditioning can occur directly and indirectly when
one person observes other's conditioning.
• Bandura maintains that people’s characteristics patterns of behavior are shaped by
the models they are exposed to.
• In observational learning, a model is a person whose behavior is observed by
another.
• At one time everyone serves as a model for others.
Activity
• Give one example of how a person is influence by the
observation of other.
• How you are influenced by the observation of other people
Continue…

Self-Efficacy
Bandura discusses how a variety of personal factors ( aspects of personality) govern
behavior.
The Factor he emphasized is self efficacy.
Self efficacy- it refers to one's belief about one’s ability to perform behaviors that
should lead to expected outcomes.
• When self efficacy is high, individuals feels confident that they can execute the
responses necessary to earn reinforces.
• When self efficacy is low, individual worry that necessary responses may be beyond
their abilities.
Cognitive
• Perceptions of self efficacy are subjective and specific to certain kind of tasks
• For example: you might feel confident about your ability to handle difficult social
situation. On the other hand you might be doubtful about your ability to handle
academic challenges.
• Perceptions of self efficacy can influence which challenges people tackle and how
well they perform.
• Great self efficacy are associated with reduced procrastination , more work
performance, higher levels of academic engagement and performance.
Activity
• How self efficacy influence Your personality? (Which situations you can
easily handle i.,e you have high self efficacy and what it will give
outcome and in which situations you are always be doubtful about your
ability ie, you have low self efficacy ). Give your answer as scenario base).
• Study different scholarly articles