Gordon Allport's Legacy

The Quest for Personality: 

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 Gordon Allport

Believed that personality is unique to each individual and influenced by both internal and external factors. He developed a three-tiered model of personality traits (Shiraev 2016):

1. Cardinal traits
1.      dominant and pervasive and they shape a person's overall personality\
2. Central traits
1. less dominant but they are still important and have a significant impact on behavior
3. Secondary traits
1. Only present in certain situations and are less likely to influence overall behavior.          

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References

Shiraev, E. (2016). Personality Theories. SAGE Publications, Inc. (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781506300795

The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Personality

 Insights from the Past

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Many philosophers from the past wrote about personality traits, including David Hume and David Hartley.

Hume

Identified four most significant traits (Shiraev, 2016):  

1. 

   Pleasure Seeking                                                                   
2. Virtue Seeking
3. Philosophical devotion                    
4. Critical thinking.

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Hartley

1. imaginative
2. ambitious
3. self-interested
4. sympathetic
5. theopathetic
6. morally sensitive

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Early experimental psychologists such as Wilhelm Wundt were also interested in studying personality traits. Wundt believed that language had a big role in forming individual traits. He argued that people who spoke German as their first language were more likely to become more organized, orderly, and responsible. (Shiraev, 2016).

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Takeaway

Personality traits are relatively stable and unique characteristics that people possess

Language can play a role in shaping personality traits.

Early personality theories such as those of Hume and Hartley, shared common ground with modern trait theories of personality

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 References

Shiraev, E. (2016). Personality Theories. SAGE Publications, Inc. (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781506300795

Ancient Wisdom for the Modern World

Unraveling the Mysteries of Personality

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Ancient philosophical teachings from around the world have long considered personality to be a distinct combination of traits. For example, Buddhist thinkers identified five constituents of personality, while ancient Greek philosophers associated individual traits with different parts of the body. Many early classifications also described bodily humors as foundations of stable traits.( Shiraev, 2016)

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Ancient philosophers also developed specific theories about how personality traits are formed and influenced. Hinduism suggests various combinations of traits based on an individual's stages of development. Islamic tradition distinguishes between several levels of personality traits according to the quality of the nafs - self or soul.( Shiraev, 2016)

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Astrological explanations of personality traits were also popular in ancient times and also today. These explanations typically associate specific personality traits with celestial bodies, such as the planets Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars.

Overall, ancient philosophical teachings provide a rich and divers perspective on the nature of personality. They offer insights on how personality traits are formed, how they can be classified, and how they can influence our behavior

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References

 

Shiraev, E. (2016). Personality Theories. SAGE Publications, Inc. (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781506300795

The Hidden Forces That Drive Our Behavior

The influence of psychoanalysis on the studies of personality

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Psychoanalysis has had a profound influence on the studies of personality. It has generated new and intriguing theories, as well as new applications of those theories. Psychoanalysis has also generated a growing public interest in psychology worldwide, motivating many people to read psychology books and take psychology classes. (Shiraev, 2016)

Theories of Personality

Psychoanalysis has influenced the studies of personality in a number of ways. One way is by providing new theories about how personality develops and how it functions. For example, Freud's theory of psychosexual development suggests that personality is shaped by early childhood experiences and that unconscious forces play a significant role in behavior. Erikson's theory of psychosocial development suggests that personality develops in stages and that each stage is associated with a different challenge. (Shiraev, 2016)

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Ego Psychology

Egp psychology is a branch of psychoanalysis that focuses on the role of the ego in personality development and functioning. Ego psychologists believe that the ego is responsible for mediating between the demands of the id which is the unconscious part of the personality that is driven by pleasure-seeking impulses and the superego which is the moralistic part of the personality. Anna Freud, Erik Erikson, and Karen Horney were all prominent ego psychologists. (Shiraev, 2016)

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Defense Mechanisms

Defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological processes that people use to protect themselves from anxiety and other unpleasant emotions. Defense mechanisms can be adaptive or maladaptive. Adaptive defense mechanisms help people to cope with stress and adversity in a healthy way while maladaptive defense mechanisms can lead to self-destructive behavior or mental illness. (Shiraev, 2016)

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Identity Crisis

Erikson coined the term identity crisis to describe the inner state of tension that people experience when they are struggling to develop a sense of self. Identity crises are common during adolescence, but they can occur at any point in life.

Authoritarian Personality

Fromm's research on authoritarian personality helped shed light on the psychological factors that contribute to fascism and other forms of authoritarian rule. Authoritarian personalities tend to be highly submissive to authority figures and intolerant of dissent.

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Psychological Testing

Psychoanalysts have also made significant contributions to the development of psychological tests. For example, the Rorschach test and the Thematic Apperception Test were both developed by psychoanalysts. These tests are projective tests, which means that they are designed to measure unconscious aspects of personality.(Shiraev, 2016) 

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Social Psychology

Psychoanalysis has also influenced the field of social psychology. For example, psychoanalytic concepts such as the unconscious mind, repression, and projection have been used to explain a wide range of phenomena, such as prejudice, conformity, and groupthink.

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Psychological Therapy

Psychoanalysis has also had a major impact on the development of psychological therapy. Psychoanalytic therapy is a type of talk therapy that focuses on helping people to understand and resolve their unconscious conflicts. (Shiraev, 2016)

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Views of Sexuality

Psychoanalysis has had a significant impact on our views of sexuality. Freud's theory of psychosexual development suggests that sexuality begins to develop in early childhood and that it is influenced by early childhood experiences. Psychoanalysis has also helped to raise awareness of the role that unconscious factors play in sexual behavior.

Psychoanalysis has been criticized for several reasons. Psychoanalytic theories are complex to test scientifically and time-consuming and expensive. Some say that psychoanalysis is too focused on the negative aspects of human nature.

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References

Shiraev, E. (2016). Personality Theories. SAGE Publications, Inc. (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781506300795

The Dark Side of Personality

  How Authoritarianism Leads to Prejudice

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The concept of the authoritarian personality is a psychological theory that attempts to explain how people come to hold prejudiced and discriminatory attitudes toward other social groups. Authoritarian personalities are characterized by a number of traits including:

• Conventionalism - a strong adherence to traditional values and norms
  
• Authoritarian submission - a tendency to submit to authority figures and to endorse authoritarian values
• Authoritarian aggression - a tendency to be aggressive and hostile towards those who violate traditional values or challenge authority.
• Anti-intraception - a distrust of subjectivity and imagination
• Superstition and stereotypy - a belief in mysticism and a tendency to think in rigid categories.
• Power and toughness - a concern with dominance and submission
• Destructiveness and cynicism - a hostile and cynical view of human nature
• Projectivity - a tendency to project one's own negative qualities onto others.
• Exaggerated concerns over sex - an excessive preoccupation with sex and sexuality.

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Research has shown that people who score high on measures of authoritarian personality are more likely to hold prejudiced attitudes towards a variety of social groups including racial and ethnic minorities,   LGBT+ people, and immigrants. This is because authoritarian personalities tend to view the world in terms of black-and-white categories, with good people on one side and bad people on the other. They also tend to be suspicious of and hostile towards those who are different from them

It is important to note that not everyone who is prejudiced has an authoritarian personality. However, research has shown that authoritarian personality is a strong predictor of prejudice.

Here are some ways to reduce prejudice against other social groups:

1. Educate people about the dangers of prejudice and discrimination
2. Promote intergroup contact and cooperation
3. Challenge negative stereotypes and misconceptions.
4. Advocate for policies that promote diversity and inclusion.

By taking these steps, we can help to create a more just and equitable society for all.

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References

Osborne, D., Satherley, N., Little, T. D., & Sibley, C. G. (2021). Authoritarianism and Social Dominance Predict Annual Increases in Generalized Prejudice. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 12(7), 1136-1145. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550620969608

Still Shaping the Way We Think About Ourselves

Why Early Psychologists Still Matter: A Look at the Lasting Legacy of Freud, Adler, and Jung

The theories of early thinkers in psychology continue to have an impact today for a number of reasons:

1. These pioneers of the field and their work laid the foundation for our modern understanding of the mind and human behavior.
2. Their theories were insightful and groundbreaking and they offered new ways of thinking about human nature and the causes of mental illness.
3. Their theories have been supported by empirical research and while some of their specific ideas have been rejected many of their core insights have been validated by research.
4. Their theories are widely taught in psychology courses which means that a new generation of psychologists is exposed to their work and influenced by it to this day.

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• Psychoanalytic theory has been used to inform the treatment of mental illness, the understanding of child development, and the interpretation of art and literature.
• The theories of early thinkers in psychology have been criticized, but they remain important and influential for the reasons listed above.
• Their work has helped us to better understand ourselves and the world around us.

Here are some specific examples of the impact of early thinkers in psychology on the world today

Here are some specific examples of the impact of early thinkers in psychology on the world today (Shiraev,2016):

• Freud's theory of the unconscious mind has had a profound influence on our understanding of human behavior. Psychotherapists use psychoanalytic techniques to help people access and understand their unconscious thoughts and feelings.
• Adler's theory of striving for superiority has been used to develop interventions for a variety of problems including depression, anxiety, and antisocial behavior.
• Jung's theory of archetypes has been used to interpret art, literature, and mythology from around the world and has also been used to develop new approaches to psychotherapy.

While they are not without their flaws, they continue to be valuable and influential sources of knowledge about the human mind and behavior.

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 References

 Shiraev, E. (2016). Personality Theories. SAGE Publications, Inc. (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781506300795

A Tale of Sex, Strivings, and Wholeness

 The Three Psychoanalysts

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Jung, Freud, and Adler all believed that personality is shaped by early childhood experiences and that the unconscious mind plays a significant role in human behavior. They also all believed that people are motivated by a variety of factors including both conscious and unconscious desires (Shiraev, 2016).

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• The Three (Shiraev, 2016):

• Freud believed that the primary motivator of human behavior is sex drive, and he also believed that personality is largely determined by early childhood experiences, particularly the Oedipus complex.
• Adler believed that the primary motivator of human behavior is the striving for superiority - power, competence, and significance. He also emphasized the importance of social and cultural factors in shaping personality.
• Jung believed that the primary motivator of human behavior is the striving for wholeness - self-actualization. He also believed that personality is influenced by both the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious.

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References

Shiraev, E. (2016). Personality Theories. SAGE Publications, Inc. (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781506300795