BMS 220: PSYCHOLOGY OF MEDICAL CARE

UNIT 10: THEORIES OF PERSONALITY

MUNA ABDULMOHSEN ALSHAMMARI, PHD

PERSONALITY
UNIQUE WAY INDIVIDUAL THINKS, FEELS, AND ACTS
THROUGHOUT LIFESPAN
PERSONALITIES ARE LONG TERM, STABLE, AND NOT EASILY
CHANGED
FOUR PERSPECTIVES IN STUDY OF PERSONALITY
• PSYCHOANALYTIC - FREUD
• ROLE OF UNCONSCIOUS MIND IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF
PERSONALITY
• BEHAVIORISTS
PERSONALITY
ORIGINS IN LEARNING THEORY
FOCUS ON ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES
ON
• PERSONALITY
• HUMANISTIC
• CONSCIOUS LIFE EXPERIENCES AND
CHOICES IN PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
• TRAIT THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
• CHARACTERISTICS OF PERSONALITY
• HOW AND WHAT AFFECTS
PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
 SIGMUND FREUD

• FOUNDED THE PSYCHOANALYTIC

MOVEMENT
MIND DIVIDED INTO THREE PARTS
1. PRECONSCIOUS
• INFORMATION, MEMORIES AND EVENTS
AVAILABLE BUT NOT CURRENTLY
CONSCIOUS - PERSON CAN EASILY AND
VOLUNTARY BECOME AWARE IF HE
WANTS
Mind vs iceberg
One-tenth of mind = conscious
2. CONSCIOUS
Rest of mind = unconscious
Our unconscious refers to mental activity of which we • AWARE OF IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS
are unaware and are unable to access
AND PERCEPTIONS
 3. Unconscious
Thoughts, feelings, and memories not
easily or voluntarily brought into
SIGMUND consciousness
FREUD
Unconscious content revealed in dreams,
slips of the tongue, unexplained behavior

Freud believed; unconscious mind was the

most important determining factor in
human development and personality
FREUD
• EGO IS TO BALANCE THE SEXUAL AND
AGGRESSIVE DRIVES OF THE ID WITH
THE MORAL IDEAL OF THE SUPEREGO
• PERSONALITY DEVELOPS THROUGH A
SERIES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES
• IN EACH STAGE, PLEASURE FOCUSES
ON A SPECIFIC EROGENOUS ZONE.
• FAILURE TO RESOLVE A STAGE CAN
LEAD
• FIXATED,
• LEADING TO UNHEALTHY
PERSONALITY TRAITS
• SUCCESSFUL RESOLUTION OF THE
STAGES LEADS TO A HEALTHY ADULT
 ID – ‘IT’
• PRESENT AT BIRTH, COMPLETELY
UNCONSCIOUS
• CONTAINS ALL BIOLOGICAL DRIVES SUCH
THE AS HUNGER, THIRST, SEX…
DIVISION • INSTINCTUAL ENERGY, CONFLICT WITH
OF SOCIETY’S STANDARDS
PERSONALI • PLEASURE PRINCIPLE
TY • IMMEDIATE SATISFACTION, NO REGARD
FOR CONSEQUENCES
• IT IS IMPULSIVE, DEMANDING,
IRRATIONAL AND ILLOGIC
 EGO – ‘I’
• DEALS WITH REALITY; MOSTLY CONSCIOUS,
RATIONAL, LOGICAL
THE • REALITY PRINCIPLE
DIVISION • SATISFY DEMANDS OF ID WHEN NO NEGATIVE
OF CONSEQUENCES EXIST
PERSONALI SUPEREGO – ‘OVER THE SELF’
TY • CONSCIENCE , SUPEREGO MAKES PEOPLE FEEL
PRIDE WHEN DO THE RIGHT THING AND GUILT
OR MORAL ANXIETY WHEN DO THE WRONG
THING.
EGO IDEAL
• STANDARDS FOR MORAL BEHAVIOR
STAGES OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
• FOCUSED HEAVILY ON SEX DRIVE
• IN EACH STAGE, A DIFFERENT EROGENOUS ZONE (AREA OF THE
BODY THAT PRODUCES PLEASURABLE FEELINGS, BECOMES
IMPORTANT AND CAN BECOME THE SOURCE OF CONFLICTS

FIXATION
• UNRESOLVED CONFLICT IN PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGE
• RESULTS IN PERSONALITY TRAITS AND BEHAVIOR ASSOCIATED
WITH THAT EARLIER STAGE
 FREUD’S STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL
DEVELOPMENT

STAGE- AGE (YRS) EROGENOUS ZONE MAJOR CONFLICT ADULT FIXATION

EXAMPLE
• ORAL 0–1 MOUTH WEANING OFF BREAST OR BOTTLE SMOKING, OVEREATING
• ANAL 1–3 ANUS TOILET TRAINING NEATNESS, MESSINESS
• PHALLIC 3–6 GENITALS OEDIPUS/ELECTRA COMPLEX VANITY,
OVERAMBITION
• LATENCY 6–12 NONE NONE NONE
• GENITAL 12+ GENITALS NONE NONE
 FREUD’S STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT

ORAL STAGE
• OCCURS DURING FIRST YEAR OF
LIFE
• MOUTH IS EROGENOUS ZONE
• WEANING IS PRIMARY CONFLICT
• ID DOMINATED STAGE, EGO START
TO DEVELOP
• OVER MEETING THE ORAL NEED:
OVEREATING, DRINKING TOO MUCH,
SMOKING BEHAVIOR, TALKING TOO
MUCH, BECOMES DEPENDENT AND
OPTIMISTIC
• UNDER MEETING THE ORAL NEED:
AGGRESSIVE PESSIMISTIC
FREUD’S STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL
DEVELOPMENT

ANAL STAGE
• 1 TO 3 YEARS OF AGE
• ANUS IS EROGENOUS
ZONE
• TOILET TRAINING IS
SOURCE OF CONFLICT
• SUPEREGO DEVELOPS
 ANAL STAGE
FIXATION IN THE ANAL STAGE FROM
TOILET TRAINING THAT IS TOO HARSH CAN
TAKE ONE OF
FREUD’S 1. ANAL EXPULSIVE PERSONALITY
STAGES OF PEOPLE SEEK ORDER AND TIDINESS –
PSYCHOSEXU PERFECTIONISTS
AL
DEVELOPME • MESSY, DESTRUCTIVE, AND HOSTILE,
NT IMPULSIVE
2. ANAL RETENTIVE PERSONALITY
PEOPLE ARE MESSY AND CARELESS
• DO NOT SHOW GREAT DEAL OF SELF-
CONTROL
 FREUD’S STAGES OF
PSYCHOSEXUAL
DEVELOPMENT
PHALLIC STAGE
• 3 TO 6 YEARS OF AGE
• CHILD DISCOVERS SEXUAL
FEELINGS
• CASTRATION FEAR
• PENIS ENVY
• OEDIPUS COMPLEX AND ELECTRA
COMPLEX
• CHILD DEVELOPS SEXUAL
ATTRACTION TO OPPOSITE-SEX
PARENT
• JEALOUSY OF THE SAME-SEX
PARENT
FREUD’S STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL
DEVELOPMENT
PHALLIC STAGE
JEALOUSY OF THE SAME-SEX PARENT
TO DECREASE ANXIETY: IDENTIFICATION IS A DEFENSE MECHANISM
IN WHICH PERSON TRIES TO BECOME LIKE SOMEONE ELSE.
CHILD IDENTIFIES WITH SAME SEX
PARENT HAVE TO DEAL WITH ANXIETY
FIXATION LEADS TO IMMATURE SEXUAL ATTITUDES AS AN ADULT. “
MAMA’S BOYS” AND SEXUAL PROBLEMS.
FREUD’S STAGES OF
PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT

LATENCY
AGE 6 TO PUBERTY
SEXUAL FEELINGS OF THE
CHILD ARE REPRESSED
CHILD GROWS SOCIALLY,
INTELLECTUALLY, PHYSICALLY
ATTRACTION TO PEER GROUP
FIXATION LEADS TO ACADEMIC
PROBLEMS
FIVE PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES OF
PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
GENITAL
PUBERTY
SEXUAL FEELINGS REAWAKEN
PARENTS ARE NO LONGER TARGET OF ATTRACTION BUT MAY BE
OTHER ADOLESCENTS OR MOVIE STAR…ECT.
ATTRACTION TO THE OPPOSITE SEX
FIND SATISFACTION IN LOVE AND WORK WITH OTHERS
FIXATIONS LEADS TO IMMATURE LOVE, LACK OF SATISFACTION IN
WORK
BEHAVIORISM AND PERSONALITY
Neo-Freudians

PERSONALITY AS A SET OF LEARNED RESPONSES OR HABITS

• HABITS
• WELL-LEARNED, AUTOMATIC RESPONSES
• SOCIAL COGNITIVE LEARNING THEORISTS
• EMPHASIS ON ROLE OF MODELING IN SHAPING ONE’S BEHAVIOR
HUMANISM AND
PERSONALITY

CARL ROGER AND

MASLOW
FOCUSES ON ASPECTS
OF PERSONALITY THAT
MAKE PEOPLE
UNIQUELY HUMAN
SUBJECTIVE FEELINGS,
FREEDOM TO CHOOSE
ONE’S OWN DESTINY
 ROGERS THEORY OF
PERSONALITY
WHO AM I?
HUMANS STRIVE TO REACH UNIQUE POTENTIAL
SELF-CONCEPT IS TOOL FOR SELF-
ACTUALIZATION
COMPONENTS OF SELF-CONCEPT
REAL SELF
ACTUAL PERCEPTION OF CHARACTERISTICS,
TRAITS, ABILITIES
FORMS BASIS OF STRIVING FOR SELF-
ACTUALIZATION
IDEAL SELF
PERCEPTION OF WHAT ONE SHOULD OR WOULD
LIKE TO BE
ROGERS THEORY OF PERSONALITY
POSITIVE REGARD
WARMTH, AFFECTION, LOVE, RESPECT
COMES FROM SIGNIFICANT OTHERS IN ONE’S LIFE
UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD – ACCEPTING PEOPLE AS THEY ARE, INSTEAD AS I
WANTED THEM TO BE
REGARD GIVEN WITHOUT CONDITIONS OR STRINGS ATTACHED
CONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD
GIVEN ONLY WHEN DOING WHAT PROVIDERS OF POSITIVE REGARD WISH

TO BE FULLY FUNCTIONING PERSON , A PERSON NEEDS UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD

 ROGERS THEORY OF
PERSONALITY
POSITIVE REGARD
WARMTH, AFFECTION, LOVE, RESPECT
COMES FROM SIGNIFICANT OTHERS IN ONE’S LIFE
UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD – ACCEPTING
PEOPLE AS THEY ARE, INSTEAD AS I WANTED THEM TO
BE
REGARD GIVEN WITHOUT CONDITIONS OR STRINGS
ATTACHED
CONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD
PERSON IS VALUED AND LOVED ONLY WHEN BEHAVES
IN A WAY ACCEPTABLE TO OTHERS

TO BE FULLY FUNCTIONING PERSON , A PERSON NEEDS

TRAITS THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
DESCRIBE CHARACTERISTICS THAT MAKE UP HUMAN PERSONALITY
ATTEMPT TO PREDICT FUTURE BEHAVIOR
FIVE BASIC CORE TRAIT DIMENSIONS:
OPENNESS
WILLINGNESS TO TRY NEW THINGS, OPEN TO NEW EXPERIENCES
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
ORGANIZATION, THOUGHTFULNESS OF OTHERS; DEPENDABILITY
TRAITS THEORIES OF PERSONALITY

Extraversion
Refers to need to be with other people
Extraverts
Outgoing and sociable
Introverts
Prefer solitude, dislike being the center of attention
Agreeableness
Easygoing, friendly, pleasant, get along well with others.
Neuroticism
Excessive worries, anxiety
TRAITS THEORIES OF PERSONALITY

Interviews
Projective test
Behavioral assessment
Personalities inventories
INTERVIEW
Professional asks questions of the client and client
answers
May be a structured or unstructured fashion

Ask people about themselves

Obtain information that reveals personality

Problems with interviews

Can be biased and prejudiced
Halo effect
Interviewer is affected by first impression and
subsequent interviews are influenced by this. It
may be positive or negative
 PROJECTIVE TEST
• PROJECTS UNCONSCIOUS CONCERNS AND
FEARS ONTO AMBIGUOUS VISUAL
STIMULI; ASK CLIENT TO DESCRIBE
PICTURE WHICH IS DELIBERATELY DRAWN
IN AMBIGUOUS SITUATION OR COMPLETE
SENTENCES LIKE” I WISH MY
MOTHER……”
• TESTS ARE COMMONLY USED AS A
DIAGNOSTIC TOOL
PROBLEM
• TEST INTERPRETATION CAN BE VERY
BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT
DIRECT OBSERVATION
• PROFESSIONAL OBSERVES CLIENT ENGAGED IN DAY-TO-DAY BEHAVIOR
RATING SCALE
• NUMERICAL VALUE IS ASSIGNED TO SPECIFIC BEHAVIOR LISTED IN THE SCALE
PROBLEMS
• OBSERVER EFFECT; WHEN A PERSON BEHAVIOR IS AFFECTED BY BEING WATCHED
• OBSERVER BIAS: CAN BE CONTROLLED BY MULTIPLE OBSERVER
 PERSONALITIES
INVENTORIES
PAPER AND PENCIL OR
COMPUTERIZED TEST
CONSISTS OF STATEMENTS
REQUIRING SPECIFIC
STANDARDIZED RESPONSES
MMPI-2: MINNESOTA
MULTIPHASE PERSONALITY
INVENTORIES VERSION II.
MEASURES SOME TRAITS LIKE
INTROVERSION & EXTRAVERSION
DIMENSION, AND
PERSONALITIES INVENTORIES
ADVANTAGE
STANDARDIZED: EVERYONE GOES THROUGH THE SAME QUESTIONS AND THE
ANSWERS ARE SCORED IN THE SAME WAY
OBSERVER BIAS ARE NOT POSSIBLE
NO BIAS IN INTERPRETATION

PROBLEMS WITH PERSONALITY INVENTORIES:

PEOPLE CAN FAKE THEIR ANSWER AS IT IS A SELF –REPORT MEASURE.
MAY FEEL TIRED TO RESPOND TO ALL STATEMENTS AND MAY START PICKING UP
ANSWER RANDOMLY