PSYC101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Natural Language, Waking Life, Libido
PSYC101: Introduction to Behavioural sciences !
Personality
Outcomes: !
-Describe the major theories of personality
-Be aware of the differing conception of the person that is inherent to these theories
-Note the way in which these differences are reflected in the differing approaches to clinical
practice and research.
Personality - def!
-A person’s individual characteristic patterns of behaviour, thoughts and emotions !
-The enduring patterns of of thoughts, feeling, motivation and behaviour that are expressed by
the individual in different circumstances!
-2 aims in personality psychology, to understand: !
•Structure of personality (enduring patterns) !
•Individual differences (differing charachteristics) !
Major approaches to personality !
-Psychoanalysis: importance of psychodynamic conflict (Freud, Jung, Adler)!
-Behaviourism and social learning theory: patterns of thinking and behaving!
-Humanism: importance of individual experience!
-Trait approach: classify human personality!
-Biological processes: evolution and genetics !
-Individual psychological Evolution !
•Personality as archaeological site !
•Personality evolves from formative childhood experiences !
•Development involves progression through psychosexual stages !
•E.g. Oral >18 months = dependency !
-Anal, 2-3 yrs = orderliness, cleanliness, control, compliance!
-Phallic, 4-6 yrs = identification w/ parents and others, oedipus complex (desire for sexual
involvement w/ parent of opposite sex + sense of rivalry w/ same sex parent),
establishment of conscience !
-Latency, 7-11 yrs = sublimation of sexual and aggressive impulses - converted into socially
acceptable activities !
-Genital,12+ yrs = mature sexuality + relationships !
-Biology and drives !
•Drive: internal state activates organism to engage in behaviour to reverse condition e.g.
hunger !
•Regulatory drives: survival (e.g. hunger, breathing, temperature regulation) !
•Homeostasis !
-Sex and Aggression **!
•Non-regulatory drives: no survival role (e.g. sex) !
•Schopenhauer 1788-1860 !
-Eros (life, sex) !
-Thanatos (death, aggression) !
•Sex and aggression are regulated by societal norms!
-> Conflicted Psyche **!
