PSY 402 Chapter 10: Chapter 10 - Personality
13 Dec 2011
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Document Summary
Personality - from greek word persona, meaning mask. Biological perspective: personality is composed of traits which people are born with and remain stable and consistent. Psychodynamic: personality is dynamic, can change, largely unconscious. Cognitive: personality determined by the way one thinks about himself. Sociocultural: personality does not exist, people are different because of their experiences. Traits cluster together: many words can be used to describe traits, clustered together into synonymous groups. Type: broader theory that consists of traits (ex: horoscopes) Some theorists believed that one was born into specific body types that determined your traits. Kretschmer divided personality into three main body types: asthenic (thin, small, weak), athletic (muscular, large-boned), and pyknic (stocky, fat). Believed that even though body shape changes, personality does not. Example: a pyknic person may lose weight on a diet, but their personality will remain the same. They also have a tendency to return to that body type.
