PSYB30H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Wilhelm Wundt, Sophia (Wisdom), Sigmund Freud

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Personality is hard to define and is a reflection of the statement who am i? . Personality comes from the latin word personae, which means the masks that greek. In common speech the term personality refers to someone"s public image actors used in plays. Theory comes from the greek word thoeria which is the act of viewing, contemplating or thinking about something. A theory is a set of abstract concepts developed about a group of facts or events that explain them. Personality then is a system of beliefs that helps us understand human nature. The question of what is personality was addressed in the early philosophies of aristotle and plato. Wilhelm wundt established the first psychological laboratory and combined careful measurement with introspective observation (self examination) to understand the basic elements and structure of conscious mind. Wundt was successful in establishing a systematic method of study based on the experimental method.