PSY 181 Chapter Notes - Chapter 0: Anthropomorphism, Pro Forma, Four Causes

• School: University of Rochester
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 181
• Professor: C H R I S T O P H E R N I E M I E C

Document Summary

A framework for the study of personality: notes. Some psychologists believe that to speak of a personality is to reify (make real) something that does not exist. People do not have personalities, but rather simply behave in predictable ways. Other psychologists believe that the word habit implies a kind of automatic or mechanical pattern of behavior, whereas often a person is trying to present themselves to others with an aim in mind. These psychologists argue that what a person is really like doesn"t always come through in the way the person behaves openly. Motivation: when people seek interpersonal advantages in life, not always consciously. The reason that we do not admit unconscious motives is that for some reason we are ashamed of what they mean or imply about ourselves. The study of personality is concerned with the various styles of behavior that different organisms habitually reflect.