that which cannot be seen, touched or directly measured lecture 19 4/26/04

That which cannot be seen, touched or directly

measured

Lecture 194/26/04

How do we get to know a person?How do we get to know a person?

• How accurate are our impressions?

How much do you agree?How much do you agree?

1: Disagree strongly; 4; neutral; 7: Agree strongly1: Disagree strongly; 4; neutral; 7: Agree strongly

1. _____ Extraverted, enthusiastic.1. _____ Extraverted, enthusiastic.2. _____ Critical, quarrelsome.2. _____ Critical, quarrelsome.3. _____ Dependable, self-disciplined.3. _____ Dependable, self-disciplined.4. _____ Anxious, easily upset.4. _____ Anxious, easily upset.5. _____ Open to new experiences, complex.5. _____ Open to new experiences, complex.6. _____ Reserved, quiet.6. _____ Reserved, quiet.7. _____ Sympathetic, warm.7. _____ Sympathetic, warm.8. _____ Disorganized, careless.8. _____ Disorganized, careless.9. _____ Calm, emotionally stable.9. _____ Calm, emotionally stable.10. _____ Conventional, uncreative. 10. _____ Conventional, uncreative.

What would you want to know?What would you want to know?

Does your impression of me matter?Does your impression of me matter?

There is someone I want you to meet…There is someone I want you to meet…

Impression Formation Impression Formation (Kelley, 1950)(Kelley, 1950)

Intelligent, skillful, industrious, Intelligent, skillful, industrious, practical, determined, cautiouspractical, determined, cautious

• AND, “warm” person vs. “cold” personAND, “warm” person vs. “cold” person

20 minutes by guest lecturer20 minutes by guest lecturer

•Rate lecturerRate lecturer

Guest Lecturer Ratings Guest Lecturer Ratings (Kelley, (Kelley, 1950)1950)

AdjectiveAdjective ““WARM”WARM” ““COLD”COLD”

Self-centeredSelf-centered 6.36.3 9.69.6

IrritableIrritable 9.49.4 12.012.0

UnsociableUnsociable 5.65.6 10.410.4

UnpopularUnpopular 4.04.0 7.47.4

FormalFormal 6.36.3 9.69.6

HumorlessHumorless 8.38.3 11.711.7

Behavioral ImplicationsBehavioral Implications

Friendlier interactionsFriendlier interactions

Laughed more at jokesLaughed more at jokes

Asked more questionsAsked more questions

PersonalityPersonality Approaches to PersonalityApproaches to Personality

• PsychoanalysisPsychoanalysis• The Humanistic ApproachThe Humanistic Approach• The Trait ApproachThe Trait Approach

Assessing PersonalityAssessing Personality• Projective testsProjective tests• Self-reportSelf-report

““You are so anal retentive: why must You are so anal retentive: why must you line up all my things, I like them you line up all my things, I like them scattered”scattered”

Psychoanalysis:Psychoanalysis:

Motives are unconscious Personality

arises from efforts to

resolve conflicts

Psychological not physiological Psychological not physiological cause?cause?

Free Association: “relax, Free Association: “relax, whatever comes to mind”whatever comes to mind”

Unconscious Unconscious sexual and sexual and aggressive urges aggressive urges find acceptable find acceptable forms of forms of expression.expression.

The Structure of PersonalityThe Structure of Personality

Structure: Re-capStructure: Re-cap

IdId: : • Pleasure principlePleasure principle • Primitive and unconscious, hidden from Primitive and unconscious, hidden from

viewview• Contains basic drivesContains basic drives

EgoEgo: : • Reality principleReality principle• Mediates conflict between id and Mediates conflict between id and

superegosuperego SuperegoSuperego: :

• Moral ideals and conscienceMoral ideals and conscience

Personality formed early: Personality formed early: unresolved conflicts from childhoodunresolved conflicts from childhood

Psychosexual StagesPsychosexual Stages• Pleasure is derived from different parts of Pleasure is derived from different parts of

the bodythe body• OralOral (first year of life) (first year of life)• Anal Anal (ages 2-3)(ages 2-3)• PhallicPhallic (ages 4-6) (ages 4-6)

Oedipus complexOedipus complex and and identificationidentification

• LatencyLatency period (ages 7-12) period (ages 7-12)• GenitalGenital (starting at puberty) (starting at puberty)

The Dynamics of PersonalityThe Dynamics of Personality Anxiety results from conflict between id & Anxiety results from conflict between id &

superego superego Ego uses Ego uses defense mechanismsdefense mechanisms which which deny and deny and

distort realitydistort reality• Repression (forgetting)Repression (forgetting)• Denial (ignoring)Denial (ignoring)• Projection (attributing to others)Projection (attributing to others)• Reaction Formation (converting to its opposite)Reaction Formation (converting to its opposite)• Rationalization (making excuses)Rationalization (making excuses)• Sublimation (channeling into acceptable outlets)Sublimation (channeling into acceptable outlets)

How to access the unconscious?How to access the unconscious?

No more unconscious!No more unconscious! Where’s the evidence?Where’s the evidence?

Why so bleak?Why so bleak? What about the unique human What about the unique human

condition?condition?

The Humanistic ApproachThe Humanistic Approach

Focuses on the self, subjective Focuses on the self, subjective experience, & capacity for fulfillmentexperience, & capacity for fulfillment People are inherently GOODPeople are inherently GOOD

I love you IF…

Love the sinner, hate

the sin

Carl Rogers’ Personality Theory Carl Rogers’ Personality Theory

BUT:BUT:

• And, people experience different conflicts, situations, parental treatment…

• No more explanation, what about description!

Describe a friend…Describe a friend…

Unconscious conflicts?Unconscious conflicts? How he/she was raised?How he/she was raised?

How can we talk about personality in How can we talk about personality in describing behavior?describing behavior?

The Trait ApproachThe Trait Approach Relatively stable predispositions to Relatively stable predispositions to behave in certain waysbehave in certain ways

18,000 traits!18,000 traits!•FA…FA…

OO

CC

EE

AA

NN

Big FiveBig Five personality dimensions personality dimensions OCEANOCEAN

OOpenness to Experience penness to Experience intellect, imagination, curiosity, creativityintellect, imagination, curiosity, creativity

CConscientiousnessonscientiousnessorder, duty, deliberation, self-disciplineorder, duty, deliberation, self-discipline  

EExtraversionxtraversionsociability, assertiveness, activity, positive emotionssociability, assertiveness, activity, positive emotions

AAgreeablenessgreeablenesstrust, nurturance, kindness, cooperationtrust, nurturance, kindness, cooperation

NNeuroticismeuroticismanxiety, depression, moodiness,vulnerability to stressanxiety, depression, moodiness,vulnerability to stress

HOW? L.I.S.THOW? L.I.S.T

1.1. See how their life is goingSee how their life is going Concrete life outcomes (arrested, employed, Concrete life outcomes (arrested, employed,

hospitalized)hospitalized)

2.2. Ask acquaintances for opinionsAsk acquaintances for opinions Friends, roommates, familyFriends, roommates, family

3.3. Ask the person directlyAsk the person directly Self-report questionnaires Self-report questionnaires

4.4. Watch directlyWatch directly Testing situation, classroom, home, Testing situation, classroom, home,

experimentexperiment

For example…For example…

Accuracy: how easily are we Accuracy: how easily are we judged ?judged ?

-0.2-0.1

00.10.20.30.40.50.60.70.8

E A C N O

FoodphotosBedroomsmusic websites

But, doesn’t it depend on the But, doesn’t it depend on the situation?situation?

Situationist ArgumentSituationist Argument

Personality tests don’t predict behavior well Personality tests don’t predict behavior well

(e.g., honesty (e.g., honesty cheating; conscientiousness cheating; conscientiousness on on time)time); r < .30 ; r < .30 “personality coefficient”“personality coefficient”

Situations are more important than Situations are more important than personality traits in determining behavior personality traits in determining behavior (e.g., weddings and funerals)(e.g., weddings and funerals)

Therefore, personality assessment is a Therefore, personality assessment is a waste of time; “getting to know a person” waste of time; “getting to know a person” doesn’t make sense; doesn’t make sense; personality is a personality is a cognitive illusion on the perceiver’s sidecognitive illusion on the perceiver’s side

Biological Roots of Biological Roots of Personality: 40-50% geneticPersonality: 40-50% genetic