Unit 5:

Personalit
y and
Individuali
ty

Two-Factor Theory of
Intelligence
Charles Spearman (1904)
Two Factors of Intelligence:
1. G (General Intelligence) - Problem Solving
2. S (Specific Intelligence) - Mental Skills

Thurstones Theory of
Intelligence
L.L. Thurstone (1938)
7 Mental Abilities:
1. Verbal Comprehension
2. Numerical Ability
3. Spatial Relations
4. Perceptual Speed
5. Word Fluency
6. Memory

Theory of Multiple
Intelligences
Howard Gardner (1983 & 1999) - Most widely recognized intelligence theory

Sternbergs Theory of
Intelligence
Robert Sternberg (1985)
Three-part Theory
1. Analytical
2. Creative
3. Practical

Emotional Intelligence
Related to Gardners Interpersonal and Intrapersonal intelligence.
4 Parts:
1. The ability to perceive and express emotions accurately and appropriately
2. The ability to use emotions while thinking
3. The ability to use emotions and use the knowledge effectively
4. The ability to regulate ones emotions to promote personal growth

Psychological Testing
Reliability: Test consistency (test is the same every time taken)
Validity: The ability to test what is intended to be tested
- Reliable tests are not always valid
Standardization: Tests administered under common conditions to find a
norm.
Are standardized test a good way to find an educational norm?

Objective Personality Tests

These tests are generally simple and offer pre-selected answers
Example of Objective Tests:
MMPI: Looks for major patterns in personality and emotional disorders.
CPI: Measures responsibility, self-control, and tolerance.
Myers-Briggs: Measures information intake, makes decisions, and approaches
day-to-day tasks.

Projective Personality Tests

Projective tests allow test takers to answer freely, allowing for various
interpretations.
Examples of Projective Tests:
Rorschach Test: Inkblot test in which responses are analyzed to identify
personality disorders.
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT): Written responses to images to test
motivation and strength of personal characteristics

Rorschach Test
Administered to investigate the mental stability of subjects; compared to a
norm
Issues with validity (subjective interpretation of blots and analysis)
- Exner Scoring System (adds structural validity)
Issues with Reliability (Details of how the test is administered, tone of
administrator, comfort of test taker, etc.)

Psychoanalytic Theories
Sigmund Freud: Structural Concepts of Personality *
Carl Jung: Archetypes*
Alfred Adler: Inferiority Complex*
Erich Fromm: Belonging
Karen Horney: Basic Anxiety
Erik Erikson: Stages of Development

Structural Concepts of
Personality
Freud
- Id, Ego, and Superego
- Id = Pleasure Principle
- Ego = Reality Principle
- Superego = Moral Principle

- Defense Mechanism: Distortion of reality when desires cannot be met

-

Rationalization

Repression

Denial

Archetypes
Carl Jung (1875-1961)
Archetypes: Common experiences of humanity that are consciously and
unconsciously understood
- Example: Jack and the Beanstalk/David and Goliath
- What do these stories have in common?
- Small, perceived weak men defeating a big, strong man, underdog, good vs. bad,
etc.

Inferiority Complex
Alfred Adler (1870-1937)
Inferiority Complex: Avoiding feelings of inadequacy instead of overcoming or
resolving the source of the feelings.
- Lifestyle: How children deal with their inadequacies helps to shape their
personality
- Example: Neglected children often are angry adults who lack confidence in their abilities
to meet the demands in their life.

Learning Theories
B. F. Skinner: Behaviorism
Albert Bandura: Social Cognitive Theory

Behaviorism
B. F. Skinner
Behaviorism: Idea that proper psychology is only observable
Contingencies of Reinforcement: Studying the rewards that shape individuals
behavior

Social Cognitive Theory

Albert Bandura and Richard Walters
Observational Learning: Personality is not only acquired through direct
reward, it is also acquired through imitation.
Reciprocal Determinism: Relationship between the individual, their behavior,
and their environment
Self-Efficacy: Our view of perceived success
- Outcome Expectation: Changing ideas of success as outcomes unfold

Cognitive Theories
Abraham Maslow: Theory of Self Actualization
Carl Rogers: Self Theory

Theory of Self-Actualization
Abraham Maslow
Traits of a Self-Actualized person:
-

Realistically oriented

Accept themselves, others, and the natural world for what they are

Spontaneous

Problem-centered not self-centered

Need privacy

Autonomous and independent

Authentic appreciation for people and things

Emotionally intimate relationships that are authentic

Self Theory
Carl Rogers
Conflict between what people value in themselves and what they believe
others value in them
Self: Ones image of themselves developed through experiences and
interactions with others
Positive and Negative Regard: How one views themselves based on feedback
from others (unconditional Positive Regard)
Conditions of Worth: Conditions a person must meet to view themselves
positively

Trait Theories
Trait: A tendency to react to a situation in a certain in a way that is constant
over time
Gordon Allport: Identifying Traits
Raymond Cattell: Sixteen Trait Theory
Hans Eysenck: Dimensions of Personality
The Robust Five

Identifying Traits
Gordon Allport (1897-1967)
Clustered 18,000 terms that defined personality traits
Common Traits - Apply to everyone
Individual Traits - Apply to individuals
Cardinal Trait - Strong, identifying trait of an individual

Sixteen Trait Theory

Raymond Cattell (1905-1998)
Surface Traits: 46 traits that make up perceived personality
Source Traits: 46 surface traits clustered into 16 Source Traits

16 Source Traits

Dimensions of Personality
Hans Eysenck
1st Dimension: Stability vs. Instability
2nd Dimension: Extraversion vs. Introversion
3rd Dimension: Psychoticism
- Self-centered, hostile, aggressive --------- empathetic, caring, sensitive

Eysenck Personality Table

The Big Five

Extraversion: Warmth & Talkativeness ----- Quiet & Reserved
Agreeableness: Kind & Trusting ----- Cruel & Non Trusting
Conscientiousness: Dutiful & Dedicated ----- Apathetic & Disinterested
Openness to Experience: Open-minded & Creative ----- Reluctant & Skeptical
Emotional Stability: Mild emotional responses ----- Neuroticism (Frequent,
unpleasant emotions)