Psych11 General Psychology: handout#2

Theories of Personality and the Filipino Character

In this schematic illustration of the psyche to an iceberg, only

the smaller conscious portion is visible. It contains everything of
which we are aware at any given time, and contains only part of the
psychological life. For Freud, the conscious mind is unimportant.
The personal unconscious constitutes the powerful drives
that stay totally outside of awareness, but are responsible for all
important human behavior. It is the repository of motives, wishes,
impulses, conflicts, desires, and processes.
The preconscious lies between the conscious and
unconscious. It contains thoughts, perceptions, and memories that
have minimal and emotional significance. It stores anything that can
easily be made the focus of attention. For example, you may ask,
When is your mothers birthday?

PERSONALITY is universally defined as the overall, stable and

distinctive patterns of behavior in responding to people and
environment.
DIFFERENT PERSONALITY THEORIES
DEFINITIONS of PERSONALITY

and

the

VARYING

SIGMUND FREUD: Classical Psychoanalysis

(German, Sigismolo Froit)
Personality is a closed energy system comprised of three (3)
internal psychological subsystems (Id, ego, and superego). It
has instinctual origins and operates at a largely unconscious level.

The Three (3) Internal Psychological Subsystems:

Id the biological; seeks immediate gratification, and operates

according to the pleasure principle of seeking pleasure and avoiding
pain.
Ego the psychological; seeks safety and compromise, and
operates according to the reality principle of knowing what is true
and false.
Superego the sociocultural; seeks perfection, and operates
according to the morality principle, representing what is right and
wrong.
Pre-genital Personality Types under the Five (5) Psychological
Stages:
Oral-Receptive
Oral-Aggressive
Anal-Retentive
Anal-Expulsive
Narcissistic
Mature personality results only after psychological issues of boyhood
castration anxiety and girlhood penis envy are resolved through
proper identification with the same-sex parent.
Such introjections also resolve the Oedipus and Electra Complex
thereby fostering successful development of a superego.

3. The Shadow unconscious part of the ego; receptacle for that

which we want to forget, disown, or wish to remain out of sight, or
those we would rather not see in ourselves.
4. The Anima/Animus Anima is sum of beliefs and feelings of a
man with regards to women (and vice versa for Animus).
5. The Self simply the totality of the entire psyche.

Mature genital personality controls uncontrollable sexual urges and

convert them into healthy desires of love and work.
*Assignment 3.1*
Research at least 10 of the many Ego-Defense Mechanisms
according to Sigmund Freud. Write on sheet of Yellow Paper.

ALFRED ADLER: Individual Psychology

CARL JUNG: Analytical Psychology

Every person is the self-creative artist of his or her own

personality, constructed between the ages of 3 and 5.

Personality is a life-long process of self-realization.

He believes in the collective unconscious, as opposed to
Freuds personal unconscious. The collective unconscious contains
archaic patterns of behavior called archetypes that are genetically
transmitted. We separate from the collective and become unique

To be human is to feel a constant sense of inferiority, thus

we compensate by striving for superiority or perfection.

Two (2) Types of Personality according to Complexes:

psychological individuals.

1. Inferiority Complex a more exaggerated form of personal

weakness than average.
2. Superiority Complex an exaggerated from of overcompensation, or the excessive craving for perfection.

Personality types are a persons habitual attitude or characteristic

way.

Two (2) Personality Types (according to Jung):

Both complexes arouse from social interest, the need to follow

norms of a civilized society. This social interest must be nurtured by
parents via encouragement of active cooperation starting from
within the family. Otherwise, a person may be unable to meet the
three (3) unavoidable tasks of life: society, work, and love.

1. Extravert outward psychic energy

2. Introvert inward psychic energy

Four (4) Major Psychological Functions:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Sensing
Thinking
Feeling
Intuiting

Adlers Birth Order Theory:

Only Child Always the center of attention; never dethroned;
spoiled and self-centered; finds it difficult to share or compromise;
very mature intellectually.
First Born Responsible for younger siblings; takes on the role of
a surrogate parent; leaders; overachievers; sets example for
younger siblings; authoritarian or bossy; very responsible and
helpful.
Second Born Independent and competitive, especially with the
oldest sibling; often initiates sibling rivalry as they struggle to be

The Different Personality Archetypes:

1. The Persona the identity we hold and present to the outside
world; career role; as mother father son; political identity, etc.
2. The Ego center of consciousness; conscious self; the
distinguishing factor between the self and others.

Human awareness is an important concept as it plays a role

in on-going processes of self-evaluation and social comparison.

identified in the family; rebels if they are not getting equal treatment
with that of the first born; very expressive and creative.
Middle Child Independent but good-natured; does not seek the
spotlight; feels forgotten but can deal with it; middle-child
syndrome develops; very good social skills.
Last Born Spoiled; never dethroned; what they want, they get;
irresponsible; rule breakers; very charming and adventurous.

Other Determinants of Behavior:

1. Behavior is based on the past (antecedents).

2. It is influenced by its results (consequences).
3. It is dependent on how we are motivated (cognitive
factor).

JOHN B. WATSON: Behaviorism

Self-efficacy is a persons view of what he is capable of doing.

People with high-perceived efficacy tend to try more, work more,
persist longer, and are less anxious than those with low-perceived
self-efficacy.

Personality is the end-product of our habit systems; the sum of

activities that can be discovered by actual observation of behavior
over a long enough period of time to give reliable information.

Habits are learned behaviors that are practiced regularly and

require little voluntary control. It originates from a few innate
reflexes and the three (3) primitive emotional responses (love, rage,
and fear).

ABRAHAM MASLOW: Self-actualization

The personality syndrome is a structured, organized complex of
apparently diverse specificities (behavior, thoughts, impulses,
perceptions, etc.) having a common unity

Watson considers the environment as the most important

factor to influence personality. He guaranteed that he can turn a
healthy infant into any type of specialist he might select.

Maslow has set up a hierarchy of five levels of basic needs.

Beyond these needs, higher levels of needs exist. These include
needs for understanding, esthetic appreciation and purely spiritual
needs. In the levels of the five basic needs, the person does not feel
the second need until the demands of the first have been satisfied
or the third until the second has been satisfied, and so on. Maslow's
basic needs are as follows:

Individual differences are not significant to him. At birth,

what differs is due only to structural and chemical variations. Thus,
Watson is more concerned with what is similar among people,
referring to it as our universal inborn behaviors.
ALBERT BANDURA: Social Learning
His view on personality development: An individual is born with only
reflexes and genetically influenced behavior potentialities.
Actualized behaviors must be learned through reinforcement and
modeling.
Behavior is learned through observations, even without prior
reinforcement. Observational learning through modeling is central
to this process. Models show how a behavior is done, and the
benefits that accrue from it, by performing it.

Physiological Needs
These are biological needs. They consist of needs for
oxygen, food, water, and a relatively constant body
temperature. They are the strongest needs because if a
person were deprived of all needs, the physiological ones
would come first in the person's search for satisfaction.
Safety Needs
These are security needs. Adults have little awareness of
their security needs except in times of emergency or periods
of disorganization in the social structure (such as widespread

rioting). Children often display the signs of insecurity and the

need to be safe.
Needs of Love, Affection and Belongingness
Maslow states that people seek to overcome feelings of
loneliness and alienation. This involves both giving and
receiving love, affection and the sense of belonging.
Needs for Esteem
These involve needs for both self-esteem and for the esteem
a person gets from others. Humans have a need for a stable,
firmly based, high level of self-respect, and respect from
others. When these needs are satisfied, the person feels selfconfident and valuable as a person in the world. When these
needs are frustrated, the person feels inferior, weak, helpless
and worthless.

musician must make music, an artist must paint, and a poet

must write." These needs make themselves felt in signs of
restlessness. If a person is hungry, unsafe, not loved or
accepted, or lacking self-esteem, it is very easy to know what
the person is restless about.
THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

The Filipino Characters Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:
1. Pakikipag kapwa-tao
a. Pakikiramay and bayanihan (in times of great need)
b. Being hospitable to both Filipinos and foreigners
2. Family Orientation
a. Closely-knit family ties demonstrating deep love for
every member
3. Joy and Humor
a. An important coping mechanism that adds to the
Filipino charm and keeps our spirit going
b. Thus Filipinos have the strung capacity to survive and
are emotionally balanced.
4. Flexibility, Adaptability, and Creativity
a. Our great capacity to adjust and to adapt to
circumstances and any eventualities that come our
way.
b. We produce something from indigenous or any
material as a source of income
5. Hard work and Industry
a. Desire to improve ones standard of living and to live
a decent life
6. Faith and Religiosity
a. Deep faith in God and Allah
7. Ability to Survive
a. We are capable of surviving all the hardest and
saddest times.

Needs for Self-Actualization

Maslow describes self-actualization as a person's need to
be and do that which the person was "born to do." "A

Weaknesses
1. Extreme Personalism
a. Filipinos have a personalitic world view. It means that
there is no separation between and objective task
and emotional involvement. As such, they are
incapable of dealing with impersonal activities, such
as rules and regulations and standard operating
procedures.
b. Kamag-anak, friends, compadre, and other
connections are given more emphasis on the delivery
of the work or service.
c. Nepotism, lagayan, cronyism, graft and corruption
2. Extreme Family Centeredness
a. We are excessively loyal to our families, forming
political dynasties or family factions, all against the
concern of the greater community.
3. Passivity and Lack of Initiative
a. We wait to be told what has to be done. We show
great reliance on the government or other leaders to
do things for us.
4. Colonial Mentality
a. Lack of patriotism or support and love of the
Philippines
b. Actual preference for things that are foreign
5. Kanya-kanya syndrome
a. Selfishness and other self-serving attitudes
generating envy and jealousy over those who have
and do more
b. Crab mentality: pulls one man down via tsismis,
intrigue, and destructive criticism.

5. The educational system (use of English language and use of

foreign books)
6. Religion (preoccupation with the departure of loved-ones)
7. The economic environment
8. The political environment
9. Mass media
10. Leadership and role models

Roots of the Filipino Character:

1.
2.
3.
4.

The home environment

The social environment
Culture and language (our use of English language)
History (which is colonial)