Personality and Self-Concept

What is
Personality
?

Those inner psychological

characteristics that both
determine and reflect the
tendencies that motivate a
persons behaviour over time.
Schiffman et al (2001: 122)

The sum total of ways in

which an individual reacts and
interacts with others.
Robbins (2001: 92)

THE NATURE OF
PERSONALITY

Personality reflects individual differences

Personality is consistent and enduring
But personality can change

SOME THEORIES OF
PERSONALITY
Freudian Theory
Unconscious needs or drives are at the
heart of human motivation

Neo-Freudian theory - e.g. C.G. Jung

Social relationships are fundamental to the
formation and development of personality

Trait Theory
Quantitative approach to personality as a
set of psychological traits

Freudian
Psychoanalytic
Theory

unconscious needs and

drives, especially biological
drives such as sex, thirst and
hunger, are the bases of
human motivation and
personality

THEORIES OF

PERSONALIT
Y

Sigmund Freud

...a distinctive and relatively

stable pattern of behavior,
thoughts, motives, and emotions
that characterizes an individual.
Alfred Adler

Carl Jung

Carl Rogers

Jung and Adler were Neo-Freudians, who

used some Freudian ideas but developed
many ideas of their own...
Rogers was a Humanistic theorist
with a completely different approach.

FREUDS
PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY

Three Main Components

Thoughts and behavior are guided mainly by the

unconscious part of the mind.

Sexual motivation plays a central role in everyday life.

Concept of infantile sexuality: erotic experiences in

infancy and early childhood shape personality in
adulthood.

FREUD & PERSONALITY

DEVELOPMENT

personality
personality forms
forms during
during the
the first
first few
few years
years of
of life,
life,
rooted
rooted in
in unresolved
unresolved conflicts
conflicts of
of early
early childhood
childhood
PsychosexualStages
Oral(018mos)centeredonthemouth
Anal(1836mos)focusonbowel/bladderelim.
Phallic(36yrs)focusongenitals/OedipusComplex
(Identification&GenderIdentity)
Latency(6puberty)sexualityisdormant
Genital(pubertyon)sexualfeelingstowardothers

Strong conflict can fixate an individual at Stages 1,2 or 3

FREUDS
PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY

Three Levels of the Mind

Conscious: everything we are aware of at the

moment; just the tip of the iceberg.

Preconscious: memories that we can bring to

consciousness.

Unconscious: memories, wishes, and instincts

(desires) that are too threatening or painful to bring to
consciousness.

Freud said that personality is divided into 3 parts,

ID, EGO, and SUPEREGO. They are always in
conflict but most of the time the conflict is
unconscious.

THE ID
Contains life instincts (sex, hunger, thirst, etc.) and
death instincts (aggressive, destructive tendencies).
Libido: sexual energy that fuels the entire
personality; needed for everyday life.
Pleasure Principle: seeks immediate gratification of
impulses regardless of consequences.
Pleasure = reduction in tension. Tension increases if
we dont release energy from impulses.

Everything in the id is unconscious (intensity of

desires, goals that would give the most satisfaction).

THE EGO

Logical, rational.

Executive of personality: determines where, when, and

how impulses are expressed.

Goal: to satisfy the id in ways that are socially and

morally acceptable. This requires use of the...

Reality Principle: tendency to delay gratification of

impulses until they can be expressed in socially and
morally acceptable ways.

The ego is part conscious and part unconscious.

The unconscious part distorts our perceptions of
reality (including ourselves).

THE SUPEREGO

Contains moral values; not rational; doesnt care about

consequences (like id).

Consists of two parts:

Conscience: memories of behaviors that have been
punished; if we repeat these actions, we feel guilty.
Ego Ideal: memories of behaviors for which we have been
praised or rewarded; repeating them gives us feelings of
pride.

The superego is part conscious and part

unconscious; if we feel guilty and dont know
why, its caused by the unconscious part.

FREUDIAN THEORY
Id

Warehouse of primitive or instinctual needs for which

individual seeks immediate satisfaction

Superego

Individuals internal expression of societys moral and

ethical codes of conduct

Ego

Individuals conscious control that balances the demands

of the id and superego

THE UNCONSCIOUS
the
the mind
mind isis like
like an
an iceburg
iceburg -- mostly
mostly hidden
hidden
Conscious Awareness
small part above surface
(Preconscious)

Unconscious
below the surface
(thoughts, feelings,
wishes, memories)
Repression
banishing unacceptable
thoughts & passions to
unconscious
Dreams

FREUD & PERSONALITY

STRUCTURE

Personality arises from conflict between agressive,

pleasure-seeking impulses and social restraints
Satisfaction
without the guilt?

Super
Ego

Ego

Id
Woody Allen

SELF-IMAGES
Actual SelfImage

Ideal Self-Image

Ideal Social
Self-Image

Social Self-Image

Expected
Self-Image

SELF- AND SELF -IMAGE

Multiple visions of self
1. actual self
2. ideal self - how I like to see me
3. social self - how I think others see me
4. ideal social self - how I would like others to see me
5. expected self - how I would like to see myself later

EXTENDED SELF
Modification or changing of the self by
which consumers use self-altering
products or services to conform to or
take on the appearance of a particular
types of person (e.g., a physician, a
lawyer, a University Student, a young
man - hair dye).

WAYS POSSESSIONS CAN

EXTEND THE SELF
Actually
Symbolically
By Conferring Status
By Bestowing Feelings of
Immortality
By Endowing With Magical
Powers