5. THE PSYCHOANALYTIC PERSPECTIVE
Psychoanalysis (Freud)
Theory: our actions are
due to unconscious
conflicts
Therapy: treating
psychological disorders
by uncovering and
interpreting unconscious
conflicts
6. THE PSYCHOANALYTIC PERSPECTIVE
Free Association
method of
exploring the
unconscious
person relaxes and
says whatever
comes to mind, no
matter how trivial
or embarrassing
7. THE PSYCHOANALYTIC PERSPECTIVE
Unconscious (Freud)
A reservoir of mostly unacceptable
thoughts, wishes, feelings and memories
Two main unconscious
instincts:
sex and aggression
Preconscious
information that is not conscious but is
retrievable into conscious awareness
9. PERSONALITY STRUCTURE
Ego Conscious mind Freud’s idea
Unconscious
mind
of the
Superego mind’s
Id
structure
10. PERSONALITY STRUCTURE
Id
unconscious
psychic energy
strives to satisfy
basic sexual and
aggressive instincts
operates on the
pleasure principle,
seeking immediate
gratification
12. PERSONALITY STRUCTURE
Ego
conscious part of
personality
mediates conflict
between id and
superego
operates on the
reality principle,
delays gratification
of id impulses
13. DEFENSE MECHANISMS
Defense Mechanisms
conflicts of id and superego
produce anxiety
defense mechanisms
reduce anxiety by distorting
reality
14. DEFENSE MECHANISMS: EXAMPLES
Regression
retreating to behavior
appropriate for an earlier
stage of development (e.g.,
temper tantrum)
Repression
pushing anxiety arousing
thoughts into the unconscious
(e.g., serious traumas like
rape)
15. DEFENSE MECHANISMS
Reaction Formation
expressing feelings that are the opposite of
their anxiety-arousing unconscious feelings
(e.g., Ban the filth! I hate homosexuals!)
16. DEFENSE MECHANISMS
Projection
disguising our own
impulses by
attributing them to
others (e.g., You
always start
arguments!)
Rationalization
making up an
untrue
justification to
ourselves for
doing something
(e.g., sour grapes)
17. DEFENSE MECHANISMS
Displacement
shifting sexual or aggressive
impulses toward a less threatening
object or person
(e.g., kicking the dog!)
Sublimation
rechanneling of unacceptable
impulses into socially approved
activities (e.g., a great artist who
paints nudes!)
18. ASSESSING THE UNCONSCIOUS
Projective Tests
used to assess personality (e.g.,
Rorschach or TAT tests)
How? provides ambiguous stimuli and
subject projects his or her motives
into the ambiguous stimuli
19. ASSESSING THE UNCONSCIOUS--TAT
Thematic
Apperception
Test (TAT)
people express
their inner
motives through
the stories they
make up about
ambiguous
scenes
20. ASSESSING THE UNCONSCIOUS --
RORSCHACH
Rorschach
Inkblot Test
the most widely
used projective
test
a set of 10
inkblots
designed by
Hermann
Rorschach
21. ASSESSING THE UNCONSCIOUS--
RORSCHACH
used to identify
people’s inner
feelings by
analyzing their
interpretations
of the blots
22. PERSONALIT Y TESTS
Good tests are reliable and valid
reliable: consistent, getting the same results each time the test is
administered
valid: measure what it is suppose to measure
23. CRITIQUE OF PSYCHOANALY TIC THEORY
(+) Can help us understand
ego defenses used by
everyone (and OK to
use if not overused)
(+) Alerts us to the
unconscious causes of
behavior
(-) Assessment is
subjective (TAT, Rorschach)
(-) Reliability and validity
of measurement are
problems
24. THE TRAIT THEORY
Trait
a characteristic pattern of behavior
usually assessed by self-report inventories
25. ASSESSING (MEASURING) TRAITS
Personality Inventory
a questionnaire (often with true-false
or agree-disagree items) designed to
assess traits
objective scoring -- a real plus!
26. ASSESSING TRAITS: AN EXAMPLE
Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory
(MMPI)
the most widely researched
and clinically used of all
personality tests
developed to identify
emotional disorders
27. MMPI: EXAMPLE OF ITEMS!
“Nothing in the
newspaper
interests me
except the
comics.”
“I get angry
sometimes.”
28. MMPI -- VALIDITY
Empirically Derived Test
1 . Select two groups of subjects
(e.g., clinically depressed vs normals)
2. give a large pool of questions to them
3. keep only those questions that
discriminate between groups
29. MMPI
Clinically
Hypochondriasis 1 significant
(concern with body symptoms) range
Depression 2
(pessimism, hopelessness)
Minnesota
Hysteria 3
(uses symptoms to solve problems)
After
treatment Multiphasic
(no scores
Psychopathic deviancy 4
in the clinically
significant range
Before
treatment
Personality
(disregard for social standards)
Masculinity/femininity 5
(interests like those of other sex)
(anxious,
depressed,
and
Inventory
Paranoia
(delusions, suspiciousness)
6 displaying
deviant (MMPI) test
profile
behaviors)
Psychasthenia 7
(anxious, guilt feelings)
8
Schizophrenia
(withdrawn, bizarre thoughts)
9
Hypomania
(overactive, excited, impulsive)
10
Social introversion
(shy, inhibited)
0 30 40 50 60 70 80
T-score
30. THE FIRST TRAIT THEORY
UNSTABLE
Moody
Two Factor Trait
Touchy
Anxious Restless
Rigid
Sober
Aggressive
Excitable Theory of
Pessimistic
Reserved
Changeable
Impulsive
Personality
Unsociable Optimistic
Quiet Active
melancholic choleric
INTROVERTED EXTRAVERTED
Passive phlegmatic sanguine
Sociable
Careful Outgoing
Thoughtful Talkative
Peaceful Responsive
Controlled Easygoing
Reliable Lively
Even-tempered Carefree
Calm Leadership
STABLE
31. THE “BIG FIVE” PERSONALITY
FACTORS
Trait Description
Emotional Stability Calm versus anxious
Secure versus insecure
Self-satisfied versus self-pitying
Extraversion Sociable versus retiring
Fun-loving versus sober
Affectionate versus reserved
Openness Imaginative versus practical
Preference for variety versus
preference for routine
Independent versus conforming
Agreeableness Soft-hearted versus ruthless
Trusting versus suspicious
Helpful versus uncooperative
Conscientiousness Organized versus disorganized
Careful versus careless
Disciplined versus impulsive
32. CRITIQUE OF TRAIT THEORY
(+) Can help us categorize and predict others’ behavior
(+) Can aid in self understanding
(+) Measurement of traits can be done objectively (reliably and
validly)
(-) Traits describe behavior, but don’t explain behavior
(-) Trait theory underestimates the power of the situation in
determining behavior
33. HUMANISTIC THEORY:
EMPHASIS ON THE SELF
Self-Concept
one’s perception of
oneself: “Who am I?”
Ideal Self
the self I would like to be
Real Self
the way I really am
34. HUMANISTIC THEORY:
THE SELVES
Self Concept
(defense (low self-
mechanisms) esteem)
Real Self Ideal Self
35. HUMANISTIC THEORY:
EMPHASIS ON THE SELF
Self-Esteem
one’s feelings of high or low self-worth
Physical
Intellectual
Social
36. HIGH SELF-ESTEEM: A GOOD THING?
Low Self-Esteem:
Experiments tell
us
heightened
prejudice
heightened
judgmentalism
High Self-
Esteem:
lower levels of
depression
37. HUMANISTIC THEORY:
ONE MORE SELF!
Self-Serving Bias
a readiness to perceive
oneself favorably
“somewhat likely” to go to
heaven?
OJ Simpson, Bill Clinton,
Michael Jordon, Mother
Theresa, or ________ !!
38. HUMANISTIC THEORY: A
WESTERN PERSPECTIVE
Individualism (West)
defining one’s identity in
terms of personal
attributes (introverted, etc.)
giving priority to one’s own
goals over group goals
Collectivism (East)
defining one’s identity with
group identifications (bin,
means “son of”)
giving priority to the goals
of one’s group over one’s
own goals
39. HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE
Value Contrasts Between Individualism and Collectivism
Concept Individualism Collectivism
Self Independent Interdependent
(identity from individual traits) (identity from belonging)
Life task Discover and express one’s Maintain connections, fit in
uniqueness
What matters Me--personal achievement and We--group goals and solidarity;
fulfillment; rights and liberties social responsibilities and
relationships
Coping method Change reality Accommodate to reality
Morality Defined by individuals Defined by social networks
(self-based) (duty-based)
Relationships Many, often temporary or casual; Few, close and enduring;
confrontation acceptable harmony valued
Attributing Behavior reflects one’s personality Behavior reflects social
behaviors and attitudes and roles
40. CRITIQUE OF HUMANISTIC THEORY
(+) Makes the SELF
central to our
understanding of
behavior
(-) Culture-bound
theory (applies to the
West)
(-) Is too subjective,
not objective
(-) Maybe overly
optimistic view of
human nature (all of
us are moving toward
self-actualization?)
41. SOCIAL-COGNITIVE THEORY
Behavior is due to
Social influences (other people)
Cognitive influences (how we
perceive ourselves and our social
environment)
42. SOCIAL-COGNITIVE THEORY (MODEL)
Social Influences:
“My friends do
well in school.”
Behavior Cognitive Influences:
(I perform well “I know if I work hard,
in school) I can do well in school)
43. SOCIAL-COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE-
LEARNED HELPLESSNESS
Learned Helplessness
Bad Events
Cognition:
“I perceive I don’t
have control”
I feel helpless
44. SOCIAL-COGNITIVE THEORY
Personal Control
a cognitive factor (in the model)
our sense of controlling our environments rather than feeling
helpless
45. LOCUS OF CONTROL
Internal Locus of Control
the perception that one controls one’s own fate
External Locus of Control
the perception that outside forces determine one’s fate
46. SOCIAL-COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE
Positive Psychology
scientific study of ways to foster a
healthy personality and community
Key Concept: Learned Optimism
expecting positive events to occur an
seeing oneself as competent.
research: optimistic people live
longer/healthier lives
47. CRITIQUE OF SOCIAL-COGNITIVE
THEORY
(+) Based on solid
research
(+) Takes into account
both personality
(especially cognition) and
social situation
(-) Underemphasizes
importance of traits