Personality Theories

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to describe the major theoretical approaches to personality, explain Freud's psychoanalytic theory, evaluate humanistic and trait theories, and understand how personality is assessed.

What Is Personality?

Personality: an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting. Relatively stable across time and situations; distinguishes one person from another.

Psychoanalytic Theory (Freud)

Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) proposed one of the most influential (and controversial) theories of personality.

The unconscious: most of our mental life is unconscious; hidden conflicts, desires, and memories drive behavior.

Levels of consciousness:

• Conscious: currently aware of
• Preconscious: not currently aware but can bring to consciousness
• Unconscious: not accessible without special techniques (free association, dream analysis); contains repressed material

The structure of personality:

• Id: entirely unconscious; operates on the pleasure principle; "I want it NOW"; instinctual drives (sex — Eros; aggression — Thanatos)
• Ego: mostly conscious; operates on the reality principle; mediates between id and the external world; "the executive branch"
• Superego: morality; internalized values and ideals; the conscience; can be harsh and punishing

Conflict between Id, Ego, and Superego produces anxiety → Ego uses defense mechanisms.

Defense mechanisms: unconscious strategies for reducing anxiety by distorting reality:

• Repression: pushing threatening thoughts into the unconscious (the foundation of others)
• Projection: attributing your own unacceptable feelings to others ("I don't hate you; you hate me")
• Displacement: redirecting impulses from threatening targets to safer ones (kick the dog instead of yelling at the boss)
• Rationalization: generating logical reasons to explain unacceptable behavior (sour grapes)