Lesson 12: Personality
Attention
"He has a nice personality"
"We had a personality conflict"
"She has a peculiar personality"
We've all used these kinds of statements...we have all heard of the term "Personality" and it is one of the oldest subjects in the field of Psychology...yet, similar to the concept of "Intelligence" there are a lot of different theories and perspectives about personality.
Personality Traits are one of the most common ways in which we understand personality. When we meet someone and we are trying to determine if we want to get to know them better we are often in the process of evaluating their traits. Online dating services such as eHarmony have had great success matching personality traits.
In this article by Scott, et al (2006) the concept of online intimacy is explored...check it out!
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:
- Complete an online personality test
- Discuss the validity of personality traits and the tests that measure them
- Apply knowledge related to extroversion and introversion to a deeper understanding of self
Teaching
Trait Theory...an Alternative to Freud
- Personality Traits are considered "characteristics of the personality" or "predictable patterns of behavior" that we may see in someone.
- This is the most commonly understood meaning of personality.
- Lots of researchers have developed Trait Theories
The Big Five Personality Traits
Across many of the trait theorists we see a lot of similarities...for some researchers these similarities boiled down to 5 basic personality traits that we see in all of them...they are referred to as the Big 5
The Big Five factors and their constituent traits can be summarized as follows:
- Openness
- appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, imagination, curiosity, and variety of experience.
- Conscientiousness
- a tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement; planned rather than spontaneous behavior.
- Extraversion
- energy, positive emotions, urgency, and the tendency to seek stimulation and the company of others.
- Agreeableness
- a tendency to be compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic towards others.
- Neuroticism
- a tendency to experience unpleasant emotions easily, such as anger, anxiety, depression, or vulnerability; sometimes called emotional instability.
RECOMMENDED READING Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that can't Stop Talking Passionately argued, impressively researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so. Taking the reader on a journey from Dale Carnegie's birthplace to Harvard Business School, from a Tony Robbins seminar to an evangelical megachurch, Susan Cain charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal in the twentieth century and explores its far-reaching effects. She talks to Asian-American students who feel alienated from the brash, backslapping atmosphere of American schools. She questions the dominant values of American business culture, where forced collaboration can stand in the way of innovation, and where the leadership potential of introverts is often overlooked. And she draws on cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience to reveal the surprising differences between extroverts and introverts. Perhaps most inspiring, she introduces us to successful introverts–from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Finally, she offers invaluable advice on everything from how to better negotiate differences in introvert-extrovert relationships to how to empower an introverted child to when it makes sense to be a “pretend extrovert.” This extraordinary book has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how introverts see themselves.
Click HERE to visit Susan Cain's website |
You can take an online test that determines your Personality Traits based upon the "Big 5"
http://www.personalitytest.org.uk/
Click HERE to view a copy of my results for this online test
Click HERE for a great general discussion on the knowledge and theories we have on Personality
Assessment
Lesson 12 Discussion
Go to http://www.personalitytest.org.uk/ This is a free personality test and you will receive a description of your personality.
For this discussion we are going to focus on the most researched and agreed upon personality trait - extroversion and introversion. According to "Free Trait Theory" by Dr. Brian Little, some personality traits are fairly fixed while others might be more responsive to the needs of the situation, particularly if certain traits are necessary for someone to accomplish what Little refers to as "Personal Projects" or projects of great importance to them. In essence, if the task is important enough, an introvert will act like an extrovert, and an extrovert will act like an introvert.
Reflect on your own personality score from the test related to extroversion and introversion. In what ways do you feel that you live up to this description of yourself and in what ways (and for what "Personal Projects") do you act more like the opposite?