1Self
Key definitions
SelfThe totality of a person’s conscious experiences, ideas, thoughts and feelings about themselves; lies at the core of personality
Personal identityAttributes that make a person different from others
Social identityAttributes that link a person to a social or cultural group
Self-conceptHow we perceive our own competencies and attributes
Self-esteemValue judgment about one’s own worth (4 areas formed by age 6-7)
Self-efficacyBelief in one’s ability to succeed (Bandura’s social learning theory)
Self-regulation / self-controlOrganising and monitoring own behaviour; self-control = delaying gratification (Indian examples: vrata, roza). Techniques: observing own behaviour, self-instruction, self-reinforcement
1
Biological self
Reflex → awareness (“I am hungry”)
2
Personal self
Freedom, responsibility, achievement, comfort
3
Social self
Cooperation, unity, affiliation, sharing (familial/relational self)
2Culture and Self
Western
- Fixed self-other boundary
- Individualistic
Indian
- Shifting self-other boundary
- Collectivistic
3Personality: Meaning and Types
Definition
Personality: stable, unique qualities characterising behaviour across situations and time. Latin persona = mask. Four features: physical + psychological, unique, stable, dynamic/adaptive.
| System | Categories |
|---|---|
| Hippocrates | Sanguine, phlegmatic, melancholic, choleric |
| Charak Samhita (Ayurveda) | Tridosha: vata, pitta, kapha (basis of prakriti) |
| Trigunas (a separate Indian typology) | Sattva, rajas, tamas |
| Sheldon | Endomorphic, mesomorphic, ectomorphic |
| Jung | Introvert, extravert |
| Friedman & Rosenman | Type A, Type B |
| Morris | Type C (prone to cancer) |
| More recent suggestion (no proposer named) | Type D (prone to depression) |
4Trait Approaches
3Allport’s traits: cardinal, central, secondary
16Cattell’s source traits (16PF test)
3Eysenck’s dimensions (EPQ test): neuroticism vs emotional stability; extraversion vs introversion; psychoticism vs sociability
5Big Five / OCEAN (Costa & McCrae)
OCEAN: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism
5Psychodynamic Approach (Freud)
Freud’s structure
Conscious / Preconscious / Unconscious3 levels of awareness
IdPleasure principle, no morality
EgoReality principle, grows out of id
SuperegoMoral branch, internalised parental authority
OralMouth
Anal (2-3)Bowel control
Phallic (4-5)Oedipus/Electra complex
Latency (7-puberty)Sexual urges relatively inactive
GenitalMaturity
| Defence mechanism | What it means |
|---|---|
| Repression | Dismissed into the unconscious |
| Projection | Attribute own traits to others |
| Denial | Refuse to accept reality |
| Reaction formation | Opposite behaviour to true feelings |
| Rationalisation | Make unreasonable behaviour seem reasonable |
1
Jung
Collective unconscious, archetypes
2
Horney
Basic anxiety from childhood; challenged Freud on women
3
Adler
Inferiority complex; individual psychology
4
Fromm
Social orientation; human concerns
5
Erikson
Ego identity; identity crisis
6Behavioural, Cultural, Humanistic
BehaviouralResponse is the unit; Pavlov, Skinner, Bandura
·
CulturalAdaptation to ecology/culture; Birhor example
·
HumanisticRogers (real/ideal self), Maslow (self-actualisation)
7Assessment of Personality
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Self-report | MMPI (567 items, Hathaway & McKinley), JMPI (Mallick & Joshi), EPQ, 16PF. Problems: social desirability, acquiescence |
| Projective | Rorschach (10 inkblots), TAT (30+1 cards, Morgan & Murray), P-F Study (Rosenzweig), Sentence Completion, Draw-a-Person |
| Behavioural analysis | Interview, ratings (halo effect), observation, nomination, situational tests |
Last-look revision
- Self at the core of personality; personal vs social identity; biological/personal/social self
- Self-esteem, self-efficacy (Bandura), self-regulation, self-control
- Indian (shifting, collectivistic) vs Western (fixed, individualistic) self
- Type: Hippocrates, tridosha/trigunas, Sheldon, Jung, Type A/B/C/D
- Trait: Allport, Cattell (16PF), Eysenck (EPQ), Big Five (OCEAN)
- Freud: conscious/preconscious/unconscious; id/ego/superego; 5 defence mechanisms; 5 psychosexual stages; Jung, Horney, Adler, Fromm, Erikson
- Behavioural: Pavlov, Skinner, Bandura. Cultural: Birhor. Humanistic: Rogers, Maslow
- Assessment: self-report vs projective vs behavioural analysis
30-second self-check
- Name all three of Freud’s structures and their principles
- List all five defence mechanisms with one example each
- Name the five psychosexual stages in order
- Spell out OCEAN and name one test each for self-report and projective assessment
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