Personality can be defined as an individual's characteristic pattern of behavior, emotion, and thoughts. Research in personality seeks to understand the psychological and biological mechanisms underlying these patterns.
Traits are consistent over time and across situations. This is in contrast to states, which are specific to the situation. Personality is most commonly measured along five dimensions: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. This approach to personality is further explained in the table below.
The Psychodynamic Approach to Personality
This approach to personality, theorized by Sigmund Freud, focuses on the subconscious elements of the mind and on how childhood experiences contribute to personality. It is important to note that while Freud's teachings were influential, the empirical basis for his theories are not nearly as strong as that of other theories in psychology.
Id: original personality system; operates on the pleasure principle
Ego: develops from id; operates on the reality principle; uses rationality and delay of gratification
Superego: last personality system to develop; internalization of society values; strives for perfection and morality rather than pleasure
Stages of Psychosocial Development According to Freud, conflicts faced in any of these stages lead to "fixations" that would influence personality. Going through these stages without conflict avoids the following personality traits.
Oral (0 - 18 months): under-indulgence leads to pessimism and mistrust; over-indulgence leads to optimism and gullibility
Phallic (3.5 years - puberty): reckless, narcisstic
Genital (puberty and up)
Biological Approach to Personality
Studies of brain damaged patients and neuroimaging studies have shown that there is a strong biological basis to personality. MRI scans and the Big Five Inventory have been used in conjunction to show that differences in personality are correlated with differences in activity levels of various sites in the brain. Heritability studies have also demonstrated that many personality traits are heritable. Ultimately, personality is shaped by biological as well as environmental factors.
Our final Psychology 101 movie clip comes from the viral marketing campaign for Prometheus (2012). The video is a profile on David, an android who has been created by humans to be subservient. This clip forces us to consider whether David, despite being programmed to display certain traits, can still develop unique personality traits.