PSYC1001 Lecture Notes - Lecture 22: Unconscious Mind, Neurology, Personality Psychology
12 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
What is personality?
Theories
Personality psych: where does it fit in?
WHAT IS PERSONALITY?
14th century: term of personality first appeared and described just as being a human being rather than an
animal
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14th - 20th century: Increasingly associated with individuality
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20th Century: becomes associated with charm and charisma
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History of 'personality' as lay language
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Thought (cognitive)
Emotion (affect)
Behaviour
Broad differences in…
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Psychological differences between people
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Intellectual abilities are not personality - left to cognitive or neurologists as they are left to deal with the
cold processes (although they are related)
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Generally distinct from intellectual abilities
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Personality is stable throughout life span
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Aspect of personality that you dislike --> can change but are stable overtime
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Enduring dispositions
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E.g. Two people in the lecture that likes to stay up late --> don't know much about the people's
personality unless it is a generalized pattern of behaviour
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If one of those people like to stay up late because they like to go out and go dancing --> know more
about person - extroverted
The other like to stay up late because they like to study --> introverted
Results
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Two different people but same behaviour
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Want to know more about what they are doing, thinking etc.
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Generalized/clustered patterns of responding
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Underlying psychological mechanisms = unconscious; not being aware or able to access one's aspect of
personality
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"an individual's characteristic pattern of thought, emotion and behaviour together with the
psychological mechanisms - hidden or not - behind those patterns"
Funder 2010 definition of personality with underlying psychological mechanisms
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Things that make people behave the way they do but might not have access to why we do them - we
make up explanations but not necessarily the truth
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Encompasses underlying psychological mechanisms
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5 components - personality is…
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Scientific definition
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Q: what kind of person are you?
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R: I am angry at the moment, really like Kim K, once went to broken hill VS
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R: I've got a quick temper, enjoy celeb goss, travelling to new places
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Personality or not?
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The second response is a better scientific answer as it is more broad and allows people to generalise more -
someone being angry at the moment could be because of situation and not necessarily their personality
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PERSONALITY THEORIES
Psychodynamic approaches
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Mental being that we don't have access to but still influence how we think, feel and behave
Unconscious mind
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8B - Personality (Denson)
Monday, April 30, 2018
10:02 AM
PSYCH 1001 Page 1
Document Summary
14th century: term of personality first appeared and described just as being a human being rather than an animal. 14th - 20th century: increasingly associated with individuality. 20th century: becomes associated with charm and charisma. Intellectual abilities are not personality - left to cognitive or neurologists as they are left to deal with the cold processes (although they are related) Aspect of personality that you dislike --> can change but are stable overtime. Two people in the lecture that likes to stay up late --> don"t know much about the people"s personality unless it is a generalized pattern of behaviour. If one of those people like to stay up late because they like to go out and go dancing --> know more about person - extroverted. The other like to stay up late because they like to study --> introverted. Want to know more about what they are doing, thinking etc.
