Personality and the Psychoanalytic Perspective Worksheet

How would you describe personality to a person who has no knowledge of the field of personality psychology?

References

• Personality is based off of individual differences and characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behavior. Personality is developed over time and strongly influence personal expectations, perceptions, values, and attitudes. Personality drives individuals to consistently think, feel, and behave a certain way. Personality is what makes each and every one of us unique. Culture and gender are important factors that influence the development of personality. Culture is one of the most important environmental factors that shapes personality. The biological perspective on personality emphasizes the influence of the brain and genetic factors on personality. In psychology, “temperament” refers to the personalities tendencies that we show at birth. After birth, environmental factors and maturation interact with a child’s temperament to shape their personalities.
• What are some key personality features that define you?
• I have so many personality traits that define me, but there are a few specific ones I could point out. I am a conscientiousness person. I’ve noticed over the years I am agreeable, I’m openness, clever, charming, dominating, admirable, daring, adventurous, and discreet. Some of my traits I picked up as I matured and experienced life. I am honest enough to admit that all my traits are not positive. I have quite a few negative personality traits as well. I’m sometimes irritable, aggressive, cold, forgetful, very impatient, shallow, and possessive. My negative traits are not always upfront. They come out depending on my mood or the situation I’m dealing with at the time. I’ve also learned based on you religious beliefs you learn to control your negative traits. I’ve developed an open heart trait, open minded, nonjudgmental approach, and forgiving trait. These traits were developed because of my religion and maturity on life and how I treat others the way I would like to be treated by others. I was raised in a very religious home and it has played a major role on my personality.
• Are your personality features consistent, or do they change according to the situation?
• I would say that my personality is consistent for the most part, but they also change with ever situation. An unfamiliar situation or a rowdy one can cause you to act in different ways. I situation that causes you to get very angry could cause you to act in a negative way if you are not conscious of your actions. Depending on who I’m dealing with or my mood, my personality will treat people accordingly. Sometimes I struggle with trying to keep a positive attitude with any and every situation, but I am not always successful. I would have to say that your personality does change according to the situation. I would not think it is normal for a person to maintain the same personality for every situation they encounter.
• What are the main tenets of the psychoanalytic perspective of personality? What do all psychoanalytic theories have in common?
• The main tenets were conscious, preconscious, and unconscious, Conscious is what we are thinking about or experiencing at any given moment. Preconscious is what we can readily call consciousness like memories and knowledge. Unconscious are thoughts, desires, and impulses of which we’re not aware: this is the largest level of consciousness. Freund and Jung believed the human mind was divided in three parts. Freund believed that it was id, ego, and superego, while Jung believed it was personal unconscious, collective unconscious, and ego. All psychoanalytic theories have in common that unconscious motives and desires, as well as the importance of childhood experiences in shaping personality.