Deck 15: Personality in Perspective Glossary References Author Index Subject Index

Question 1

Six questions about human nature were posed in Chapter 1. We asked you to write down your own thoughts on these issues. Now that you have studied the approaches to personality presented in this book, reconsider your answers to see how your views may have changed.

Answer 1

Reconsideration on six questions of human nature:
The vital aspect personality theory is formulation of human nature. Every theorist possesses origin of human nature addressing their fundamental issues. These theories are not different to personal theories; however they remain as framework that theorists perceive themselves and other people to construct theories. The major issues the theorist's consider to create an image of human nature are listed below:
1. Individual has charge over his life or not:
This is an age old conflict of whether an individual acts according to free will or as per determinism concepts. Free will is power an individual can act with nil constraints at his/her own discretion. Determinism is an event inclusive of human interaction based on conditions and results.
This remains same even after reconsideration of the theories. However, determinism does not always happen. It changes according to situations.
2. Factors that dominate an individual:
The second issue is nature and nurture conflicts. Here, nature is the environment and nurture is the way one is brought up. This might include learning and skill training. The question here is if the personality conflict is sorted with intelligence of genetic endowment which is nature or stimulation in school setting or home which is nurture.
This remains same even after reconsideration of the theories. However, genetic endowment does not contribute appropriate personality of an individual. It changes according to situations.
3. Individual is dependent or independent over his/her past:
The third issue entails relative importance over past happenings. These facts critical to infancy or childhood creates the personality of a person. The latter growth into an adult depends on these basic themes on early life called historical determinism.
The concept changes on reconsideration of various theories. An individual's early life does not fix his/her future behavior always. He/she grows up to be a matured adult from a young child, in the process they learn and unlearn certain things relevant for their future.
4. Human nature is unique or worldwide:
Though number of theorist specify and prove that individualism is predominant. No person is same as the other. However, some theorists specify that though uniqueness is present; the complete behavioral patters remain universal within a culture or community.
This remains same even after reconsideration of the theories. However, uniqueness in character arrives due to the social group one belongs to.
5. An individual's life goal is satisfaction or growth:
The fifth issue depends on definitive life goals. Human beings are not machines. They seek certain satisfaction through pleasure, reducing tension, and happiness. Human beings motivate themselves to realize and grow to high levels with fullest potential. This might include goals of self actualization.
This remains same even after reconsideration of the theories. An individual wishes to satisfy his own life goals with his complete efforts.
6. An individual's outlook:
The sixth and an added issue is outlook of life. Every theorist views the life in a different angle. Basically the good and bad factor of an individual that in turn depicts the personality is the outlook. This is considered as optimism (confident achiever) and pessimism (a negative thinker). Most of the theorist find human as a positive being with altruistic, humanitarianism, and social consciousness. Certain other refines qualities independently or as a group of people.
This remains same even after reconsideration of the theories. An individual wishes to satisfy his own life goals with his complete efforts.

Question 2

Think about the similarities and differences between your personality and the personality of your mother, father, or siblings. What factors do you see in common?

Answer 2

Personality of self (Ms. X) and others (mother, father, and sibling):
Ms. X and her parents are not like characters. However, they have certain factors that are similar from within. These similarities are:
The socialization goals will remain same as per the change in status and nature of family. It includes, family income, religion followed by family, and tradition of the family. Value, attitude, and responsibility are the three goals for the family.
• Value is the worthiness or admirable response of a person on other's subject or object. It is the significant factor for the better social life.
• Attitude is the way of thinking (positive or negative) of a person towards the environment. It is mostly influenced by tradition and religion that is followed by the family. The positive attitude can create favorable environment for an individual's life.
• Responsibility remains as liability of a child, youngster, or a man behind his family and society. It will differ as per the change in cultural group.
These are the similarities that Ms. X her parents and siblings deliver in the form of their personality.
Though, due to genetic factor mother, father, brothers, and sisters possess similar personality traits. They have variances regard to appearances, mannerism, knowledge, and adaptation of new technology.

Question 3

Which of the approaches to personality discussed in this text did you find most helpful in understanding yourself? Which was of the least value to you?

Answer 3

Personality approach most valued and least valued by Ms. X:
Self-characterization sketch is the approach Ms. X liked the most considering the level of self-understanding it creates.
A technique constructed to access an individual's construct system and ways an individual perceive themselves relation with others is called as self characterization sketch. This is another system used for assessing construct system.
Mr. K's instructions to clients are:
• Sketch character of Mr. X (Client's name)
• Consider Mr. X as hero of the play
• Express as if Mr. X is a best friend
• Have sympathy over principal character
• Provide details better than reality
Mr. K says this technique is highly useful to learn ways clients recognize them in relation to others.
According to Mr. F, every behavior is defensive but the way an individual customs to deliver his defense is considered to be unique. Every man is driven by id but ego and superego does not remain universal.
Mr. F's psychosexual developmental stages are listed below:
1. Oral - Birth stage to Age 1
2. Anal - Age 1 to Age 3
3. Phallic - Age 4 to Age 5
4. Latency - Age 5 to puberty
5. Genital - Adolescence to adulthood
Ms. X least liked the psychosexual stages concept. She believed that children learn and unlearn certain things as they grow up. The sexual appeal for oral and anal cannot be carried forward with proper mental and physical development.
In phallic stage, either of them loves their parents (boy to mother and girl to father) and desires to marry their father or mother replacing their pair. This characteristic is called Oedipus complex.
This should be understood as parental care and love. The child has to be taught the difference between both concepts, when it grows up. Understanding or adjusting to Oedipus complex creates confused behavior and a bad society.

Question 4

Think back to what you were like in your early adolescence. Who do you believe influenced you more at that time, your parents or your peers? Now that you are older, is your answer to that question the same?

Question 5

What changes have you seen in your personality from childhood to the present? Have there been periods in your life when you deliberately tried to alter your personality? Were you successful? If so, what techniques did you use?

Question 6

Do you think it is possible to evaluate personality accurately enough to predict whether certain people will be happy, emotionally stable, or perform well on the job?

Question 7

Summarize in a few sentences what you have learned about your own personality from this course.

Question 8

Discuss the advantages of online test administration.