Personality - Part 2

Summary

This lecture delves into the concept of personality, questioning its permanence and universality. It discusses the nature versus nurture debate, highlighting how both biological and environmental factors shape personality. The lecture introduces Freud's psychoanalytic theory, emphasizing the role of consciousness levels—conscious, subconscious, and unconscious—in influencing behavior. It encourages further exploration of Freud's theories for a deeper understanding of personality formation.

Takeaways

• 😀 Personality refers to relatively stable characteristics of an individual that influence behavior, attitudes, motivation, and emotions.
• 🤔 There is a debate on whether personality traits are permanent or changeable, with some arguing for universal traits and others for culture-specific ones.
• 🌍 Two major schools of thought differ on personality: one believes traits are universal and stable, while the other believes traits are shaped by culture and environment.
• 👶 The nature vs. nurture debate highlights that both genetics (nature) and environmental factors (nurture) play a role in shaping personality.
• 🧠 Biological arguments for personality include heredity, brain structure, and physical features, though these are often contested by nurture-based arguments.
• 👨‍👩‍👧 Social and cultural factors like family upbringing, significant others, and societal norms also strongly influence personality development.
• 🎨 Cultural norms and unwritten social rules vary across societies, shaping behaviors and contributing to differences in personality traits across cultures.
• 👫 Gender differences in behavior, often attributed to biological factors, are also influenced by societal expectations, upbringing, and the types of toys and experiences children are exposed to.
• 💡 Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory posits that consciousness exists on three levels—conscious, subconscious, and unconscious—each influencing behavior.
• 💤 The unconscious mind, where uncomfortable experiences and memories are buried, plays a significant role in behavior, often surfacing through dreams or slips of the tongue.

Q & A

What is the definition of personality according to the lecture?

Personality is defined as relatively stable characteristics of an individual that influence their behavior, attitudes, motivations, and emotions.

What are the two major schools of thought regarding personality discussed in the lecture?

The two major schools of thought are: 1) Personality traits are universal and stable, influenced by biological factors (nature). 2) Personality traits are unique and dynamic, influenced by environmental or social factors (nurture).

What is the nature vs. nurture argument in the context of personality?

The nature vs. nurture argument debates whether personality traits are primarily determined by biological factors (nature) or environmental factors (nurture). The interactionist perspective suggests that both nature and nurture interact to shape personality.

How does the lecture describe the role of genetics in personality development?

The lecture mentions that some psychologists argue genetics play an important role in personality development, citing individual differences even among newborns. However, others argue that early social interactions also influence behavior.

What is the significance of cultural norms in shaping personality according to the lecture?

Cultural norms, or unwritten societal rules, play a key role in shaping personality by reinforcing specific behaviors and values based on gender, social roles, and accepted behaviors within a culture.

How does Freud’s psychoanalytic theory explain personality?

Freud's psychoanalytic theory suggests that personality is shaped by the mind's structure, which includes three levels of awareness: conscious, subconscious, and unconscious. Personality is influenced by the interactions between these levels.

What are the three levels of awareness according to Freud's theory?

The three levels of awareness are: 1) Conscious – current awareness, 2) Subconscious – awareness not active but accessible, and 3) Unconscious – deeply buried awareness or memories that influence behavior indirectly.

How do social factors influence personality according to the lecture?

Social factors, including family, upbringing, and cultural environment, influence personality through the process of socialization. Significant others, such as parents and teachers, play a crucial role in shaping personality traits.

What is the role of significant others in personality development?

Significant others, like parents, teachers, and friends, are influential in the process of socialization. Children often identify with these figures as role models, adopting their behaviors and traits, which contribute to personality development.

What is meant by the 'loaded gun argument' in the context of the nature vs. nurture debate?

The 'loaded gun argument' refers to the idea that some individuals may have biological predispositions (the 'loaded gun'), but these traits or vulnerabilities only manifest when triggered by environmental factors.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Personality: Definition and Theories

The lecture introduces the concept of personality as relatively stable characteristics that influence behavior, attitudes, motivations, and emotions. It questions the permanence of personality traits and discusses the historical origins of the term 'personality' from the Latin word 'persona' meaning mask. The lecture outlines two major schools of thought regarding personality: one that views personality traits as universal across cultures and another that sees personality as culturally specific. It also debates the stability of personality, with one group arguing it is biologically determined and stable from a young age, while the other believes personality can change due to environmental factors.

05:04

🌱 The Nature and Nurture of Personality

This section delves into the nature versus nurture debate in psychology, discussing how both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the formation of personality. It mentions the 'loaded gun' analogy to explain how inherent qualities may or may not manifest depending on environmental triggers. The summary also touches on the role of genetics, brain dominance, and physical features in shaping personality, acknowledging the counterarguments that suggest the brain's plasticity and social stimuli can also influence these traits.

10:09

🌐 Cultural Influences on Personality

The paragraph emphasizes the impact of cultural norms and social factors on personality development. It explains how unwritten rules within societies shape behavior and inner qualities. Cultural norms regarding gender roles and social behaviors are highlighted as varying significantly across different cultures, which in turn affects personality formation. The paragraph also challenges biological determinism of gender differences by suggesting that social conditioning and upbringing play a significant role in these distinctions.

15:11

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Upbringing and Socialization

This section discusses how family and social factors, particularly during childhood, influence personality. It introduces the concept of 'significant others' and 'socialization' as key elements in personality development. The experiences and treatment received from parents, teachers, and peers shape an individual's personality traits. The paragraph also mentions the role of role models and how children often aspire to emulate the professions of their parents or teachers due to their influence.

20:12

📚 Theories of Personality

The lecture moves on to discuss theories of personality, which are sets of assumptions and propositions made by psychologists to explain the nature of personality. It introduces Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory as an example of intrapsychic theories that focus on the role of consciousness in shaping personality. Freud's theory is highlighted for its extensive contribution to understanding the mind and consciousness, and the paragraph concludes with an encouragement for students to explore Freud's work further.

25:13

💭 Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory

The final paragraph provides an overview of Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory, focusing on the concept of awareness and its different levels: consciousness, subconscious, and unconsciousness. It explains how these levels of awareness influence behavior and how uncomfortable experiences are often relegated to the unconscious mind. The paragraph concludes with an invitation for students to read more about Freud's theory and its implications on personality.

Keywords

💡Personality

Personality is defined as relatively stable characteristics of an individual that influence their behavior, attitudes, motivations, and emotions. In the video, personality is discussed as a core concept in psychology, with debates over whether it is shaped by biological factors (nature) or environmental factors (nurture). The script also emphasizes that these traits, while stable, can sometimes be influenced by social factors.

💡Nature vs. Nurture

This is a key debate in psychology about whether a person's behavior and personality are shaped more by biological factors (nature) or by their environment and upbringing (nurture). The script explores both perspectives, discussing how nature (genetics and biology) plays a role in personality traits, while nurture (social and cultural factors) also significantly influences behavior.

💡Cultural Norms

Cultural norms refer to the unwritten rules that guide behavior within specific societies or groups. The script explains how different cultures have distinct norms that shape personality traits, with some behaviors being acceptable in one culture but not in others. For example, gender roles and the behaviors expected from men and women differ across cultures, influencing personality development.

💡Socialization

Socialization is the process through which individuals learn and acquire personality traits by interacting with their environment, especially through significant others like parents, teachers, and peers. The script emphasizes the role of socialization in shaping personality, as children model behaviors from their role models during formative years.

💡Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud is mentioned as the 'father of psychology' and a key figure in developing the psychoanalytic theory of personality. The script introduces Freud’s ideas about consciousness, subconsciousness, and unconsciousness, explaining how these layers of the mind influence behavior and personality development, even if people aren't actively aware of these influences.

💡Psychoanalytic Theory

Psychoanalytic theory, founded by Sigmund Freud, posits that unconscious desires and experiences, often from childhood, shape a person’s behavior and personality. The video script touches on how Freud’s ideas about the mind (conscious, subconscious, and unconscious levels) are used to explain individual differences in behavior and personality.

💡Consciousness

Consciousness refers to an individual’s immediate awareness of their surroundings, thoughts, and feelings. The script explains Freud’s belief that consciousness is just one level of the mind, with other parts (subconscious and unconscious) also influencing behavior. This idea helps explain why different people react differently in similar situations.

💡Subconscious

Subconscious refers to the part of the mind that stores memories and experiences that are not currently in active awareness but can be recalled when needed. In the script, the subconscious is described as a level of awareness beneath the conscious mind, influencing behavior when triggered by specific stimuli.

💡Unconscious

The unconscious mind holds memories, desires, and experiences that are deeply buried and often inaccessible without significant effort. According to Freud, these hidden aspects of the mind influence behavior in indirect ways, such as through dreams or 'slips of the tongue.' The script explains how unconscious influences are important in shaping personality and behavior.

💡Hereditary

Hereditary refers to the genetic traits passed from parents to offspring that contribute to individual differences in personality. In the script, the concept is used to explain how some psychologists argue that personality traits are rooted in biology, evidenced by how even newborns show differences that might be attributed to genetics.

Highlights

Personality is defined as relatively stable characteristics that influence behavior, attitudes, motivations, and emotions.

The concept of personality suggests that individual differences are caused by personality.

The history of the concept of personality traces back to the Latin word 'persona', meaning mask.

Two major schools of thought on personality: one believes traits are universal, the other that they vary by culture.

One school argues personality is stable from a young age, the other that it can change or vary by context.

The nature perspective views personality as biologically determined and stable.

The nurture perspective sees personality as shaped by environmental factors and experiences.

The interactionist perspective combines both nature and nurture influences on personality.

The 'nature-nurture' debate is likened to a loaded gun argument where environment triggers certain traits.

Hereditary and genetics are key arguments for the biological determinants of personality.

Brain structure and dominance are suggested to influence personality, though this is not universally accepted.

Physical features and body types were historically linked to personality types, though not scientifically proven.

Cultural norms and unwritten rules significantly shape personality and can vary greatly between cultures.

Gender differences in behavior and interests may be due to cultural socialization rather than solely biological factors.

Family and social factors, especially during childhood, play a crucial role in personality development.

The process of learning from society and significant others is known as socialization and heavily influences personality.

Children often adopt qualities from role models, such as parents or teachers, which can strengthen over time.

Theories of personality attempt to explain the evolution and qualities that constitute personality.

Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory is an intrapsychic theory focusing on the mind and consciousness.

Freud's theory posits three levels of awareness: consciousness, subconscious, and unconscious.

Unconscious memories can surface indirectly, such as through dreams or 'slip of the tongue'.

Transcripts

Warm welcome to this lecture series on Organizational Behavior; we are in the 3rd chapter which

is on Personality and this is the 2nd lecture in this chapter.

So, I will quickly summarize what happened in the previous lecture; this is the outline

of this chapter.

We defined; what is personality . So, personality can be defined as relatively stable characteristics

of an individual which influence his or her behavior attitudes motivations and emotions.

In other words psychology believes that there is something called personality or there are

some inner qualities which are relatively stable and those qualities influence the way

we behave in different situations.

And also they influence all the aspects of a behavior which include attitude motivation

emotion and things like that.

In the previous lecture we also questioned the idea of personality by asking is there

anything which is permanent quality of an individual which leads to all the behavioral

differences among people.

Because psychology as a discipline believes that individual differences between people

are caused by personality.

If you remember in the earlier chapters we spoke about how psychology as a discipline

believes each one of us are different and the cause which can be attributed to this

individual differences is personality.

So, there are theorists and researchers who questions this concept of personality.

We also looked at the history of the concept of personality the word personality comes

from the Latin word persona which means mask . We also looked at in the previous lecture

what are the key assumptions related to this concept of personality.

So, if you look at these assumptions there are two major thought processes or there are

two major schools which look at personality in different way.

So, one school of thought believes that personality traits are universal in nature or the idea

of personality is universal in nature, which means; there are certain qualities which is

found among all thepeople in the entire world.

So, let us say if it is extra version in India the same concept of or the same trait of extra

version can be found in any other country or any other culture .

Another school of thought believes that; no, personality or the qualities whichconstitute

personality are not universal in nature which means different cultures have different sets

of qualities or people in different cultures will have different sets of qualities .

A second way in which these two schools differ is one school believe that personality is

stable which means; if somebody has a certain kind of a personality characteristic it will

stay there forever.

Then the personality as a quality starts at a very young age and you cannot really change

personality qualities.

On the same time the other group believes that personality as a quality or personality

as a characteristic that can be changed or it can it can vary from context to context.

In fact, that is completely against this idea of personality as stable characteristics;

so it is relatively stable.

So, if you look at universality and stability, those group of psychologists believe in nature

as a powerful determinant of personality.

Or in other words these personality qualities are biological in nature or they are inner

qualities which are very very stable which cannot be changed mostly because of biological

factors.

The other group which believes in uniqueness and dynamic nature of personality qualities

believes that it is caused by nurture related factors or environmental factors.

So, somebody acquires these personality characteristics over a period of time through their experiences

with the world ok.

So, again in psychology we call it nature nurture argument.

So, the interactionist perspective believes that both nature and nurture play an important

role; so the both interact.

So, you cannot purely say everything is because of environment factors or you know up bringing

or so society related factors.

Similarly, we cannot say everything is based on biological factors.

So, they both interact with each other.

So, in psychology they say you know personality qualities or nature-nurture argument as loaded

gun argument which means; everybody has a certain quality, but whether that quality

comes out or not depends on whether somebody pulls the trigger.

On in other words mental illness especially, some people are more prone to mental illnesses

because of biological reasons, but it s not that those people will become mentally ill

irrespective of what the environmental condition.

So, only when the environmental conditions trigger you know that particular biological

quality people those people will become psychologically ill or mentally ill.

So, this is like vulnerability versus triggering factors ok.

So, in the previous class we looked at some of the arguments which support the biologicaldeterminants

of personality or people who support nature as a predominant cause for personality differences.

So, the first argument is hereditary you know genetics, this group of psychologists or scientists

believe that genetic traits play a very important role.

So, one important example or you know argument they place is; even among newborns there are

individual differences.

So, these individual differences are genetic in nature.

But again the counter argument for this opinion is or this finding is even at a very young

age children know how to react to certain kind of a social stimuli.

So, you know if their parents reward them by a smile whenever the baby is happy the

child or the baby tends to show signs of happiness more frequently.

On the other hand if the parents does not actually pay attention whether the child is

smiling or not smiling or happy or not happy children tend to be in a certain way or infants

tend to be in a certain way.

Second argument is brain and its role in personality.

So, very common or popular argument is right brain left brain or depending on your brain

dominance, individuals tend to show differences.

But again the counter argument for it is it s not that brain leads to the way you behave

or brain determines or brain shape or brain dominance leads to your behavior it is also

your behavior which can shape the brain so the plasticity of the brain.

So, this is where we stopped, in fact, we also spoke about physical features you know

people with certain physical features tend to be of certain personality type.

In fact, some of the very early theories on personalities spoke about body type and personality.

So, it assume that people who are thin will be of certain qualities, people who are fatter

will be of certain qualities, people who are strong built will have certain kind of qualities

so they call it endomorphic, exomorphic and mesomorphic.

So, people of different body types will have different type of personality; again which

is not scientifically proven ok.

So, we are going to look at the other side of the school of psychology which talks about

the role of social factors.

So, the assumptions behind these group of psychologists is personality as a quality

or qualities which define someone s personality can be changed over a period of time because

those qualities are formed because of social factors.

So, it s not like you are born with a certain quality.

it is because your surrounded by a certain group of people or you grew up in a certain

kind of an environment your personality changes.

So, some of the important arguments they place for their view point is for their stands is

role of cultural norms.

So, in the first chapter we looked at the word norm; norm means unwritten rules.

So, every society or every culture has some unwritten rules.

So, these unwritten rules are reinforced by people around us.

So, there are unwritten rules and terms of how men should behave, how women should behave,

how you know children should treat elders, how you know in a group how one should behave

and things like that.

So, these unwritten rules which are reinforced by people around us shape our inner qualities

which is personality.

So, these cultural norms can vary from one culture to another culture for example, certain

cultures you know the gender norms are not very rigid in certain culture gender norms

are clearly written; it says women should only do this and men should only do these

kind of things.

So, if a woman does something which a man is allowed to do it is considered to be wrong

also other way around, ok. there are very clear cut gender norms, social norms and things

like that.

So, these norms vary from one culture to another.

Similarly, many researchers you know social psychology researchers as well as sociologists,

anthropologists, they have found that certain behaviours are considered to be ok in certain

cultures and certain behaviours are considered to be you know prohibited in certain cultures.

So, a behaviour which is allowed in a certain culture will not be allowed in some other

cultures and also certain behaviours are found only in certain cultures.

For example, you know let us say in India we have something called you know possessing

with evil spirit or possessing with god all those behaviours may not be found in all the

cultures it may be found in only certain cultures.

So, there are culture specific behaviours, there are culture specific social norms and

these cultural differences influence the way personality is formed.

So, if you if you remember in the brain dominance argument you know, many fine research has

been done on gender differences in brain structure.

Again you know there are not very; there are lot of research which contradict those studies

also.

So, those arguments are men and women differ in terms of the brain structure and that is

why they are different.

So, gender differences are biological, but again it is to some extent you know I am not

saying true you find it in, it sounds very commonsensical also because you find many

women in arts related subjects, many men in science and engineering disciplines.

And men/boys are found to be more aggressive women are found to be even at very young age

boys are like very naughty you know they are very aggressive, but girl children are found

to be very loving caring you know they are very matured enough to handle issues, but

boys are very immature.

So, this is the kind of you know arguments which are placed and these differences are

attributed tobiological reasons because they are found in very young age itself.

But is it because of biological differences these gender differences in the disciplines

they choose to study their interest their you know behavioural makeup and all those

stuff; not necessarily.

these are cultural differences also ok.

For example, why boy children or boys are more aggressive than girls because they are

given toys which are you know aggressive in nature you know boys get toys which like guns,

battleships and things like that.

Women children they get very you know nurturing kind of toys like maybe a Barbie doll or a

you know house or cooking toy and things like that.

So, they are trained in a way that these qualities become imbibed in them when they grow up even

at a very young age.

For example, even when they are born the kind of dress they get the kind of colours they

have been given the kind of toys they have been given everything varies in terms of gender.

So, those social factors might cause gender differences, so; you can extend this argument

to personality differences also.

So, personality differences also because of our upbringing.

So, this is what you know these psychologists argue.

So, family and social factors play a very important role, especially the experiences

one gets at the childhood, you know the formative years when they grow up they whatever they

see around them those experiences influence their personality.

So, the way they are treated by their parents, the way they are treated by their school teachers,

what is reinforced as right/wrong by their parents, by their teachers, by people around

them all those things influence how a person acquires certain qualities as personality

traits.

So, these people who are very important for a child, like teachers, parents, grandparents

or you know friends those people are called significant others.

So, this process of growing up, process of learning from the society especially from

significant others is called as socialization.

So, the things which you learn from your interaction with the society, especially people who are

very close to you.

So, socialization plays a very important role in shaping one s personality and also as children

we identify ourselves with significant others.

So, we call them role models.

So, many a times we copy or we acquire these qualities which might become stronger later

in our life are from these significant others or from these role models.

For example, you know when a child is very young if you ask the child what kind of job

you will you know what is going to be their profession in future; most of them will say

I want to become a teacher or it will say a profession which their parent is doing ok;

why because; the influence of role models is very very high.

So, these are the argumentspsychologists who insist on nurture put forth for why personality

differences exist ok.

So, what is the truth is it nurture or is it nature?

In fact, like I said it is both; so certain things, we are born with certain kind of things,

but whether those qualities or those characteristics come out or not depends on the environment

in which we grow.

So, there is nothing like pure nature or pure nurture it is the combination of both ok.

So, we are moving to the next part of you know this personality chapter which is theories

of personality.

So, what do we mean by theories of personality?

Theories of personality are nothing, but assumptions or certain propositions statements which are

made by certain psychologists based on their understanding of what is personality.

So, these statements or these propositions try to explain what is personality, how personality

evolve or what constitute or what are the qualities which are part of this personality

and things like that; so there are different theories.

So, primarily I have given some of the important theories.

So, and we will talk in brief because each of these theories are like very very elaborate

in nature these are all like works done by psychologists over a long period of time.

So, I will not be able to do justice to these theories if I elaborate one by one, I will

quickly explain the crux of each of those theories ok.

So, the first theory which we are going to talk about is Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic

theory.

So, these theories are called inter intra psychic theories; why are we calling intra

psychic?

Because these theories talk about something called mind; psychic; psyche means mind or

consciousness.

So, these set of theories talk about how consciousness shapes personality or they talk about the

larger idea of consciousness in which personality is also part of it.

There are many theories in intra psychic theory, we are only talk only about Sigmund Freud's

psychoanalytic theory.

So, like I said these theories are based of intra psychic theories or based on the assumption

that there is something called mind ok.

So, the whole idea of personality is to explain who we are is not it?

So, who we are defines what we do.

So, idea here is who we are decides what we do.

Since each one of us is different in terms of who we are, we exhibit different kinds

of behaviours; why; in other words, why for a same situations different people do different

things is because of who they are as individuals.

So, who they are as individuals vary from one individual to another individual; which

is individual differences.

So, this question of who we are you know it is a very philosophical question who am I.

So, the direct answer for this from these group of psychologists who call it intra psychic

theory, theorists who believe in inter psychic approach is we are nothing but our awareness

or we are nothing, but our mind.

what is mind?

Mind is awareness ok.

So, one important researcher in this area; not researcher, scholar in this area is Sigmund

Freud; many of you have heard of his name Freud you know is a very popular person in

psychology.

Even in common you know day to day conversations many of us use this word Freud; Sigmund Freud.

He is also known as father of psychology ok.

So, Sigmund Freud's contribution to this area of what is mind, what is consciousness is

like very extensive.

And he is one of those pioneers in this area of you know psychoanalytic theory.

So, when you say consciousness or awareness that is what defines who we are.

Who we are?

We are the consciousness.

So, we are awareness ok.

So, when you say awareness, consciousness means awareness.

So, right now I am sitting in this particular chair what is me is my awareness about my

environment.

So, what about when I am sleeping this me still exists this awareness still exists yes

it exists, but at a different level ok.

So, awareness has different levels.

So, according to Freud awareness has three levels.

So, the first level is; consciousness level which is my current awareness let us say if

I am awake now; I am aware of you know what I am doing, I am aware of my environment,

my thought process I am thinking about what I should talk in the next slide; so all those

things are consciousness.

I know my name, I know you know what is my job, I know you know what is happening around

me; so all those things are consciousness.

The second level of subconscious; subconscious is awareness which is not active right now.

So, for example, if I if you ask me you know what who is my school teacher, what is the

name of my school teacherwhen I was studying 6th standard ok.

So, that awareness is underneath I have to spend some time to dig deep into my memory

and bring that into my awareness.

Sometimes it can come out like you know when I see something which reminds me of my school

days I will remember all those memories or those earlier awareness also comes out; so

that is subconscious.

Subconscious is something which we are not actively aware of those awareness are within

us.

The third level of consciousness is unconsciousness.

Unconsciousness to a large extent is or to a large extent seems to be nonexistent which

means; we may not even be aware of those things.

These are like deep inside these awareness or these memories or these experiences are

buried inside our mind ok and it takes very very you know powerful efforts it takes lot

of effort to bring out those awareness or information from that level of awareness.

So, unlike subconscious which takes little bit of effort to remember, unconscious is

like very very difficult to understand or take information from.

So, what goes into unconscious; experiences or awareness which are not very comfortable

for us or those kind of information which we are not comfortable with or about us or

the experiences we have underwent; those memories are pushed deep inside our mind ok.

So, these memories or these awareness comes out in indirect form maybe in our dreams or

according to Freud he calls it slip of the tongue you know when you are talking suddenly

you use a word which is irrelevant it seems to be a mistake, but you know it is like you

said it in real ok, but it may not be a mistake.

According to Freud these slip of the tongue or unconscious memory which comes out without

even our control ok.

So, these are three level of levels of awareness and these three levels of awareness plays

a very important role in our behaviour.

So, I will stop here now for the time beingI would request you to read about Sigmund Freud

and psychoanalytic theory.

Just search in Google or you know internet, read what the psychoanalytic theory says because

there are lot of interesting things Freud has said and his theory talks about ok; because

I am going to talk only limited amount of information about this theory ok.

I will stop here.

See you in the next lecture, take care.