PYC4804
EXAM PACK
,Personology is the branch of psychology which focuses on the study of the
individual’s characteristics and of differences
between people.
Chapter One: Personology outcome of a purposeful, sustained
effort to develop a logically consistent
conceptual system for describing,
Everyday knowledge of Human explaining or predicting human
Nature involves the ability to Behaviour.
judge, understand, explain and The particular nature and purpose of
predict Behaviour of one’s fellow this conceptual handling of human
human beings. functioning differs from theory to
theory, includes some of the
Everyone has this kind of following.
knowledge but not everyone - an underlying view of the person
develops it to the same degree. - certain proposals about the
structure of personality and how
Our Ability to “judge” people the structure functions.
depends mainly on four (4) - Ideas about what motivates
sources of information; human Behaviour.
1. Cultural Tradition - A description of human
2. Direct communication from development and propositions
others about ideal human development.
3. observations of other - Reflections on the nature and
behaviours causes of behavioural problems
4. self-observations or psychopathology.
- An explanation of how human
Cultural Tradition: is an Behaviour might be controlled
especially rich source of and possibly changed.
- Ideas about how to study,
The Complexity of Humans and their Behaviour measure and predict Behaviour.
information. However, it is not Human Behaviour: is a highly
always reliable, as it is complex phenomenon which is
unsystematic, inaccurate, determined by a wide range of
contradictory and at times simply interdependent factors.
wrong.
Factors which have an influence on
Behaviour:
Personologists aim at improving
- Biological Factors such as the
such everyday knowledge about nervous system
people by basing their theories - The food one eats
on scientific methods. - Environmental circumstances
such as weather
Personology may be described - Environmental stimuli such as the
as the formal scientific things people say
counterpart of our informal - Social Factors such as the things
knowledge of human nature. people say
Personality Theory: is the - Overall social Milieu and culture
in which one lives
, 1.
- psychological and spiritual 2. Existentialists hold that
factors such as one’s people direct their own lives
emotions, motivation, habits, through the ideals they set for
opinions, values and goals. themselves.
Personality Theories: A Systematic Overview
Depth psychological 3. Rogers (Humanistic) however
approaches contends that people naturally
- Contend that Behaviour is strive for the fullest
determined by forces within development of their inherited
the person of which he/she potential.
is mostly unaware 4. Kelly emphasizes the efforts
- These theorists however humans make to predict
hold different views – nature events in their environment.
of forces and degrees of Alternative Perspective
conscious control over - Ecosystemic approach is
such forces. emphasized that individuals can
Behavioural and Learning only be understood as parts of
theoretical approaches the complex totality of more
- These theorists have a encompassing systems in which
totally different view they are embedded.
- They emphasize the study of - Eastern and African perspectives
observable Behaviour and show how views of human
consider learning and functioning are embedded in
environmental influences to religious and other cultural
be the most important traditions, and the implications of
determents of Behaviour. some of these views for modern
1. Extreme Behaviourists, psychology are investigated.
like Skinner, contend that
all Behaviour and learning
can be explained without KEY TERMS:
any reference to the Character: These aspects of the
needs or conscious personality involving the persons
experiences. views
2. Social Cognitive
Personalism: A holistic approach to
Learning Theory, such the person Personality: The
as Bandura, constantly changing but nevertheless
acknowledges that relatively stable organization of all
learning can take place physical, psychological and spiritual
through the imitation of characteristics of the individual which
others, and that the determine his/her Behaviour in
individuals cognitions interaction with context.
play an important role in
the learning process.
Person Orientated Approach
- View depth psychology and
behaviourism as inadequate
because these theorists
study only certain aspects of
the person.
- There are so many points of
difference between these
theories, particularly with
regard to identifying overall
goals of a person’s life.
, Personality Theory: The Transnationalism: Behaviour is
outcome of a purposeful, determined by the transactions
sustained effort to develop a between the person, the situation and
logically consistent conceptual the Behaviour.
system for describing, explaining Interactionalism: The view that
or predicting human Behaviour Behaviour is the outcome of the
Situationism; The view that the individual’s characteristics and
situation is the most important situations that occur. Intra-Personal
determent of Behaviour Factors: Factors inside the person.
Historical Overview of Psychological Thinking
There are various philosophical
Psychology as part of philosophy (±400 BC assumptions about the relationships
±1600)
between soul and body that underlie
- The first forays into the basic views of the person inherent
psychology can be traced in the different personality theories.
back to Plato (427 – 347 BC)
and Aristotle (384 Monism: This philosophical
-322 BC) assumption sees a single aspect or
- Laid down the basic principle as being absolute.
principles of human Materialism: This is an example of a
Behaviour. Particularly with monistic point of view that recognises
regard to the structure and the body as the only manifestation of
functions of the soul or mind human existence. In this view, all
- This was later amplified by objects and events, including
St Augustine (354 – 430) who psychological processes such as
tried to reconcile Plato’s thinking, willing and feelings are
psychology with Christian experienced solely as observable
doctrines – (Pg. 24) physiological processes. Materialistic
- A similar attempt was monism developed in psychology in
undertaken by Thomas tandem with the growing popularity of
Aquinas (1225 – 1274), who the empirical method and led
tried to integrate Aristotle’s ultimately to behaviourism and
thinking and Christianity. reflexology. Materialism is at the
- “Age of Reason” which had opposite pole from mentalism and
the human being as its focal psychological trends in which
point. psychological phenomena are treated
⟶ The human being and as non- observable mental
the world replaced God processes.
as the main topic of Mentalism: This is also an example
philosophical reflection, of monistic view, which rests on the
and human reason philosophical hypothesis that all
replaced faith. psychological phenomena, such as
⟶ The fact that knowledge thought, will and emotions can be
ceased to be linked with ascribed to higher, non-observable
religion and faith mental processes, and should be
brought about a distinguished from physiological
veritable explosion of processes. This view is expressed in
scholarship and the some of the earlier schools of thought
next two centuries saw in psychology which were embedded
the flowering of the in the human sciences
natural sciences in
particular.
Enrichment
EXAM PACK
,Personology is the branch of psychology which focuses on the study of the
individual’s characteristics and of differences
between people.
Chapter One: Personology outcome of a purposeful, sustained
effort to develop a logically consistent
conceptual system for describing,
Everyday knowledge of Human explaining or predicting human
Nature involves the ability to Behaviour.
judge, understand, explain and The particular nature and purpose of
predict Behaviour of one’s fellow this conceptual handling of human
human beings. functioning differs from theory to
theory, includes some of the
Everyone has this kind of following.
knowledge but not everyone - an underlying view of the person
develops it to the same degree. - certain proposals about the
structure of personality and how
Our Ability to “judge” people the structure functions.
depends mainly on four (4) - Ideas about what motivates
sources of information; human Behaviour.
1. Cultural Tradition - A description of human
2. Direct communication from development and propositions
others about ideal human development.
3. observations of other - Reflections on the nature and
behaviours causes of behavioural problems
4. self-observations or psychopathology.
- An explanation of how human
Cultural Tradition: is an Behaviour might be controlled
especially rich source of and possibly changed.
- Ideas about how to study,
The Complexity of Humans and their Behaviour measure and predict Behaviour.
information. However, it is not Human Behaviour: is a highly
always reliable, as it is complex phenomenon which is
unsystematic, inaccurate, determined by a wide range of
contradictory and at times simply interdependent factors.
wrong.
Factors which have an influence on
Behaviour:
Personologists aim at improving
- Biological Factors such as the
such everyday knowledge about nervous system
people by basing their theories - The food one eats
on scientific methods. - Environmental circumstances
such as weather
Personology may be described - Environmental stimuli such as the
as the formal scientific things people say
counterpart of our informal - Social Factors such as the things
knowledge of human nature. people say
Personality Theory: is the - Overall social Milieu and culture
in which one lives
, 1.
- psychological and spiritual 2. Existentialists hold that
factors such as one’s people direct their own lives
emotions, motivation, habits, through the ideals they set for
opinions, values and goals. themselves.
Personality Theories: A Systematic Overview
Depth psychological 3. Rogers (Humanistic) however
approaches contends that people naturally
- Contend that Behaviour is strive for the fullest
determined by forces within development of their inherited
the person of which he/she potential.
is mostly unaware 4. Kelly emphasizes the efforts
- These theorists however humans make to predict
hold different views – nature events in their environment.
of forces and degrees of Alternative Perspective
conscious control over - Ecosystemic approach is
such forces. emphasized that individuals can
Behavioural and Learning only be understood as parts of
theoretical approaches the complex totality of more
- These theorists have a encompassing systems in which
totally different view they are embedded.
- They emphasize the study of - Eastern and African perspectives
observable Behaviour and show how views of human
consider learning and functioning are embedded in
environmental influences to religious and other cultural
be the most important traditions, and the implications of
determents of Behaviour. some of these views for modern
1. Extreme Behaviourists, psychology are investigated.
like Skinner, contend that
all Behaviour and learning
can be explained without KEY TERMS:
any reference to the Character: These aspects of the
needs or conscious personality involving the persons
experiences. views
2. Social Cognitive
Personalism: A holistic approach to
Learning Theory, such the person Personality: The
as Bandura, constantly changing but nevertheless
acknowledges that relatively stable organization of all
learning can take place physical, psychological and spiritual
through the imitation of characteristics of the individual which
others, and that the determine his/her Behaviour in
individuals cognitions interaction with context.
play an important role in
the learning process.
Person Orientated Approach
- View depth psychology and
behaviourism as inadequate
because these theorists
study only certain aspects of
the person.
- There are so many points of
difference between these
theories, particularly with
regard to identifying overall
goals of a person’s life.
, Personality Theory: The Transnationalism: Behaviour is
outcome of a purposeful, determined by the transactions
sustained effort to develop a between the person, the situation and
logically consistent conceptual the Behaviour.
system for describing, explaining Interactionalism: The view that
or predicting human Behaviour Behaviour is the outcome of the
Situationism; The view that the individual’s characteristics and
situation is the most important situations that occur. Intra-Personal
determent of Behaviour Factors: Factors inside the person.
Historical Overview of Psychological Thinking
There are various philosophical
Psychology as part of philosophy (±400 BC assumptions about the relationships
±1600)
between soul and body that underlie
- The first forays into the basic views of the person inherent
psychology can be traced in the different personality theories.
back to Plato (427 – 347 BC)
and Aristotle (384 Monism: This philosophical
-322 BC) assumption sees a single aspect or
- Laid down the basic principle as being absolute.
principles of human Materialism: This is an example of a
Behaviour. Particularly with monistic point of view that recognises
regard to the structure and the body as the only manifestation of
functions of the soul or mind human existence. In this view, all
- This was later amplified by objects and events, including
St Augustine (354 – 430) who psychological processes such as
tried to reconcile Plato’s thinking, willing and feelings are
psychology with Christian experienced solely as observable
doctrines – (Pg. 24) physiological processes. Materialistic
- A similar attempt was monism developed in psychology in
undertaken by Thomas tandem with the growing popularity of
Aquinas (1225 – 1274), who the empirical method and led
tried to integrate Aristotle’s ultimately to behaviourism and
thinking and Christianity. reflexology. Materialism is at the
- “Age of Reason” which had opposite pole from mentalism and
the human being as its focal psychological trends in which
point. psychological phenomena are treated
⟶ The human being and as non- observable mental
the world replaced God processes.
as the main topic of Mentalism: This is also an example
philosophical reflection, of monistic view, which rests on the
and human reason philosophical hypothesis that all
replaced faith. psychological phenomena, such as
⟶ The fact that knowledge thought, will and emotions can be
ceased to be linked with ascribed to higher, non-observable
religion and faith mental processes, and should be
brought about a distinguished from physiological
veritable explosion of processes. This view is expressed in
scholarship and the some of the earlier schools of thought
next two centuries saw in psychology which were embedded
the flowering of the in the human sciences
natural sciences in
particular.
Enrichment
