Chapter 1
Personology & historical overview of PYCal thinking
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Personology & everyday knowledge of human nature ............................................................. 2
Why = there so many personality theories? ................................................................................ 3
Complexity of humans & behaviour .......................................................................................... 3
Practical & ethical problems research ................................................................................... 3
Large variety assumption concerning person & scientific research .................................. 3
Def of key concepts ........................................................................................................................... 3
Person .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Personology .................................................................................................................................... 4
Some related concepts ................................................................................................................. 5
Character ..................................................................................................................................... 5
Temperament & nature ............................................................................................................ 5
Self ................................................................................................................................................ 5
Variety of options about personality ............................................................................................. 5
Personality, situation & behaviour ............................................................................................. 5
Personism .................................................................................................................................... 5
Situationalism ............................................................................................................................. 6
Interactionalism .......................................................................................................................... 6
Personality theories: systematic overview ............................................................................... 7
Closer look at personality theories. ............................................................................................... 8
Background ..................................................................................................................................... 8
View of person underlying theory ............................................................................................. 8
Strc of personality ......................................................................................................................... 8
Dynamics of personality ............................................................................................................... 8
Development of personality ........................................................................................................ 8
Optimal development ................................................................................................................... 8
Page | 1
, Views on psychopathology ......................................................................................................... 8
Implications & applications ......................................................................................................... 9
Interpretation & handling of aggression .................................................................................. 9
Evaluation of theory ...................................................................................................................... 9
Personality theory
PERSONOLOGY & EVERYDAY
KNOWLEDGE OF HUMAN NATURE Outcome purposeful, sustained effort –
develop logically consistent conceptual
Key Concepts
system for describing, explaining &/
Personology
predicting human behaviour.
Branch of psychology
*
Focus = study of indiv’s characteristics
Ability – judge people depends on 4
& differences between people.
sources of info:
Everyday knowledge of human nature
❖ Cultural tradition
Ability – judge, understand, explain &
❖ Direct communications from
predict behaviour of humans.
others
Page | 2
, ❖ Observation of other’s behaviour Complexity of humans &
❖ Self-observation
behaviour
Aim Personologists = improve everyday
Determined → interdependent factors:
knowledge (stereotypes/bias) → basing
biological factors, environmental
theories on scientific methods.
circumstances, social factors,
Most comprehensive elements of
psychological & spiritual factors.
personology = form of personality
Each personality theory highlights on of
theories.
many “facets” of a “diamond” through
Nature & purpose of conceptual
the eyes of a Personologists/theorist.
handling of human functioning includes:
❖ View of person Practical & ethical problems
❖ Strc of personality & how strc research
functions.
People can → treated similar to
❖ What motivates human
concentration camps (hunger, thirst,
behaviour.
cruelty & isolation) – see results,
❖ Human development &
impossible, practical & ethical
propositions about ideal human
considerations.
development.
Personologists confine research –
❖ Nature & causes of behavioural
random studies of people.
problems/psychopathology.
❖ How human behaviour might be Large variety assumption
controlled concerning person & scientific
❖ How to study, measure & predict research
behaviour
Assumptions = difficult – change, =
WHY = THERE SO MANY convictions that based facts.
PERSONALITY THEORIES?
❖ Complexity of humans & DEF OF KEY CONCEPTS
behaviour Person
❖ Practical & ethical problems
Indiv human being
research
Acts independently.
❖ Large variety assumptions
*
concerning person & scientific
Referred – mask actors wore Roman
research
times.
Page | 3
, Also implies independence of behaviour. / say some action
Person refers to: confuses us, behaviour fit with
Indiv person’s personality.
personology:
Group
Whatever makes people who
Corporation
they are (that which allows us –
Society make predictions about indiv’s
Function independently. behaviour) / basis that we say we
Definition implies acknowledgement of know someone well.
capacity for free decision-making. Behaviourists acknowledge spiritual
Non-deterministic view shared → all attributes as determinant of behaviour.
Personologists. Extreme behaviourist
Deterministic Personologists (Skinner) (Skinner) avoids word
avoided using ‘person’ & simply ‘personality’ & agree
described people as ‘organisms’. with following:
Personology NB observations:
Constantly changing, nevertheless People show little/no change
relatively stable org of all physical, some respect, = changing
psychological & spiritual characteristics continually changing other
of indiv that determines behaviour respects. (Meeting between long-
interaction with context of which indiv standing friends after long
finds themselves. separation.)
* Indiv’s characteristics
Often describes indiv’s social dimension. exist/function isolation.
Someone using
Attributes = integrated with each
influence/impresses people easily.
other complex way – influence
Colloquial language:
each other constantly. (2 Very
Refer – someone’s general
intelligent people have different
behaviour patterns/nature.
academic achievements depending
Predictions = made about
on motivation, perseverance,
behaviour on basis of his/her
interest, etc.)
personality.
Page | 4
Personology & historical overview of PYCal thinking
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Personology & everyday knowledge of human nature ............................................................. 2
Why = there so many personality theories? ................................................................................ 3
Complexity of humans & behaviour .......................................................................................... 3
Practical & ethical problems research ................................................................................... 3
Large variety assumption concerning person & scientific research .................................. 3
Def of key concepts ........................................................................................................................... 3
Person .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Personology .................................................................................................................................... 4
Some related concepts ................................................................................................................. 5
Character ..................................................................................................................................... 5
Temperament & nature ............................................................................................................ 5
Self ................................................................................................................................................ 5
Variety of options about personality ............................................................................................. 5
Personality, situation & behaviour ............................................................................................. 5
Personism .................................................................................................................................... 5
Situationalism ............................................................................................................................. 6
Interactionalism .......................................................................................................................... 6
Personality theories: systematic overview ............................................................................... 7
Closer look at personality theories. ............................................................................................... 8
Background ..................................................................................................................................... 8
View of person underlying theory ............................................................................................. 8
Strc of personality ......................................................................................................................... 8
Dynamics of personality ............................................................................................................... 8
Development of personality ........................................................................................................ 8
Optimal development ................................................................................................................... 8
Page | 1
, Views on psychopathology ......................................................................................................... 8
Implications & applications ......................................................................................................... 9
Interpretation & handling of aggression .................................................................................. 9
Evaluation of theory ...................................................................................................................... 9
Personality theory
PERSONOLOGY & EVERYDAY
KNOWLEDGE OF HUMAN NATURE Outcome purposeful, sustained effort –
develop logically consistent conceptual
Key Concepts
system for describing, explaining &/
Personology
predicting human behaviour.
Branch of psychology
*
Focus = study of indiv’s characteristics
Ability – judge people depends on 4
& differences between people.
sources of info:
Everyday knowledge of human nature
❖ Cultural tradition
Ability – judge, understand, explain &
❖ Direct communications from
predict behaviour of humans.
others
Page | 2
, ❖ Observation of other’s behaviour Complexity of humans &
❖ Self-observation
behaviour
Aim Personologists = improve everyday
Determined → interdependent factors:
knowledge (stereotypes/bias) → basing
biological factors, environmental
theories on scientific methods.
circumstances, social factors,
Most comprehensive elements of
psychological & spiritual factors.
personology = form of personality
Each personality theory highlights on of
theories.
many “facets” of a “diamond” through
Nature & purpose of conceptual
the eyes of a Personologists/theorist.
handling of human functioning includes:
❖ View of person Practical & ethical problems
❖ Strc of personality & how strc research
functions.
People can → treated similar to
❖ What motivates human
concentration camps (hunger, thirst,
behaviour.
cruelty & isolation) – see results,
❖ Human development &
impossible, practical & ethical
propositions about ideal human
considerations.
development.
Personologists confine research –
❖ Nature & causes of behavioural
random studies of people.
problems/psychopathology.
❖ How human behaviour might be Large variety assumption
controlled concerning person & scientific
❖ How to study, measure & predict research
behaviour
Assumptions = difficult – change, =
WHY = THERE SO MANY convictions that based facts.
PERSONALITY THEORIES?
❖ Complexity of humans & DEF OF KEY CONCEPTS
behaviour Person
❖ Practical & ethical problems
Indiv human being
research
Acts independently.
❖ Large variety assumptions
*
concerning person & scientific
Referred – mask actors wore Roman
research
times.
Page | 3
, Also implies independence of behaviour. / say some action
Person refers to: confuses us, behaviour fit with
Indiv person’s personality.
personology:
Group
Whatever makes people who
Corporation
they are (that which allows us –
Society make predictions about indiv’s
Function independently. behaviour) / basis that we say we
Definition implies acknowledgement of know someone well.
capacity for free decision-making. Behaviourists acknowledge spiritual
Non-deterministic view shared → all attributes as determinant of behaviour.
Personologists. Extreme behaviourist
Deterministic Personologists (Skinner) (Skinner) avoids word
avoided using ‘person’ & simply ‘personality’ & agree
described people as ‘organisms’. with following:
Personology NB observations:
Constantly changing, nevertheless People show little/no change
relatively stable org of all physical, some respect, = changing
psychological & spiritual characteristics continually changing other
of indiv that determines behaviour respects. (Meeting between long-
interaction with context of which indiv standing friends after long
finds themselves. separation.)
* Indiv’s characteristics
Often describes indiv’s social dimension. exist/function isolation.
Someone using
Attributes = integrated with each
influence/impresses people easily.
other complex way – influence
Colloquial language:
each other constantly. (2 Very
Refer – someone’s general
intelligent people have different
behaviour patterns/nature.
academic achievements depending
Predictions = made about
on motivation, perseverance,
behaviour on basis of his/her
interest, etc.)
personality.
Page | 4
