Chapter 1 o
Introduction to Personality Theory o o o
Learning Objectives o
After reading Chapter 1, you should be able to:
o o o o o o o o
1. Express your own definition of personality.
o o o o o
2. Differentiate theory from (a) philosophy, (b) speculation, o o o o o o o (c) o
hypothesis, and (d) taxonomy. o o o
3. Defend the need for more than one theory.
o o o o o o o
4. Show how an understanding of the various theorists' life story is
o o o o o o o o o o o
related to their theory. o o o oo
5. Explain the relationship between theory and observations.
o o o o o o o
6. List and explain the criteria of a useful theory.
o o o o o o o o
7. Explain why falsifiability is a positive characteristic of a theory.
o o o o o o o o o
8. Discuss various components for a concept of humanity.
o o o o o o o
9. Define reliability and validity and explain why both
o o o o o o o o
concepts are important in personality research.
o o o o o
Summary Outline o
I. Overview of Personality Theory o o o
From the investigations of Freud during the last decade of the 19th centu
o o o o o o o o o o o o
ry until the present time, several personality theorists have (1) made cont
o o o o o o o o o o o
rolled observations of human behavior and (2) speculated on the meanin
o o o o o o o o o o
g of those observations. Differences in the theories of these men and wo
o o o oo o o o o o o o o
, men are due to more than differences in terminology. They stem from di
o o o o o o o o oo o o o
fferences on basic issues concerning the nature of humanity.
o o o o o o o o
II. What Is Personality? o o o
The term personality comes from the Latin word persona, meaning the m
o o o o o o o o o o o
ask people wear or the role they play in life. However, most psychologis
o o o o o o o o o oo o o
ts use the term to refer to much more than the face or facade people show
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
to others. Personality can be defined as a pattern of relatively permanent
o o o o o o o o o o o
traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individu
o o o o o o o o o o
ality to human behavior o o o
III. What is a Theory? o o o
The term theory is often used quite loosely and incorrectly to imply som
o o o o o o o o o o o o
ething other than a useful scientific concept. Theories are used by scienti
o o o o o o oo o o o o
sts to generate research and organize observations.
o o o o o o
A. Theory Defined o
A theory is a set of related assumptions that allow scientists to use logica
o o o o o o o o o o o o o
l deductive reasoning to formulate testable hypotheses
o o o o o o o
B. Theory and Its Relatives o o o
People often confuse theory with philosophy, speculation, hypothesis, o
o o o o o o o o
r taxonomy. Although theory is related to each of these concepts, it is no
o oo o o o o o o o o o o o
t synonymous with any of them. Philosophy—the love of wisdom—
o o o o o oo o o o
is a broader term than theory, but one branch of philosophy—
o o o o o o o o o o
epistemology—
relates to the nature of knowledge, and theories are used by scientists in
o o o o o o o o o o o o o
pursuit of knowledge. Theories rely on speculation, but speculation mu
o o oo o o o o o o
,st be based on the controlled observations of scientists. Science is the br
o o o o o o o o oo o o o
anch of study concerned with observation and classification of data and
o o o o o o o o o o o
with the verification of general laws. Theories are practical tools used b
o o o o o oo o o o o o
y scientists to guide research. A theory is more general than a hypothesi
o o o o oo o o o o o o o
s and may generate a multitude of hypotheses, that is, educated guesses.
o o o o o o o o o o o oo
A taxonomy is a classification system, and classification is necessary to
o o o o o o o o o o o
science. Taxonomies, however, do not generate hypotheses—
oo o o o o o
a necessary criterion of a useful theory.
o o o o o o
C. Why Different Theories?
o o o
Psychologists and other scientists have developed a variety of personalit
o o o o o o o o o
y theories because they have differed in their personal background, their
o o o o o o o o o o o
philosophical orientation, and the data they chose to observe. In additio
o o o o o o o o oo o
n, theories permit individual interpretation of the same observations, and
o o o o o o o o o
each theorist has had his or her own way of looking at things.
o o o o o o o o o o o o o
D. Theorists' Personalities and Their Theories of Personality
o o o o o o
Because personality theories evolve from a theorist's personality, psych
o o o o o o o o
ologists interested in the psychology of science have begun to study the
o o o o o o o o o o o o
personal traits of leading personality theorists and their possible impact
o o o o o o o o o o
on their scientific theories and research.
o o o o o
E. What Makes a Theory Useful? o o o o
A useful theory (1) generates research, both descriptive and hypothesis
o o o o o o o o o
testing; (2) is falsifiable; that is, it must generate research that can either
o o o o o o o o o o o o o
confirm or disconfirm its major tenets; (3) organizes and explains dat
o o o o o o oo o o o o
a into some intelligible framework; (4) guides action; that is, it provides
o o o o o o o o o o o
the practitioner with a road map for making day-to-
o o o o o o o o o
day decisions; (5) is internally consistent and relies on operational def
o o o o o o o o o o
, initions that define concepts in terms of specific operations; and (6) is p
o o o o o o o o o o o o
arsimonious, or simple. o o
IV. Dimensions for a Concept of Humanity o o o o o
Personality theorists have had different conceptions of human nature, an
o o o o o o o o o
d the authors of Theories of Personality use six dimensions for comparin
o o o o o o o o o o o
g these conceptions. The dimensions include determinism versus free c
o o o o o o o o o
hoice, pessimism versus optimism, causality versus teleology, consci
o o o o o o o
ous versus unconscious determinants of behavior, biological versus
o o o o o o o o
social influences on personality, and uniqueness versus similarities a
o o o o o o o o
mong people. o
V. Research in Personality Theory o o o
Personality theories, like other theories, are based on systematic researc
o o o o o o o o o
h that allows for the prediction of events. In researching human behavior
o o o o o o o o o o o
, personality theorists often use various measuring procedures, which m
o o o o o o o o o
ust be both reliable and valid. Reliability refers to a measuring instrume
o o o o o oo o o o o o
nt's consistency and includes test-
o o o o
retest reliability and internal consistency. Validity refers to the accurac
o o o o oo o o o o
y or truthfulness of test and includes predictive validity and construct val
o o o o o o o o o o o
idity.
Test Items
o
Fill-in-the-Blanks
Introduction to Personality Theory o o o
Learning Objectives o
After reading Chapter 1, you should be able to:
o o o o o o o o
1. Express your own definition of personality.
o o o o o
2. Differentiate theory from (a) philosophy, (b) speculation, o o o o o o o (c) o
hypothesis, and (d) taxonomy. o o o
3. Defend the need for more than one theory.
o o o o o o o
4. Show how an understanding of the various theorists' life story is
o o o o o o o o o o o
related to their theory. o o o oo
5. Explain the relationship between theory and observations.
o o o o o o o
6. List and explain the criteria of a useful theory.
o o o o o o o o
7. Explain why falsifiability is a positive characteristic of a theory.
o o o o o o o o o
8. Discuss various components for a concept of humanity.
o o o o o o o
9. Define reliability and validity and explain why both
o o o o o o o o
concepts are important in personality research.
o o o o o
Summary Outline o
I. Overview of Personality Theory o o o
From the investigations of Freud during the last decade of the 19th centu
o o o o o o o o o o o o
ry until the present time, several personality theorists have (1) made cont
o o o o o o o o o o o
rolled observations of human behavior and (2) speculated on the meanin
o o o o o o o o o o
g of those observations. Differences in the theories of these men and wo
o o o oo o o o o o o o o
, men are due to more than differences in terminology. They stem from di
o o o o o o o o oo o o o
fferences on basic issues concerning the nature of humanity.
o o o o o o o o
II. What Is Personality? o o o
The term personality comes from the Latin word persona, meaning the m
o o o o o o o o o o o
ask people wear or the role they play in life. However, most psychologis
o o o o o o o o o oo o o
ts use the term to refer to much more than the face or facade people show
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
to others. Personality can be defined as a pattern of relatively permanent
o o o o o o o o o o o
traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individu
o o o o o o o o o o
ality to human behavior o o o
III. What is a Theory? o o o
The term theory is often used quite loosely and incorrectly to imply som
o o o o o o o o o o o o
ething other than a useful scientific concept. Theories are used by scienti
o o o o o o oo o o o o
sts to generate research and organize observations.
o o o o o o
A. Theory Defined o
A theory is a set of related assumptions that allow scientists to use logica
o o o o o o o o o o o o o
l deductive reasoning to formulate testable hypotheses
o o o o o o o
B. Theory and Its Relatives o o o
People often confuse theory with philosophy, speculation, hypothesis, o
o o o o o o o o
r taxonomy. Although theory is related to each of these concepts, it is no
o oo o o o o o o o o o o o
t synonymous with any of them. Philosophy—the love of wisdom—
o o o o o oo o o o
is a broader term than theory, but one branch of philosophy—
o o o o o o o o o o
epistemology—
relates to the nature of knowledge, and theories are used by scientists in
o o o o o o o o o o o o o
pursuit of knowledge. Theories rely on speculation, but speculation mu
o o oo o o o o o o
,st be based on the controlled observations of scientists. Science is the br
o o o o o o o o oo o o o
anch of study concerned with observation and classification of data and
o o o o o o o o o o o
with the verification of general laws. Theories are practical tools used b
o o o o o oo o o o o o
y scientists to guide research. A theory is more general than a hypothesi
o o o o oo o o o o o o o
s and may generate a multitude of hypotheses, that is, educated guesses.
o o o o o o o o o o o oo
A taxonomy is a classification system, and classification is necessary to
o o o o o o o o o o o
science. Taxonomies, however, do not generate hypotheses—
oo o o o o o
a necessary criterion of a useful theory.
o o o o o o
C. Why Different Theories?
o o o
Psychologists and other scientists have developed a variety of personalit
o o o o o o o o o
y theories because they have differed in their personal background, their
o o o o o o o o o o o
philosophical orientation, and the data they chose to observe. In additio
o o o o o o o o oo o
n, theories permit individual interpretation of the same observations, and
o o o o o o o o o
each theorist has had his or her own way of looking at things.
o o o o o o o o o o o o o
D. Theorists' Personalities and Their Theories of Personality
o o o o o o
Because personality theories evolve from a theorist's personality, psych
o o o o o o o o
ologists interested in the psychology of science have begun to study the
o o o o o o o o o o o o
personal traits of leading personality theorists and their possible impact
o o o o o o o o o o
on their scientific theories and research.
o o o o o
E. What Makes a Theory Useful? o o o o
A useful theory (1) generates research, both descriptive and hypothesis
o o o o o o o o o
testing; (2) is falsifiable; that is, it must generate research that can either
o o o o o o o o o o o o o
confirm or disconfirm its major tenets; (3) organizes and explains dat
o o o o o o oo o o o o
a into some intelligible framework; (4) guides action; that is, it provides
o o o o o o o o o o o
the practitioner with a road map for making day-to-
o o o o o o o o o
day decisions; (5) is internally consistent and relies on operational def
o o o o o o o o o o
, initions that define concepts in terms of specific operations; and (6) is p
o o o o o o o o o o o o
arsimonious, or simple. o o
IV. Dimensions for a Concept of Humanity o o o o o
Personality theorists have had different conceptions of human nature, an
o o o o o o o o o
d the authors of Theories of Personality use six dimensions for comparin
o o o o o o o o o o o
g these conceptions. The dimensions include determinism versus free c
o o o o o o o o o
hoice, pessimism versus optimism, causality versus teleology, consci
o o o o o o o
ous versus unconscious determinants of behavior, biological versus
o o o o o o o o
social influences on personality, and uniqueness versus similarities a
o o o o o o o o
mong people. o
V. Research in Personality Theory o o o
Personality theories, like other theories, are based on systematic researc
o o o o o o o o o
h that allows for the prediction of events. In researching human behavior
o o o o o o o o o o o
, personality theorists often use various measuring procedures, which m
o o o o o o o o o
ust be both reliable and valid. Reliability refers to a measuring instrume
o o o o o oo o o o o o
nt's consistency and includes test-
o o o o
retest reliability and internal consistency. Validity refers to the accurac
o o o o oo o o o o
y or truthfulness of test and includes predictive validity and construct val
o o o o o o o o o o o
idity.
Test Items
o
Fill-in-the-Blanks
