Personality

Definition: The unique qualities of an individual and how

those qualities affect understanding of themselves and others

The Role of Heredity and the Brain External appearance – due to genetics Internal characteristics – nature vs. nurture –

Twin Studies show that 40% are fixed…60% developable

How would you describe it?

Is it inherited? Are you more like your mom or dad?

Does it change over time?

Does it change depending on who you are with?

Trait Theory - understand individuals by breaking down behavior patterns into observable traits

Psychodynamic Theory - emphasizes the unconscious determinants of behavior

Humanistic Theory - emphasizes individual growth and improvement

Integrative Approach - describes personality as a composite of an individual’s psychological processes

The Four Perspectives on Personality

Perspective Behavior Springs From Assessment Techniques Evaluation

Psychoanalytic Unconscious conflicts Projective tests aimed at A speculative, hard-to-test between pleasure-seeking revealing unconscious theory with enormous cul-

impulses and social restraints motivations tural impact

Trait Expressing biologically (a)Personality inventories A descriptive approach crit- influenced dispositions, such that assess the strengths icized as sometimes under-

as extraversion or introversion of different traits estimating the variability (b)Peer ratings of behavior of behavior from situation patterns to situation

Humanistic Processing conscious feelings (a)Questionnaire A humane theory that about oneself in the light of assessments reinvigorated contemporary

one’s experiences (b)Empathic interviews interest in the self; criticized as subjective and sometimes naively self-centered and

optimistic

Social-cognitive Reciprocal influences between (a)Questionnaire assessments Art interactive theory that in- people and their situation, of people’s feelings of control tegrates research on learning,

colored by perceptions of (b) Observations of people’s cognition, and social behavior, control behavior in particular criticized as underestimating

situations the importance of emotions and enduring traits

How much of your personality was developed, learned, strengthened over time?

Socialization trains us how to act in relationship to others. Parents are our first teachers.

How much of personality is based on genetics?

30

30

40genetics

trained-permanent

trained-adjustable

Heredity

Environment

Situation

Challenging jobs Relevant Training Timely and consistent feedback Mentoring relationships Orientation programs Work group morale

Socialization does have a long run impact, but not on everything.

Extraversion Gregarious, assertive, sociable

Agreeableness Cooperative, warm, agreeable

Conscientiousness Hardworking, organized, dependable

Emotional stability Calm, self-confidant, cool

Openness to experience

Creative, curious, cultured

Souces: P. T. Costa and R. R. McCrae, The NEO-PI Personality Inventory (Odessa, Fla.: Psychological Assessment Resources, 1992); J. F. Salgado, “The Factor Model of Personality and Job Performance in the European Community,” Journal of Applied Psychology 82 (1997): 30-43.

Self-Esteem Your belief as to your competence and your image High self-esteem – positive attitudes, feelings, and

satisfaction Locus of Control

Generalized Self Efficacy

Neuroticism (emotional stability)

Core Self Evaluation Traits

Self-EsteemFeelings of Self Worth

Success tendsto increaseself-esteem

Failure tendsto decreaseself-esteem

Locus of ControlInternal External

I control what happens to me!

People and circumstances

control my fate!

Learn ed He lp l essn essLearn ed He lp l essn ess

Uncontrollablebad events

Perceivedlack of control

Generalizedhelpless behavior

Impor tan t IssueImpor tan t Issue• Nursing Homes

• Prisons•Colleges

Generalized Self-Efficacy - beliefs and expectations about one’s ability to accomplish a specific task effectively

Sources of self-efficacy Prior experiences and prior success Behavior models (observing success) Persuasion Assessment of current physical & emotional

capabilities

High self monitors flexible: adjust

behavior according to the situation and the behavior of others

can appear unpredictable & inconsistent

Low self monitors act from internal states

rather than from situational cues

show consistency less likely to respond to

work group norms or supervisory feedback

Self-MonitoringBehavior based on cues from people & situations

Low-self monitors

High-self monitors

Get promoted

Change employers

Make a job-related geographic move

Accomplish tasks, meet other’s expectations, seek out central positions in social networks

Self-promote

Demonstrate higher levels of managerial self-awareness; base behavior on other’s

cues and the situation

Positive Affect - an individual’s tendency to accentuate the positive aspects of oneself, other people, and the world in general

Negative Affect - an individual’s tendency to accentuate the negative aspects of oneself, other people, and the world in general

A strong situation can

overwhelm the effectsof individual personalitiesby providing strong cues

for appropriate behavior

Strong personalities

will dominatein a weaksituation

Type A Personality

Extreme importance to time

Meeting deadlines

Highly ambitious

Do lots of task at the same time

Quick and fast in everything

Always in sense of urgency

Type B personality Maintains low profile

Do one thing at a time

Enjoys leisure time

Relaxed and calm

Projective Test - elicits an individual’s response to abstract stimuli

Behavioral Measures - personality assessments that involve observing an individual’s behavior in a controlled situation

Self-Report Questionnaire - assessment involving an individual’s responses to questions

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) - instrument measuring Jung’s theory of individual differences.

Based on Carl Jung’s work People are fundamentally different People are fundamentally alike People have preference combinations for

extraversion/introversion, perception, judgment Briggs & Myers developed the MBTI to

understand individual differences

Personality Types

• Extroverted vs. Introverted (E or I)

• Sensing vs. Intuitive (S or N)

• Thinking vs. Feeling (T or F)

• Judging vs. Perceiving (P or J)

Score is a combination of all four (e.g., ENTJ)

Personality Types

• Extroverted vs. Introverted (E or I)

• Sensing vs. Intuitive (S or N)

• Thinking vs. Feeling (T or F)

• Judging vs. Perceiving (P or J)

Score is a combination of all four (e.g., ENTJ)

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

A personality test that taps four characteristics and classifies people into 1 of 16 personality types.

A Meyers-Briggs score Can be a valuable too for self-awareness and career

guidance

BUT Should not be used as a selection tool because it has

not been related to job performance!!!

Preferences Represents

Extraversion Introversion How one re-energizes

Sensing Intuiting How one gathers information

Thinking Feeling How one makes decisions

Judging Perceiving How one orients to the outer world

Big 5, MBTI Matter in:

Certain jobs (sales, leadership) At certain times (e.g., status quo, crisis) More than performance?

Honesty Theft Absenteeism Turnover Commitment/Satisfaction

Do you feel organizations should hire people based upon their personality characteristics?

What are the issues with this?

When people are hired into a job (e.g., engineering) do you think the personality is attracted to the job, or the job shapes the personality? Why?

© 2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Review Exercise: Personality

Pragati arrives to class and realizes that she’s Pragati arrives to class and realizes that she’s

forgotten her homework to turn in. She says “Oh forgotten her homework to turn in. She says “Oh

man, it’s just not my lucky day today.” Pragati has man, it’s just not my lucky day today.” Pragati has

______________.______________.

Pragati has a high external locus of control. Pragati

believes that things outside of her control determine

what happens.

If Pragati works on a team with you, and you

have a very high internal locus of control, what

kinds of discussions do you think the two of you

might have? Discuss with a friend.

Prerna is known for being a go-getter.

She never leaves a task incomplete, and

is involved in a number of activities.

Moreover, she’s at the top of her class.

She’s so busy that sometimes, she forgets

to stop and eat lunch. Prerna can be

easily characterized as someone that

has/is a Type ____ Personality.

Review Exercise : Personality

A

Prerna is also likely to not be very

• Happy?

• Fun?

• Creative?

• Stressed?

Review Exercise : Personality

In general, Type A’s are rarely creative because they generally don’t allocate the necessary time for new solution development; they usually rely on past experiences to solve problems in order to be speedy.

Personality Types

• Realistic

• Investigative

• Social

• Conventional

• Enterprising

• Artistic

Personality Types

• Realistic

• Investigative

• Social

• Conventional

• Enterprising

• Artistic

Personality-Job Fit Theory (Holland)

Identifies six personality types and proposes that the fit between personality type and occupational environment determines satisfaction and turnover.

Source: Reprinted by special permission of the publisher, Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc., from Making Vocational Choices, copyright 1973, 1985, 1992 by Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc. All rights reserved.