Introduction to Personality Theory
Psychology of Personality
Lecture, Chapter 1
What is Personality?
“A pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give
both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior” (Feist & Feist, 2006,
p. 4).
“A stable set of tendencies and characteristics that determine those
commonalities and differences in people’s psychological behavior (thoughts,
feelings, and actions) that have continuity in time and that may not be easily
understood as the sole result of the social and biological pressures of the
moment” (Maddi, 1996, p. 8).
Definition of Personality
Three Levels of Personality Analysis
Kluckhohn & Murray (1948) stated that every human being is:
What is Theory?
A scientific theory is a set of related assumptions that allows scientists to
use logical deductive reasoning to formulate testable hypotheses.
Cycle of Research:
Empirical research results in raw data.
Repeated data leads to inductive reasoning to develop
empirical generalizations.
An organized group of empirical generalizations and
assumptions leads to a theory.
Deductive reasoning is used to formulate researchable
hypotheses from the tenets of a theory.
Theory must be testable in research.
Theory and Its Relatives
Philosophy
Speculation
Hypothesis
Taxonomy
Important Aspects of Theories
Generates research
Falsifiable
Organizes data
Guides action
Internally consistent
Parsimonious
According to Maddi (1976), theory should be important, operational,
parsimonious, precise, empirically valid, and stimulating.
Research in Personality Theory
Data comes from research AND practice, or everyday observations.
Personality instruments have been developed to systemize, or make repeatable,
observations and predictions.
Reliability
Validity
Construct validity – the extent to which an instrument
measures a hypothetical construct.
Convergent
Divergent
Discriminant
Predictive validity – the extent to which an instrument
predicts some future behavior.
Dimensions of Personality Theory
Determinism vs. free choice
Pessimism vs. optimism
Causality vs. teleology
Conscious vs. unconscious
Biological vs. social
Uniqueness vs. similarities