A. Before you read - think and discuss

1. What types of personality do you know?

2. Have you heard about the theories of personalities and their authors?

Theories of Personality

Personality is the pattern of behaviour, thinking and feeling that characterize the individual and the way he adapts to the world.

Personality psychologists are interested in describing and explaining human differences. There are different theories that have tried to explain personality and its development. Some theories say that biological and genetic factors are responsible for our personality, the others say that life experiences are more important.

Each level is less biological and more social. Basic needs must be satisfied first. When a person satisfies one level, this satisfaction activates needs at the next level. For example, after the basic physiological needs are satisfied, safety and security become motivating.

This theory is important because it shows how complex the human needs are.

It was Maslow who formally introduced to psychology the model of a healthy, optimally functioning individual. 

Researchers have identified personality traits in 10-year-olds that can determine how successful they may be as adults. Contrary to these expectations, children who were often worried, played on their own, cried a lot had the tendency to develop into successful adults. As an adult, a person was not expected to smoke or commit a crime. The researchers explained that solitary children could make up their minds and not to be influenced by others.

The research showed that children who destroyed their toys, were disobedient and bullied the others could be dissatisfied with their adult life.

Children who stole, got into fights, told lies had a great chance of being out of work, smoking.

Children who had plenty of self-esteem and had good friendships with other children had better chances of success as adults.

Emma Cahill, 28, who recently founded her own publishing company, said she had a good social life at the age of 10. “I have never felt foolish in front of my friends and my parents always wanted to listen to my ideas. I hated quarrels and avoided them.”

Roy O’Neill, a 40-year-old, said that at 30 he was suffering from depression and his wife wanted to divorce him. He says: “When I was 10, I used to set fire to my toy soldiers. I was fighting and I was a liar. I look miserable at all photos”.

Boys who blamed the others for their problems were likely to enter adult life with poor qualifications and have low income. Good maths skills in girls and good reading skills in boys were connected with greater happiness in adult life. Friendship with other children meant less chance of depression later in life.

Other research showed that the way teenagers spend their time can influence their later lives, no matter what the social class of their parents is.  

PEOPLE MEET PEOPLE:  How different are the attitudes of different people to other people! One person, during a long train journey, will not observe other travellers. The other will analyze their character, try to guess about their circumstances, even discover secret histories of some of them.

Some people find almost everybody boring, others develop friendship. Take again such thing as travelling: some people will travel through many countries, always going to the best hotels, eating exactly the same food as they wood eat at home, meeting the same idle rich people, discussing the same topics. When they get home, they feel happy that this boring journey is finished. Other people will meet local people, observe what is interesting historically or socially, eat food of the country, learn the customs and the language, and come home with new impressions and ideas.

In all these different situations the person who has the curiosity and interest in life has the advantage over the person who has none.

I) Say if these sentences are True or False:

1. The pattern of behaviour, thinking and feeling that characterize the individual and the way he adapts to the world is called personality.

2. The author of humanistic approach is B.Skinner.

3. The authors of big five trait theory are G.Allport, H.Eysenck.

4. In behavioral approach personality is a collection of learnt behaviour formed by environment.

5. According to research children who were often worried, played on their own, cried a lot had the tendency to develop into successful adults.

6. The researchers explained that solitary children could make up their minds to be influenced by others.

7. The research showed that children who destroyed their toys, were obedient and bullied the others could be satisfied with their adult life.

8. According to the research works awful maths skills in boys and good reading skills in girls were connected with greater happiness in adult life.

9. Research works show that the friendship with other children meant less chance of depression later in life.

10.    Personality psychologists are interested in describing and explaining human differences.

II) Answer the questions below in full sentences:

1. What is personality?

2. What are the approaches explaining the personality?

3. Who are the authors of social learning approach?

4. What are the basic ideas of psychodynamic theory?

5. What basic ideas do the social learning include?

6. What approach was created by B.Skinner?

7. What basic dimensions do the five big theory include?

8. What did Roy O’Neill, a 40-year-old, say about his life experience?

9. What did Emma Cahil say about her feelings when she was 10 years old?

10. How different are the attitudes of different people?

III) PERSONALITY QUIZ. HOW EASILY ARE YOU TEMPTED?

1. Your definition of temptation is:

a) the root of all evil;

b) your best friend’s boyfriend/ girlfriend;

c) Tom Cruise, Belgian chocolate, apple pie.

1. You go into your sister’s bedroom to borrow a cassette. Under a pile of magazines you see her diary. You:

a) don’t touch it. If she caught you she would kill you;

b) take a diary to your room and read it from start to finish. She has a poor memory, she’ll forget where she’s put it;

c) read a few pages, then get out of the room very fast.

1. You open the fridge and come face to face with a huge chocolate cake. You know it’s tonight’s dessert so you:

a) take it out of the fridge and cut yourself a nice big slice. What’s the difference when you’ll eat it?

b) make sure nobody’s looking and take a bit;

c) think about cutting yourself a slice, then change your mind.

1. You pay for your shampoo with a $10 note. You can hardly believe your eyes when the assistant puts $18 change. He thinks you gave him $20. You:

a) give him back the extra money immediately. You wouldn’t like him to lose his job;

b) take the change and wander about the shop while you decide what to do, then go back and give the change;

c) take the change and get away fast.

1. You’ve got to write an essay tonight but an interesting film is on TV.

a) promise yourself you’ll watch 10 minutes, then turn it off;

b) watch the whole film. You can not miss it;

c) write an essay.

1. You mate’s girlfriend/ boyfriend asks you out. Although he/ she is very nice, you know it’s wrong, so you;

a) accept anyway. When will you get another chance like this?

b) give him/ her a cold look and promise to tell your mate;

c) think about the invitation for a few minutes and decide against it.