MPI (Maudsley personality inventory ) practical report PDF

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It is about personality. Different type of personality. And how to identify the personality of a person...

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Maudsley Personality Inventory -Practical report.

Maudsley Personality Inventory – Practical.

Aim: To assess the personality of the subject using Maudsley Personality Inventory developed by H.J Eysenck

Basic concepts : What is personality? Personality refers to our characteristic ways of responding to individuals and situations.

Definitions of personality by different psychologists -

1. Personality is the sum-total of the actual or potential behavior patterns of the organism, as determined by heredity and environment it originates and develops through the functional interaction of the four main sectors into which these behavior patterns are organized. (By Hans J. Eysenck, 1952). 2. Personality is a dynamic organization, inside the person, of psychophysical systems that create the person’s characteristic patterns of behavior, thoughts, and feelings.(By G.W. Allport, 1961) 3. Personality is a relatively stable set of potentials for responding to situations in a particular way. Rotter sees personality, and therefore behavior, as always changeable. Change the way the person thinks, or change the environment the person is responding to, and behavior will change. (Julian B Rotter)

4. Personality is the sum total of activities that can be discovered by actual observations over a long enough period of time to give reliable information (J, B Watson,1930)

Theories of personality:

Big five personality traits 1. Openness - This trait features characteristics such as imagination and insight. People who are high in this trait also tend to have a broad range of interests. They are curious about the world and other people and eager to learn new things and enjoy new experiences. People who are high in this trait tend to be more adventurous and creative. People low in this trait are often much more traditional and may struggle with abstract thinking. High -Very creative -Open to trying new things -Focused on tackling new challenges -Happy to think about abstract concepts

Low -Dislikes change -Does not enjoy new things -Resists new ideas -Not very imaginative -Dislikes abstract or theoretical concepts 2. Conscientiousness- It refers to an individual's sense of responsibility and duty as well as foresight. Standard features of this dimension include high levels of thoughtfulness, good impulse control and Goal-directed behavior. Highly conscientious people tend to be organised and mindful of details. They plan ahead, think about how their behavior affects others, and are mindful of deadlines. Those who score high on this factor are achievement -oriented,dependable,responsible, prudent, hardworking and self-controlled. On the opposite are people who are impulsive. High -Spends time preparing - Finishes important task right away - Pay attention to detail -Enjoys having set schedule Low

- Dislikes structure and schedules - Makes messes and doesn't take care of things - Fails to return things or put them back where they belong - Procrastinates important tasks fails to complete necessary or assigned tasks

3. Extraversion - (outgoing/energetic vs. solitary/reserved) The trait is marked by pronounced engagement with the external world. extraverts enjoy interactivity with people and are often perceived as full of energy. they might appear more dominant in social settings, as opposed to introverted people. Introverts have lower social engagement and energy levels than extroverts. It does not mean they are unfriendly or antisocial, rather they are reserved in social situations. People are also a mix of introvert and extrovert that is an ambivert. Some examples of extrovert: -I am the life of the party -I do not mind being the center of attention Some examples of introvert:

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-I do not talk a lot I am quiet around strangers.

4. Agreeableness - This refers to how people tend to treat relationships with others. Those high in agreeableness can be described as soft-hearted, trusting, and well-liked. Those low in agreeableness may be perceived as suspicious, manipulative, and uncooperative.

High -Has a great deal of interest in other people -Cares about others -Feels empathy and concern for other people -Enjoys helping and contributing to the happiness of other people -Assists others who need help.

Low -Takes little interest in others -Doesn't care about how other people feel -Has little interest in other people's problems -Insults and belittles others -Manipulates others to get what they want

5. Neuroticism - A tendency to experience negative emotions, such as anger, anxiety, or depression; sometimes called “emotional instability". “I am not usually relaxed”; “I get upset easily”; “I am easily disturbed," are all sentences someone high in neuroticism would agree with. Those who score high in neuroticism are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. They may have trouble thinking, making decisions, and coping effectively with stress.

Low: -Calm -Secure -Satisfied High -Anxious -Insecure -Self-pitying

Trait and type: Trait Theory by Gordn Allport : Gordon Allport is considered the pioneer of the trait approach. He proposed that individuals possess several traits, which are dynamic. They determine behavior in such a manner that an individual approaches different situations with similar plans. The traits integrate stimuli and responses which otherwise look dissimilar.

Allport argued that the words people use to describe themselves and others provide a basis for understanding human personality. He analyzed the words of the English language to look for traits that describe a person. Allport, based on this, categorized traits into cardinal, central, and secondary. Cardinal traits are highly generalized dispositions.

Cardinal triats: They indicate the goal around which a person’s entire life seems to revolve. Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violence and Hitler’s Nazism are examples of cardinal traits. Such traits often get associated with the name of the person so strongly that they derive such identities as the ‘Gandhian’ or ‘Hitlerian’ trait. Central traits : Less pervasive in effect, but still quite generalized dispositions, are called central traits. These traits (e.g., warm, sincere, diligent, etc.) are often used in writing a testimonial for a job recommendation for a person. Secondary traits: The least generalized characteristics of a person are called secondary traits. Traits such as ‘likes mangoes’ or ‘prefers ethnic clothes’ are examples of secondary traits.

While Allport acknowledged the influence of situations on behavior, he held that the way a person reacts to given situations depends on her/his traits, although people sharing the same traits might express them in different ways. Allport considered traits more like intervening variables that occur between the stimulus situation and response of the person. This meant that any variation in traits would elicit a different response to the same situation.

16 PF trait theory by Raymond Cattell: Raymond Cattell believed that there is a common structure on which people differ from each other. This structure could be determined empirically. He tried to identify the primary traits from a huge array of descriptive adjectives found in language. He applied a statistical technique, called factor analysis, to discover the common structures.

He found 16 primary or source traits. The source traits are stable and are considered as the building blocks of personality. Besides these, several surface traits result from the interaction of source traits. Cattell described the source traits in terms of opposing tendencies. He developed a test, called SIXTEEN PERSONALITY FACTOR QUESTIONNAIRE (16 PF), for the assessment of personality. Each person contains all of these 16 traits to a certain degree, but they might be high in some traits and low in others. The 16 personality dimensions described by Cattell are Abstractedness, Apprehension, Dominance, Emotional Stability, Liveliness, Openness to change, Perfectionism, Privateness, Reasoning, Rule - consciousness, Self - reliance, Sensitivity, Social Boldness, Tension, Vigilance, and Warmth. This test is widely used by psychologists. H.J. Eysenck proposed that personality could be reduced into two broad dimensions. These are biologically and genetically based. Each dimension subsumes several specific traits. These dimensions are: 1. Neuroticism vs. Emotional Stability refers to the degree to which people control their feelings. At one extreme of the dimension, we find neurotic people. They are anxious, moody, touchy, restless, and quickly lose control. At the other extreme lie people who are calm, even-tempered, reliable, and remain under control. 2. Extraversion vs. Introversion refers to the degree to which people are socially outgoing or socially withdrawn. At one extreme are those who are active, gregarious, impulsive, and thrill-seeking. At the other extreme are people who are passive, quiet, cautious, and reserved. In a later work, Eysenck proposed a third dimension, called Psychoticism vs. Sociability, which is considered to interact with the other two dimensions mentioned above. A person who scores high on the psychoticism dimension tends to be hostile, egocentric, and antisocial. Eysenck Personality Questionnaire is the test that is used for studying these dimensions of personality.

Social Learning Theory by Julian Rotter: Julian rotter combined behaviorism and the study of personality, he developed social learning theory. This theory states that personality represents an interaction of the individual with his or her environment. He found two factors that influence our behavior in a given situation. Expectancy is our perception of how likely it is that certain consequences will occur if we engage in a particular behavior within a specific situation. Reinforcement value is basically how much we desire or dread the outcome that we expect the behavior to produce. Locus of control: He developed a concept of Internal-External locus of control, and expectancy concerning the degree of personal control we have in our lives. He used Internal-External (I-E) Scale to measure individual differences in locus of control. People with an internal locus of control believe that life outcomes are largely under personal control and depend on their behavior or self-determination. People with an external locus of control believe that their fate has less to do with their efforts than with the influence of external factors, such as luck, chance, and powerful others.

Psychodynamic Approach by Sigmund Freud:

It is no exaggeration to say that personality theory has been influenced more by Sigmund Freud than by anyone else. His system of psychoanalysis was the first formal theory of personality and is still the best known. Not only did Freud’s work affect thinking about personality in psychology and psychiatry, but it also made a tremendous impact on the way we look at human nature in general. When he died in 1939, the New York Times noted his passing in an editorial stating that Freud was “the most effective disturber of complacency in our time”.

The levels of Personality :

Freud’s original conception divided personality into three levels: the conscious, the preconscious, and the unconscious. Conscious-includes the thoughts, feelings, and actions of which people are aware. Preconscious-includes the mental activity of which people may become aware only if they attend to it closely. Unconscious-includes mental activity that people are unaware of. Its vast, dark depths are the home of the instincts, those wishes, and desires that direct our behavior. The structure of personality : Freud later revised the notion of three levels of personality and introduced in its place three basic structures in the anatomy of the personality: the id, the ego, and the superego. They reside in the unconscious as forces, and they can be inferred from the ways people Id works on the pleasure principle, i.e., deals with the immediate gratification of primitive needs, sexual desires, and aggressive impulses. Ego works on the reality principle and seeks to satisfy an individual’s instinctual needs in accordance with reality. and often directs the id towards more appropriate ways of behaving. Superego is the moral branch of mental functioning. The superego tells the id and the ego whether the gratification in a particular instance is ethical. Ego defence mechanism : Freud believed that people avoid anxiety mainly by developing defense mechanisms that try to defend the ego against the awareness of instinctual needs. Thus, a defense mechanism is a way of reducing anxiety by distorting reality. Repression: Involves unconscious denial of the existence of something that causes anxiety Denial: Involves denying the existence of an external threat or traumatic event Reaction Formation: Involves expressing an id impulse that is the opposite of the one truly driving the person Projection: Involves attributing a disturbing impulse to someone else Regression: Involves retreating to an earlier, less frustrating period of life and displaying the childish and dependent behaviors characteristic of that more secure time Rationalization: Involves reinterpreting behavior to make it more acceptable and less threatening.

Displacement: Involves shifting id impulses from a threatening or unavailable object to an available substitute object. Sublimation: Involves altering or displacing id impulses by diverting instinctual energy into socially acceptable behaviors.

Psychosexual stages of development : Freud claims that the core aspects of personality are established early, remain stable throughout life, and can be changed only with great difficulty. He proposed a five-stage theory of personality (also called psychosexual) development. Problems encountered at any stage may arrest development, and have a long-term effect on a person’s life.

Stage: Oral Age : Birth – 1 Characteristics : Mouth is primary erogenous zone pleasure derived from sucking:id is dorminant. Stage: Anal Age : 1-3 Characteristics :Toilet training (external reality) interference with gratification received from defection. Stage :Phallic Age:4-5 Characteristics :Insectous fanatasies ; Oepidus complex ; anxiety ;supereg development. Stage:Latency Age:5-puberty Characteristics :Period of sublimation of sex instinct. Stage:Genital Age: Adolescence to Adulthood Characteristics : development of sex role identity and adult social relationship.

Many of the personality theories proposed after Freud are derivatives of or elaborations on his basic work. Others owe their impetus and direction in part to their opposition to

Freud’s psychoanalysis. It would be difficult to comprehend and assess the development of the field of personality without first understanding Freud’s system.

Neo Frued: Optimism by Karen Horney Horney was a disciple of Freud who developed a theory that deviated from basic Freudian principles. Her major contribution lies in her challenge to Freud’s treatment of women as inferior. She adopted a more optimistic view of human life with an emphasis on human growth and self-actualization. According to her, each sex has attributes to be admired by the other, and neither sex can be viewed as superior or inferior. She counted that women were more likely to be affected by social and cultural factors than by biological factors. She argued that psychological disorders were caused by disturbed interpersonal relationship during childhood. When parents’ behavior towards a child is indifferent, discouraging, and erratic, the child feels insecure and a feeling called basic anxiety results. Deep resentments towards parents or basic hostility occur due to anxiety. By showing excessive dominance or indifference or providing too much or little approval, parents can generate Behavioral Feelings of isolation and helplessness that interfere with their healthy development.

Life style and social interest by Alfred Adler Adler’s theory is known as individual psychology. His basic assumption is that human behavior is purposeful and goal-directed. Each one of us can choose and create. Our personal goals are the sources of our motivation. The goals that provide us with security and help us in overcoming the feelings of inadequacy are important in our personality development. In Adler’s view, every individual suffers from feelings of inadequacy and guilt, i.e. inferiority complex, which arise from childhood. Overcoming this complex is essential for optimal personality development.

Adler also had 4 different psychological types that described people based on their energy levels. Ruling type - refers to those who will push others to gain superiority. This type contains bullies, sadists, alcoholics, etc.

Learning Type - they are sensitive and build a shell around themselves. They have low energy levels. They are dependent on others to help them with life difficulties. When overwhelmed they develop phobias, obsessions, anxiety, etc. Avoiding Type - refers to those people who survive by avoiding life. They have the lowest energy levels. They usually become psychotic, living in their worlds. Socially Useful Type - This is a healthy person. They have the right amount of energy and take interest in others. The human concerns by Erich Fromm In contrast to Freud’s biological orientation, Fromm developed his theory from a social orientation. He viewed human beings as basically social beings who could be understood in terms of their relationship with others. He argued that psychological qualities such as growth and realization of potentials resulted from a desire for freedom, and striving for justice and truth.

Fromm holds that character traits (personality) develop from our experiences with other individuals. While culture is shaped by the mode of existence of a given society, people’s dominant character traits in a given society work as forces in shaping the social processes and the culture itself. His work recognizes the value of positive qualities, such as tenderness and love in personality development.

He suggested that people develop certain personality styles or strategies to deal with the anxiety created by feelings of isolation. Of these character types, he suggested that four of them are unproductive orientations, while one is a productive orientation. -The Receptive Character type -The Exploitative Character type -The Hoarding Character type -The Marketing Character Type -The Productive Character type

Search for identity by Erik Erikson Erik Erikson was an ego psychologist who developed one of the most popular and influential theories of development. While his theory was impacted by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud's work, it centered on the eight-stage psychosocial development rather than psychosexual development. During each of Erikson’s eight development stages, two conflicting ideas must be resolved successfully by a person to become a confident, contributing member of society. Failure to master these tasks leads to feelings of

inadequacy. Erikson’s eight stages of psychosocial development include trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame/doubt, initiative vs. guilt, industry vs. inferiority, identity vs. role confusion, intimacy vs. isolation, generativity vs. stagnation, and integrity vs. despair. The most crucial stage is the fifth stage: identity vs role confusion. It occurs during adolescence when one starts searching for their own identity. Our identity gives each of us an integrated and cohesive sense of self that endures through our lives. Our sense of personal identity is shaped by our experiences and interactions with others. It is this identity that helps guide our actions, beliefs, and behaviors as we age. Erikson also discussed the cultural implications of development; certain cultures may need to resolve the stages differently based upon their cultural and ...