PERSONALITY

Dr.Babita Dosajh

What is Personality
Personality refers to the relatively stable

pattern of behaviors and consistent internal

states that explain a persons behavioral
tendencies.
Personality is the unique way in which each
individual thinks, act and feel throughout life.
Character: Value judgment of a persons
moral and ethical behavior
Temperament: The enduring characteristics
with which each person is born with.

Four main perspective in personality

theory
The psychoanalytical perspective by

Sigmund Freud. It focuses on the role of the

unconscious mind in the development of
personality
The behavioral perspective is based on the

theories of learning. This approach focuses on

the effect of environment on behaviour.

Four main perspective in personality

theory
The Humanistic perspective first arouse as

a reaction against psychoanalytic and

behavioral perspective and focuses on the
role of each persons conscious life
experiences and the choices in personality
development.
The Trait perspective are more concerned

with the end result the characteristics

themselves

the
the mind
mind is
is like
like an
an iceberg
iceberg 1/3
1/3 is
is hidden
hidden

Conscious Awareness
small part above surface
(Preconscious)

Unconscious
below the surface
(thoughts, feelings,
wishes, memories)

Repression
banishing unacceptable
thoughts & passions to
unconscious
Dreams & Slips
16.01.2010/ Reshmi
Pillai/OB

Psychoanalytic Theory

1.

Structure of the personality comprising of the id, ego, superego.

2.

Personality dynamics in which conscious and unconscious motivation and

ego-defense mechanisms play an important role.

3.

Theory of psychosexual development in which different motives and

bodily regions influence the child at different stages of growth.

Psychoanalytic Theory..
Id
Functions on pleasure principle
Immediate gratification of needs to reduce tension & discomfort

regardless of consequences
Superego
Functions on idealistic principle
Our moral guide/conscience
Influenced by internalizing our parents values & the voice of society
Works against the Id by inflicting guilt
Ego
Functions on reality principle
Serves to balance the demands the Id and the Superego
Assesses what is realistically possible in satisfying the Id and/or Superego
(i.e., what society will deem acceptable)
Ego uses defense mechanisms to protect itself

Personality is result of the battle for control between id,

ego & superego
Conscious

Ego
Superego

Preconscious

Unconscious
Id

The Neo -Freudians

Carl Jung
Alfred Adler
Karen Honey
Erik Erikson

Behavioral perspective
According to behaviorist personality is nothing

more than a set of learned responses or habits

Social Cognitive View of Personality

Developed By: Albert Bandura.
Emphasize the importance of

both the
influences of others peoples behavior and of
a persons own expectancies on learning, hold
that observation learning , modeling and other
cognitive learning techniques can lead to the
formation of patterns of personality.

Banduras reciprocal determinism

and self efficacy

Environment
reinforcers

Behaviour

Personal/cognitive
Factors
Beliefs, expectancies,
personal dispositions

Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy is individuals perception of how effective

behavior will be in any particular circumstances.

Peoples sense of self-efficacy can be high or low,

depending upon what has happened in similar

circumstances in the past, what other people tell
them about their competencies, and their own
assessment of their abilities.
People high in self efficacy are more persistent and
expect to succeed rather then people low in selfefficacy expect to fail and tend to avoid challenges.

Humanistic Perspective
Also know as the third force focuses on those
aspects of personality that make people
uniquely human, such as subjective feelings
and freedom of choice

The Humanist Theory

Humanistic personality theories reject

psychoanalytic notions

Humanistic theories view each person as basically

good and that people are striving for selffulfillment

Humanistic theory argues that people carry a

perception of themselves and of the world

The goal for a humanist is to develop/promote a

positive self-concept

Carl Roger and Self

Concept
Roger (1961) believed that human beings are

always striving to fulfill their innate capacities and

capabilities and to become everything that their
genetic potential will allow to become. This striving
for fulfillment is called self actualizing tendency.
The self concept is based on what people are told

by others and how the sense of self is reflected in

the words and actions of important people in ones
life such as parents, friends, teachers, siblings,
coworkers, bosses.

Component of Self
concept
Real Self: : ones perception of actual

characteristics, traits and ability that form the

basis of the striving for self actualization
Ideal Self: Ones perception of whom one

should be or would like to be.

Conditioned and Unconditioned

Positive Regards
Positive Regards: warmth, love, and respect that

comes from significant others in ones life

Unconditional positive regards: that is given

without condition
Conditioned positive regards: that is given only
when the person is doing what the providers of
positive regard wishes
Fully functional person : a person who is in touch
with and trusting of the deepest, inner most urge
and feelings.

Trait Theory
Theory that endeavor to describe the

characteristics that make up human

personality in an effort to predict future
behavior.
Trait: A consistent , enduring way of thinking,

feeling or behaving

Two Factor Trait Theory

Traits are relatively
Moody
Anxious
Rigid
Sober
Pessimistic
Reserved
Unsociable
Quiet

UNSTABLE

Touchy
Restless
Aggressive
Excitable
Changeable
Impulsive
Optimistic
Active
melancholic choleric

INTROVERTED

EXTRAVERTED

phlegmatic sanguine
Passive
Careful
Thoughtful
Peaceful
Controlled
Reliable
Even-tempered
Calm

Sociable
Outgoing
Talkative
Responsive
Easygoing
Lively
Carefree
Leadership

STABLE

stable and consistent

personal
characteristics
Trait personality

theories suggest that

a person can be
described on the basis
of some number of
personality traits

Allport trait theory (1936)

18,ooo traits
Short down to 200 traits

Cattell and the 16 PF

Raymond Cattell (1990) defined two types of

traits as surface traits and source traits.

Surface Trait: are those personality

characteristics easily seen by other people

Source traits: are those more basic traits that

underline the surface traits.

Catells 16 Personality Factors

16 PF Self report questionnaire, 16 factors:
1.

Apprehensive versus self assured

2.

Assertive versus humble

3.

Conscientious versus expedient

4.

Controlled versus casual

5.

Emotionally stable versus unstable

6.

Experimental versus conservative

7.

Happy go lucky versus sober

16 PF
8. Imaginative versus lucky
9. More intelligent versus less intelligent
10. Outgoing versus reserved
11. Relaxed versus tense
12. Reserved versus warm

16 PF
13. Shrewd versus forthright
14. Suspicious versus sensitive
15. Tough minded versus sensitive
16. Venturesome versus timid

Big Five Personality theory

McCare, 1992; Smith et al. 2001
Five factors can be used to explain the differences

in human personality
Extroversion
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Neurotics
Openness to experience

Extraversion
It focuses on the comfort level of an individual

in interaction with others

Agreeableness
It refers to an individuals behaviour towards

other while interacting

Conscientiousness
It refers to the extent to which individuals

show consistent and reliable behaviour while

working in organizations.

Neuroticism
Neuroticism refers to emotional instability or

stability.

Openness to Experience
It refers to the individuals ability to be open to

any kind of experience that helps him or her

to do the job effectively.

Extraversion
Openness to experience

Conscientiousness

Agreeableness

Emotional stability

Extraversion

Outgoing, talkative, sociable, assertive

Agreeableness

Trusting, good natured, cooperative, soft hearted

Conscientiousness

Dependable, responsible, achievement oriented, persistent

Openness to experience

Intellectual, imaginative, curious, broad minded

Emotional stability

Relaxed, secure, unworried

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Type of Social
Interaction

Extrovert (E)

Preference for
Gathering Data

Sensing (S)

Preference for
Decision Making
Style of
Decision Making

Introvert (I)

Intuitive (N)
Feeling (F)
Thinking (T)
Perceptive (P)
Judgmental (J)

Extraversion

Introversion

Interest Orientation

Talkative,

Shy,

Sociable,

Reserved,

Friendly,

Quite,

Outspoken

Sensing

Intuition
Perception

Organised,

Less Regular,

Practical,

Unconscious,

Focus Detail.

Focus Big
Picture

Feeling

Thinking

Judgment

Reliability of
logical order
cause and
effect, Apathy

Priorities
based on
personal
importance
and values,
Sympathy

Feeling

Thinking

Judgment

Reliability of
logical order
cause and
effect, Apathy

Priorities
based on
personal
importance
and values,
Sympathy

Judgment

Perception
Environment Orientation

Judging
attitude
Control of
events and
systematic
planning

Spontaneity
Curious,
awaiting
events and
adapting to
them,
Flexible

ISTJ
Take Your Time
and Do It Right

ISFJ
On My Honor, to
Do My Duty

INFJ
Catalyst for Positive
Change

INTJ
Competence +
Independence =
Perfection

ISTP
Doing the Best I
Can With What Ive
Got

ISFP
Its the Thought
That Counts

INFP
Still Waters Run
Deep

INTP
Ingenious Problem
Solvers

ESTP
Lets Get Busy!

ESFP
Dont Worry, Be
Happy

ENFP
Anythings
Possible

ENTP
Lifes
Entrepreneurs

ESTJ
Taking Care of
Business

ESFJ
What Can I Do For
You?

ENFJ
The Public
Relations Specialist

ENTJ
Everythings Fine
Im in Charge

Major Personality Attributes

Influencing OB

As per 11th Edition

Locus
of Control

Machiavellian
Personality

Risk
Propensity

Self-Esteem

Other Key
Personality
Attributes

Self
Monitoring

Proactive Personality

Type A
Personality

Locus of Control

Internal locus of control: belief that one

controls key events and consequences in
ones life.

External locus of control: Ones life

outcomes attributed to environmental factors
such
as luck or fate.

Machiavellianism
HIGH MACS are:

Pragmatic
Maintains emotional distance
Believes that ends can justify the means
Manipulate more
Win more
Persuaded less
Persuade others more

Persuaded by 3 factors
- Face-to-face interaction
Situation having minimum number of rules & regulations
,allowing latitude
for improvisation
- Emotional involvement with details irrelevant
As 11th per Edition

Self Esteem

The degree to which a person likes or dislikes himself

It is directly related to expectations for success
2 TYPES:

High Self Esteem

They believe that they possess the ability they need to succeed at work
Will take more risks in job selection
And more likely to choose unconventional jobs than people with low self
esteem
. They will not be susceptible to the external influences
. They are more satisfied with their job
1.
.
.
.

2. Low Self Esteem:

. They seek appreciation from others
. Seek approval from others and try to conform to the beliefs and
behaviors of those they respect
. They try to please others and therefore they would not take
unpopular stands than high Self Esteemed employees

Self-Monitoring
Ability to adjust ones behavior to external situational factors
Capable of presenting striking contradictions between their public persona &

private self
Tend to pay closer behavior of others & more capable of conforming than low

self monitoring
Capable of putting different faces for different audiences

Willingness To Take Risk

Quick Decision making
Specific to jobs (stocks) (accounts)

Type A Personality
Of the ABC personality types, these are the folks that are always in a hurry, impatient to
see results and come across as aggressive in their interpersonal relationships because
they believe its a dog eat dog world out there. Type As are very competitive and show
it at work in their levels of tension and agitation.
Their personalities are a mix of right- and left-brained dominance. They are risk taking,
inflexible and private people who become hostile easily when they are criticized.
Type B Personality
Of the ABC personality types, the Type Bs live in the moment and dont mind waiting for
just the right time to take action. They are friendly types who believe that the world is
both good and bad, but that there are more good people than bad in it. They tend to be
their own biggest competitors, thinking I can do better than this.
Their personalities are right-brain dominated. Being intuitive, spontaneous and patient,
they are open to criticism, and when angry they tend to use humor to make their point.

Type C Personality
Of the ABC personality types, the Type Cs are future oriented but
like to take their time, patiently weighing the pros and cons
before they make decisions. They tend to be introspective and
enjoy studying themselves, and others, in great detail. They are
very much at home figuring out what to expect from future events,
even though they believe that if something can go wrong it will.
They' uncomfortable with personal or intimate conversations.
Their personalities are mostly left-brained. When Type Cs are
angry they become resentful and may give the silence treatment
to those with whom they are angry. They want to be leaders but
their lack of openness and risk aversion are obstacles.

The term Type D Personality is used to describe several different

personality types, which can sometimes be confusing, since, on

occasion, the term describes entirely different personality traits. As a
general rule, psychologists describe people with distressed personalities
as Type D, but the term can also be used in the A, B, C, D personality
framework, in which case it can describe someone who is reliable, but
who has little motivation or creativity. Furthermore, the term may also be
used to describe someone with a very results-driven, direct personality,
just to add to the chaos.
In the sense of a distressed personality, a Type D Personality is a

personality which is characterized by a tendency towards negativity.

Someone with a Type D Personality may experience a lot of stress,
anger, worry, hostility, tension, and other negative and distressing
emotions. Classically, this personality type is also characterized by low
self-esteemand social inhibitions, and a tendency towards depression.

Linking
An Individual's Personality
To The Workplace

Occupational Personality Types

In

ing

ia
l

En
te
rp
r is

So
c

ve
st
ig
at
iv
e

Artistic

Conventional

ea
R

ti
s
i
l

Person-Job Fit
Hollands Personality-Job Fit Theory
Type

Personality

Occupations

Realistic

Shy, Stable, Practical

Mechanic, Farmer,
Assembly-Line Worker

Investigative

Analytical, Independent

Biologist, Economist,
Mathematician

Social

Sociable, Cooperative

Social Worker,
Teacher, Counselor

Conventional

Practical, Efficient

Accountant, Manager
Bank Teller

Enterprising

Ambitious, Energetic

Lawyer, Salesperson

Artistic

Imaginative, Idealistic

Painter, Writer,
Musician

IN AN ORGANIZATION

DOMINANT PERSONALITY:
Be clear, direct, and to the point when you interact.
Avoid being too personal or talking too much about non-work items.
Let them know what you expect of them. If you must direct them, provide choices that give

them the opportunity to make decisions to satisfy their need to be "in control.
Accept their need for variety and change. When possible, provide new challenges, as well as

opportunities to direct the efforts of others.

The High D person is motivated by personal control through direct communication.

Compliment them for results they achieve.

They are "bottom line" oriented. Ask them about their career plans and timetables for achieving

success. Show how they can get results by helping you get results.

INFLUENCING PERSONALITY:
You'll need to communicate more with people of this style, and it'll often involve social

interaction.
Give them lots of your time.
Compliment them.
Ask about things going on in their lives outside of work.
Let them share with you their goals at work and elsewhere.
Link your objectives to their dreams and goals.

STEADY PERSONALITY:
Acknowledge that their efforts help others.
Provide opportunities for them to cooperate with others on the team to achieve desired results.
Provide specific direction and offer assurances when necessary.
When implementing change, be sure to lay out a systematic, step-by-step procedure and draw out their

concerns and worries about the situation. They need to feel secure.
Assure them that you've thought things through before initiating changes. Give them a plan to deal with

problems when they occur.

CONSCIENTIOUS PERSONALITY:
Opportunities to demonstrate their expertise.
Plenty of details.
Enough time to prepare for meetings properly.....especially if they have an item on the agenda to

present.
Situations where their systematic approach will contribute to long-term success.

Questions?
Thank you for your time