Chapter 1 Introduction to Personality Theory
Chapter 1
Introduction to Personality Theory
Learning Objectives
After reading Chapter 1, you should be able to:
1. Express your own definition of personality.
2. Differentiate theory from (a) philosophy, (b) speculation, (c)
hypothesis, and (d) taxonomy.
3. Defend the need for more than one theory.
4. Show how an understanding of the various theorists' life story is
related to their theory.
5. Explain the relationship between theory and observations.
6. List and explain the criteria of a useful theory.
7. Explain why falsifiability is a positive characteristic of a theory.
8. Discuss various components for a concept of humanity.
9. Define reliability and validity and explain why both concepts
are important in personality research.
Summary Outline
I. Overview of Personality Theory
From the investigations of Freud during the last decade of the 19th
century until the present time, a number of personality theorists have
(1) made controlled observations of human behavior and (2)
speculated on the meaning of those observations. Differences in the
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Chapter 1 Introduction to Personality Theory
theories of these men and women are due to more than differences in
terminology. They stem from differences on basic issues concerning
the nature of humanity.
II. What Is Personality?
The term personality comes from the Latin word persona, meaning the
mask people wear or the role they play in life. However, most
psychologists use the term to refer to much more than the face or
facade people show to others. Personality can be defined as a pattern
of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both
consistency and individuality to human behavior
III. What is a Theory?
The term theory is often used quite loosely and incorrectly to imply
something other than a useful scientific concept. Theories are used by
scientists to generate research and organize observations.
A. Theory Defined
A theory is a set of related assumptions that allow scientists to use
logical deductive reasoning to formulate testable hypotheses
B. Theory and Its Relatives
People often confuse theory with philosophy, speculation, hypothesis,
or taxonomy. Although theory is related to each of these concepts, it
is not synonymous with any of them. Philosophy—the love of
wisdom—is a broader term than theory, but one branch of
philosophy—epistemology—relates to the nature of knowledge, and
theories are used by scientists in pursuit of knowledge. Theories rely
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale
or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a
website, in whole or part.
Chapter 1 Introduction to Personality Theory
on speculation, but speculation must be based on the controlled
observations of scientists. Science is the branch of study concerned
with observation and classification of data and with the verification of
general laws. Theories are practical tools used by scientists to guide
research. A theory is more general than a hypothesis and may
generate a multitude of hypotheses, that is, educated guesses. A
taxonomy is a classification system, and classification is necessary to
science. Taxonomies, however, do not generate hypotheses—a
necessary criterion of a useful theory.
C. Why Different Theories?
Psychologists and other scientists have developed a variety of
personality theories because they have differed in their personal
background, their philosophical orientation, and the data they chose to
observe. In addition, theories permit individual interpretation of the
same observations, and each theorist has had his or her own way of
looking at things.
D. Theorists' Personalities and Their Theories of Personality
Because personality theories evolve from a theorist's personality,
psychologists interested in the psychology of science have begun to
study the personal traits of leading personality theorists and their
possible impact on their scientific theories and research.
E. What Makes a Theory Useful?
A useful theory (1) generates research, both descriptive and
hypothesis testing; (2) is falsifiable; that is, it must generate research
that can either confirm or disconfirm its major tenets; (3) organizes
and explains data into some intelligible framework; (4) guides
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale
or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a
website, in whole or part.
Chapter 1 Introduction to Personality Theory
action; that is, it provides the practitioner with a road map for making
day-to-day decisions; (5) is internally consistent and relies on
operational definitions that define concepts in terms of specific
operations; and (6) is parsimonious, or simple.
IV. Dimensions for a Concept of Humanity
Personality theorists have had different conceptions of human nature,
and the authors of Theories of Personality use six dimensions for
comparing these conceptions. The dimensions include: determinism
versus free choice, pessimism versus optimism, causality versus
teleology, conscious versus unconscious determinants of behavior,
biological versus social influences on personality, and uniqueness
versus similarities among people.
V. Research in Personality Theory
Personality theories, like other theories, are based on systematic
research that allows for the prediction of events. In researching human
behavior, personality theorists often use various measuring procedures,
which must be both reliable and valid. Reliability refers to a
measuring instrument's consistency and includes test-retest reliability
and internal consistency. Validity refers to the accuracy or
truthfulness of test and includes predictive validity and construct
validity.
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale
or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a
website, in whole or part.
