Personality affects the way we relate to the world and the people in it, how we work, who we love, and how other people see us.



Although the study of personality is centuries old, our ability to understand and control such a complex and abstract concept is relatively new in the context of history.



Featuring the foremost minds in personality psychology and business, The Science of Personality explores what personality is, how it affects our lives and the lives of those around us, and the impact of personality psychology and assessment on leadership and organizational success.

 

Watch The Science of Personality (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

After watching The Science of Personality, post a thoughtful answer to the following questions. Be sure to answer all parts of the question:

 

• What was your overall impression of the film?
• What was the most surprising or interesting fact/issue in the film?
• What is the difference between personality and behavior?
• Based on the reading in the text and the information presented in the film, what do you think is the most effective way to measure personality?
• What are some of the personality characteristics that you think make the best leaders in the aviation industry today?  What personality traits would make the worst leaders in the aviation industry today?
• Do you believe you can change your personality?  Explain your answer.

 

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Table 1.1 The Eight Basic Aspects of Personality

Friedman, H. S., & Schustack M. (2016). Personality: Classic theories and modern research (6th ed.). (p. 5) New York, NY: Pearson.

Perspective	Key Strengths
Psychoanalytic	Attention to unconscious influences; importance of sexual drives even in nonsexual spheres
Neo-Analytic/Ego	Emphasis on the self as it struggles to cope with emotions and drives on the inside and the demands of others on the outside
Biological	Focus on tendencies and limits imposed by biological inheritance; easily combined with most other approaches
Behaviorist	Emphasis on a more scientific analysis of the learning experiences that shape personality
Cognitive	Emphasis on active nature of human thought; uses modern knowledge from cognitive psychology
Trait	Focus on good individual assessment techniques
Humanistic/ Existential	Appreciation of the spiritual nature of a person; emphasizes struggles for self-fulfillment and dignity Â
Interactionist	Understanding that we are different selves in different situations

Discuss

Before we begin our in-depth study of the theoretical approaches, answer the following question. Based on these brief descriptions, which perspective(s) do you think offer the best approach to the study of the human personality?  Explain your answer.