Personality encompasses many areas of people’s lives: work, school, and relationships to name a few. Due to its widespread effects, personality has become an important field of study in psychology. This paper will explore the differences in perspective from a psychologist to lay people, research methods used and their different techniques, and the historical approaches that helped develop this intriguing field of study.
Personality is often discussed in everyday situations, but usually only in a one-dimensional fashion. According to Ryckman’s Theories of Personality (2013), the layperson views personality in terms of one’s likability. Therefore someone with a “great personality” is a person who impresses others with their ability to get along …show more content…
The three major methods of empirical testing are experimental method, correlational techniques, and case studies (Ryckman 2013). First and foremost is the experimental method, where an investigator manipulates certain independent variables, and observes their effects of dependent variables. Often using an experimental group and a control group, where variables are not manipulated, in order to more accurately assess the effect of the independent variables. The experimental method works well because it gives a causation between the two variables. The correlational technique seeks to find a relationship between two variables. This technique gives direction and size of relationship using a statistical device called a correlation coefficient. It gives statistical significance, meaning a result that has a low probability of occurring by chance alone. Finally there are case studies, which are intensive studies of a person’s life over long periods of time and most often used in clinical settings to offer descriptions and explanations of a person’s actions and experiences. They give a rich view of a person, but can rarely be applied to the population in …show more content…
One of the first was humoral psychology, created by Hippocrates, which believed that one of the four elements would become dominant in one’s personality at birth. This dominant element would then lead to the development of the four major humors: blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm. The humor that correlated with the dominant element then led to one of the four personality types: hopeful, sad, mischievous, or apathetic. Next there was characterology, which was founded by Aristotle, and flourished during the Renaissance. Aristotle believed one could create a portrait for an individual by emphasizing their style of life, habits, and central traits. This approach led to the creation of fictional characters and eventually modern day literature. In the late 1700’s, Franz Gall developed the approach phrenology, or cranioscopy. He believed that there were 35 regions and organs of the mind. Bumps on the skull, and their thickness, indicated how developed that specific “organ” was, such as an individual with a bump above their ear was secretive. This theory had no scientific validity. Finally, at the turn of the 20th century, Ernst Kretsmer founded physiognomy, which stated that outward appearance is presumed to create personality type (Mikheeva 2015). In a brief experiment at a mental hospital, he noted that people who were
Personality is often discussed in everyday situations, but usually only in a one-dimensional fashion. According to Ryckman’s Theories of Personality (2013), the layperson views personality in terms of one’s likability. Therefore someone with a “great personality” is a person who impresses others with their ability to get along …show more content…
The three major methods of empirical testing are experimental method, correlational techniques, and case studies (Ryckman 2013). First and foremost is the experimental method, where an investigator manipulates certain independent variables, and observes their effects of dependent variables. Often using an experimental group and a control group, where variables are not manipulated, in order to more accurately assess the effect of the independent variables. The experimental method works well because it gives a causation between the two variables. The correlational technique seeks to find a relationship between two variables. This technique gives direction and size of relationship using a statistical device called a correlation coefficient. It gives statistical significance, meaning a result that has a low probability of occurring by chance alone. Finally there are case studies, which are intensive studies of a person’s life over long periods of time and most often used in clinical settings to offer descriptions and explanations of a person’s actions and experiences. They give a rich view of a person, but can rarely be applied to the population in …show more content…
One of the first was humoral psychology, created by Hippocrates, which believed that one of the four elements would become dominant in one’s personality at birth. This dominant element would then lead to the development of the four major humors: blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm. The humor that correlated with the dominant element then led to one of the four personality types: hopeful, sad, mischievous, or apathetic. Next there was characterology, which was founded by Aristotle, and flourished during the Renaissance. Aristotle believed one could create a portrait for an individual by emphasizing their style of life, habits, and central traits. This approach led to the creation of fictional characters and eventually modern day literature. In the late 1700’s, Franz Gall developed the approach phrenology, or cranioscopy. He believed that there were 35 regions and organs of the mind. Bumps on the skull, and their thickness, indicated how developed that specific “organ” was, such as an individual with a bump above their ear was secretive. This theory had no scientific validity. Finally, at the turn of the 20th century, Ernst Kretsmer founded physiognomy, which stated that outward appearance is presumed to create personality type (Mikheeva 2015). In a brief experiment at a mental hospital, he noted that people who were