Personality is a psychological quality that is described in a dynamic set of mental particularities of an individual. The internal organization of the brain must determine what people do differently in a given circumstance. Personality can also be defined as the pattern of behaviors, ideas, feelings and behavioral collection that determines an individual, being able to have certain perseverance and constancy throughout his life, so that the manifestations of that mold are reflected in different situations that they possess some degree of predictability.
What is personality
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The term refers to the qualities linked to human beings. Its main lexical component is person, whose meaning has to do with a theatrical mask, there is also the alis lexicon, which means relative or allusive and, finally, the suffix dad, which means quality. In general terms, the personality is nothing more than the behavior or habit that people have and that evolves over time.
These habits totally individualize people and in fact, they can change for different reasons, moments or situations. In personality aspects such as perseverance, differentiation of subjects and the identity of people are seen.
It is important to mention that there are also adjectives of personality, which can be positive (they highlight the best aspects of a person such as their skills and qualities), ambiguous (which depend on the context because sometimes they can be positive or negative) and negative, which only denote the worst aspects of a person.
Personality theories
Personality studies are based on the idea that all people have some similarities, but that, in turn, they are different from each other. Throughout history, different definitions have been recorded for this term, including those that will be explained below.
Psychoanalytic theories
They are studies that manage to explain human behavior regarding the interaction of different components of the personality. One of these studies is that of the personality theory of Freud, who founded the school of psychoanalytic thought using thermodynamic physics to take the term psychodynamic.
Freud managed to divide the personality of humans into three large and important components, these are: it, I and the superego. The first acts according to the pleasure principle, demanding a gratification of their needs, immediately and independently of the environment that is outside.
It is then that the Self emerges to fulfill the wishes of identity according to the external world, adhering immediately to the principle of reality. Finally, the superego, which is known as the conscience that tends to instill morality and social rules above the ego, fostering identification demands so that they are fulfilled both real and morally.
Behavioral theories
These studies try to explain the temperament of people according to external stimuli that have an effect on human behavior. The behavioral school of thought was created by BF Skinner, who managed to present a study model that emphasized the interaction of people or organisms with their environment, in fact, Skinner deduced that children act negatively because that behavior causes them to receive attention, same that serves as a net reinforcer.
Cognitive theories
This study explains that behavior is guided by the expectations of the world, making a special observation to thought and the sense of judgment. The first studies of this theory were carried out in 1982 by Baron, including the studies by Witkin in 1965 and Gardner's in 1953, who discovered field dependence and that people have a preference for the number of objects. heterogeneous.
Humanistic theories
In these studies it is made clear that all people in the world have free will, thus specifying that this has an important role in determining human behavior, which is why psychology focuses on the subjective experiences of the subjects.
Biological theories
These studies are among the most important in the development of man's character. Biological theories in personality psychology focused on identifying the purpose of genetic determinants and how they shape individual personality.
Personality disorders
It is a group of abnormalities or disturbances that originate in the motivational, affective, emotional and social dimensions in people.
Some people know a lot about these alterations, for example, double personality or multiple personality disorder, but there are also three main types of temperament disorder that, in turn, have their own classification, these are rare or eccentric disorders, the dramatic emotional or erratic and the anxious or fearful.
Rare or eccentric disorders
These are disorders characterized by pervasive and abnormal patterns of cognition, expression, and relationship with the people around them. Patients diagnosed with these disorders are described as irrational, suspicious, withdrawn, or cold.
- Paranoid personality disorder: it is characterized by a pattern of total mistrust towards other people. Patients believe that people have negative or malicious intentions towards them. Symptoms begin right in adulthood as a result of different past contexts, experiences, or trauma.
- Schizoid personality disorder: people who suffer from this are known to have a great lack of interest in social life, in addition, they restrict their emotional expressions. This can occur from childhood, increase symptoms in adolescence, and take hold in adulthood.
- Schizotypal personality disorder: here there is an interpersonal or social deficit, these means that there is a great discomfort in social relationships. These patients are considered rare or introverted, they also tend to suffer from distorted thinking, cognitive and eccentric behaviors.
Of all the personality types (in terms of disorders) this is one of the rarest and only appears in 1% of the world population.
Dramatic emotional or erratic disorders
Unlike the previous disorders, these present pervasive patterns regarding the violation of social norms, presenting impulsive behaviors, excessive emotionality and feelings of grandeur or power. People with this diagnosis present abusive attitudes and always show their rage, anger, melodrama and susceptibility, in addition, they always have extremely intense interpersonal problems.
- Antisocial personality disorder: it is considered a psychiatric pathology because patients do not adapt to established social norms, that is, they are criminals who do not respect individual rights because they do not know how to do it. Symptoms can appear from the age of 15, but the pathology can develop long before that age. These people know they are doing something wrong, but their impulses dominate them.
- Borderline personality disorder: also known as borderline disorder, it is a highly marked emotional instability, with polarized, impulsive, dichotomous thoughts and problematic interpersonal relationships. This instability also affects moods, identity and self-image, which is why the patient can often dissociate.
- Histrionic Personality Disorder: This disorder is based on total attention seeking and begins in adolescence. Common behavior is a totally inappropriate seductive one with an imperative need for approval. The histrionic people are characterized by being dramatic, lively, lively, flirtatious, and extremely enthusiastic. Of all the personality types in terms of disorders, this affects women in a percentage four times higher than men.
- Narcissistic Personality Disorder: It is a dramatic, emotional, erotic and erratic disorder. The narcissistic personality follows a pattern of grandeur and power and highlights the great need to be admired. People with narcissistic personalities are not empathetic and this can be noticed from an early age, although it takes hold even more in adulthood.
Anxious or fearful disorders
These disorders are based on following totally abnormal fear patterns and having the need to control absolutely everything. They are tense, anxious and extremely controlled people.
- Avoidant personality disorder: this diagnosis has a general pattern of feelings of hypersensitivity, inadequacy, disapproval or rejection, which is why patients avoid all types of social interaction. This begins in adolescence or adulthood and originates due to different factors (currently it is common due to bullying).
These subjects consider themselves to be people with zero personal attractiveness and feel inept. They withdraw from social groups because they are afraid of being humiliated, ridiculed or rejected.
- Dependence personality disorder: it is a disorder that generates the excessive need for attention or that other people take care of 100% of the patients. A feeling of submission and an uncontrollable fear of separation or loneliness are formed. People with this disorder have difficulty making important decisions and need the advice and affirmations or permission of others in order to act.
- Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: This is one of the most common disorders in the world and it involves general patterns of extreme preoccupation with keeping everything in order. People with OCD are characterized by being perfectionists, they have interpersonal and even mental control over other subjects, but they often show a lack of complex decision, have doubts and take too many precautions, in addition, they tend to reflect personal insecurities.
Within the symptomatology of this disorder, is the abnormal concern for the details of things, order, compliance with the rules and the organization of schedules.
Personality test
There are two types of personality tests, the first is projective and the second is objective. In projective tests it is stipulated that the personality is unconscious, in addition, it evaluates patients according to the way in which they respond to ambiguous stimuli, for example, an ink stain or abstract drawings, in fact, it is one of the more modern tests of psychology. In contrast, projective tests have been in use for 60 years and are still being used today.
Two of the best examples of both personality tests are the thematic apperception test and the Rorschach test.
In the Rorschach test, the patients are shown a group of cards with ambiguous ink spots, it is then that the therapist asks the patient to interpret each of the spots. The professional must analyze the answers and give the result of the exam taking into account the rules to qualify, which are based on originality, content and location of the perceived images and other factors.
According to the scoring methods, the therapist can relate the responses to the personality of the patient in conjunction with their characteristics.
The thematic apperception test is a projective test of image interpretation through which the patient must tell a story. The patient is asked to tell the dramatic stories that appear in each of the images provided. Some of the doubts are usually what had to happen for the situation to arise? What happens in the moment? What do the protagonists think or feel? What was the result of the story just told?
There are also several online tests that evaluate what the temperament of people could be according to their personal tastes such as what type of food they eat, their favorite color, type of music they listen to, etc.
