In this video I discuss self-efficacy, internal vs. external locus of control, and self-perception theory. I consider how these theories relate to the process of personality transformation and personal change. Don’t forget to subscribe to the channel to see future … Read More
Genes and Personality
In this video we take a basic look at how to understand the role of genes on personality and how evolution may shape traits and select for a range of variance in a trait rather than extremes. Don’t forget to … Read More
What Causes Trait Differences?
In this video we consider why traits might differ between people, beginning with the possible role of biological systems. Hans Eysenck suggested that introverts and extraverts differed in their levels of cortical arousal, resulting in different needs for stimulation that … Read More
Traits and Behavior
In this video I describe the relationship between scores on trait assessments and actual behaviors. As Walter Mischel demonstrated, the correlation between trait scores and behaviors is fairly low, but it’s important to keep in mind that traits describe tendencies, … Read More
The Forer Effect or Barnum Effect
In this video I describe one difficulty of assessing the accuracy of personality tests, which is that people’s perceptions of accuracy are subjective. This was demonstrated by Bertram Forer, who gave participants false generic feedback from an assessment which was … Read More
Freudian Defense Mechanisms
In this video I describe several of the defense mechanisms theorized by Sigmund Freud and his daughter Anna Freud. These defense mechanisms provide ways of coping with anxiety, which could be reality anxiety, neurotic anxiety, or moral anxiety. While these … Read More
Freud’s Psychosexual Stages
In this video I describe Freud’s psychosexual stages of personality development. Each of the stages has a focus of pleasure and a conflict which needs to be resolved. Failure to properly resolve a conflict could result in a fixation, which … Read More