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Influences on the self and measuring personality
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Our self-concept and self-esteem are shaped by things inside us and things that happen to us. Psychologists also try to measure personality.
Internal influence: temperament
Temperament is the basic, inborn style of behaving and reacting that we show from birth, such as how active, emotional or sociable a baby is. It is an internal (biological) influence.
Thomas and Chess described three types of baby temperament: easy, difficult and slow to warm up.
Temperament affects how others respond to us, which then shapes our self-concept and self-esteem.
Thomas and Chess described three types of baby temperament: easy, difficult and slow to warm up.
Temperament affects how others respond to us, which then shapes our self-concept and self-esteem.
External influence: experience
Experience is an external influence: what happens to us and how others treat us.
Family, friends, teachers, culture and the media all give feedback about who we are. Praise and acceptance can raise self-esteem; criticism, bullying or failure can lower it.
We also compare ourselves with others, for example on social media. In reality, temperament and experience work together.
Family, friends, teachers, culture and the media all give feedback about who we are. Praise and acceptance can raise self-esteem; criticism, bullying or failure can lower it.
We also compare ourselves with others, for example on social media. In reality, temperament and experience work together.
Measuring personality: scales and types
Personality scales: questionnaires where people rate themselves, often on a scale (for example from 'strongly agree' to 'strongly disagree'). They give a score on one or more dimensions, such as how extraverted someone is. Examples: Eysenck's EPQ and Cattell's 16PF.
Personality types: put people into categories rather than giving a score, for example Type A (competitive, impatient) versus Type B (relaxed), or introvert versus extravert.
Scales show how much of a trait someone has; types say which group someone belongs to.
Personality types: put people into categories rather than giving a score, for example Type A (competitive, impatient) versus Type B (relaxed), or introvert versus extravert.
Scales show how much of a trait someone has; types say which group someone belongs to.
A baby cries a lot, sleeps irregularly and is upset by change. Is this an internal or external influence on the self, and what type is it?
- The behaviour is inborn: it comes from the baby's temperament.
- Irregular habits and strong reactions to change fit the 'difficult' temperament.
Answer: An internal influence: a difficult temperament.
Temperament is an inborn, internal influence on the self; experience (how others treat us) is an external influence. Personality can be measured with scales, which give scores on dimensions, or types, which sort people into categories.
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