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Learning and Social Cognitive Approaches

7. What do we know when we know a person?

When we say we know someone, we know basic information about that person like name, birthday, age, hobbies, etc. It usually means we’ve spent a good amount of time with that person. The experiences that we have with a person would give us an idea of who they are. I think that you really know someone when you can tell how comfortable they are with you. But, I don't think we’ll ever truly know anyone because of our ability to hold information from others.

I believe that it’s hard to really know someone because people act differently around others. Funder (2016) mentions, “Some people maybe all people lack the ability to see all aspects of their own personality accurately” (p.29). It may not be intentional to be this way but it’s just how we’ve come to be as humans. We continue to evolve and I believe that our future will get us closer to fully understanding each other.

Reference:

Funder, D. (2016). The personality puzzle (7th ed.). New York: Norton.

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Learning and Social Cognitive Approaches

6. What do you think you will remember, if anything, from this book and this course 20 years from now? 


I think there are a few things that I’ll remember from this book and this course 20 years from now. The Phenomenological approach is something that I’ll remember because it focuses on the importance of perception and self-awareness. Funder (2016) mentions, “Everything that has happened to you in the past, everything that is true about you now, and anything that might happen in the future can influence you only by affecting your thoughts and feelings at this moment” (p.441). I think I’ll continue to study this approach throughout college.

I’ll also remember Cross-Cultural Understanding, this made me realize that everyone views the world differently and what they perceive is their truth, there is no right or wrong within cultures. Funder (2016) mentions, “Behaviors that are ordinary in other cultures can also stir up a storm if they are practiced in the United States (p.477). I’ll remember this because growing up in the U.S, I was always more familiar with American culture rather than my own.

Reference:

Funder, D. (2016). The personality puzzle (7th ed.). New York: Norton.

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Learning and Social Cognitive Approaches

5. What is your favorite approach to personality among those covered in this book? What is your least favorite apporach? Why?

My favorite approach to personality is the phenomenological approach. It focuses on self-awareness and the idea of your own reality. Funder (2016) mentions, “The sense is this: A broader reality might exist, but only the part of it that you perceive-or invent-matters or ever will matter to you” (p. 441). I feel like this has been my approach prior to learning about phenomenology which makes it that much more interesting.

My least favorite approach to personality is the psychoanalytic approach, it seems manipulative and formulated. Funder (2016) mentions, “the psychoanalytic approach has stirred more controversy than any other approach to personality psychology. Some people have even viewed it as dangerous” (p. 350). I think Freud could’ve used more appropriate terms for his stages, but I understand his reasoning.

Reference:

Funder, D. (2016). The personality puzzle (7th ed.). New York: Norton.

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Learning and Social Cognitive Approaches

4. What is the essence of mental health? What is the essence of physical health? Are these different or the same? 
(Ch. 17) 

I believe that the essence of mental health is the state of one’s thought process. We have to ask ourselves if that person is able to think and make decisions rationally, but we shouldn’t focus on the cause. Funder (2016) mentions, “A list of psychological disorders does not imply a definition of mental health” (p. 681). This suggests that we can't base someone’s mental health based on psychological disorders and to improve mental health. Instead, we have to understand what normal personality is in order to understand mental health.

The essence of Physical health is exercise and a good diet. I believe that physical health and mental health are correlated but to an extent.  Good physical health can affect mental health by giving confidence, comfort, and peace of mind, while poor mental health can affect physical health by making a person less active. When it comes down to it, they’re more different than they are the same. 

Reference:

Funder, D. (2016). The personality puzzle (7th ed.). New York: Norton.

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Learning and Social Cognitive Approaches

3. What are the characteristics of a healthy personality? Put another way, how would you describe the most psychologically healthy person you know? What 
is he or she like? 
 (Ch. 17)

One of the characteristics of a healthy personality is being social, someone who could be comfortable around others. Another would be optimism, someone who is able to see the cup half full. Being honest is an important factor when it comes to a healthy personality because it proves that you’re a trustworthy person. A healthy personality involves positive traits that allow you and the people around you to be happy.

I feel like even the most psychologically healthy person can still have some flaws in their personality. They could have multiple characteristics that point to a healthy personality, but could also have a few that indicates a disorder. Funder (2016) mentions, “In some cases, the person who has a personality disorder may see it not as a disorder at all, but a basic part of who he or she is” (p. 648). I believe that everyone has a flaw in their personality because no one can be raised perfectly. 

Reference:

Funder, D. (2016). The personality puzzle (7th ed.). New York: Norton.

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Learning/Cognitive questions

2. Is a woman’s choice of a dating partner really a choice? As this ScienCentral News video explains, researchers studying mice have found that alpha males can trigger the growth of new brain cells in females that make them want only alpha males.  (Ch. 14)

How do you think these findings might apply to humans? Do you think that dominant men are more likely to attract dating partners? Do you think dominant women are more or less attractive to dating partners (and why)?

I believe that the majority of it is a choice when it comes to women choosing a dating partner. It could be what women are conditioned to be appealed to as they grow up. Then there are women who have complete control over their choice of a dating partner because they’re able to find character and personality more important. The findings in “The Stud Effect” might apply to humans because men also fall into two categories; subordinate and dominant. Because of this, scientists are able to apply the behaviors of male mice to men.

I think that dominant men are more likely to attract dating partners because like I mentioned earlier, women grow up conditioned to be attracted to them. Dominant men are more likely to attract dating partners because I think they have more confidence in themselves, whereas subordinate men tend to shy away from women. I think dominant women are less attractive to dating partners because their personality may not appeal. Women are more subordinate naturally so it’s hard for dating partners to be attracted to them.

Reference:

“The Stud Effect.” YouTube, YouTube, 21 Feb. 2008, www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm19F9zJa50.

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Learning/Cognitive questions

1. Does what you do depend on rewards and punishments? What else does it depend on? (Ch.14)

I believe that what you do depends on rewards and punishments. I always ask myself what the pros and cons are to everything I do. Sometimes, rewards may not benefit me directly, but if my actions benefit others, then it counts as a reward for me.  Funder (2016) mentions, “A punishment is an aversive consequence that follows an act in order to stop it and prevent its repetition” (p.534). In a sense, punishment can lead to forced action in order to avoid the same outcome. 

I think what we do also depend on our primary drives. Funder (2016) mentions, “Primary drives include those for food, water, physical comfort, avoidance of physical pain, sexual gratification, and so on” (541-542). I Think that this would come before letting rewards and punishments dictate what you do. Overall, Rewards and punishments are what motivates us to do what we do whether it’s good or bad.

Reference:

Funder, D. (2016). The personality puzzle (7th ed.). New York: Norton.

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4. Phenomenology (Humanistic)

Do people have free will, or are they driven by their past experiences, unconscious motivations, and personality traits? If free will exists, what does this mean, and how is it possible?

I believe that people are driven by their past experiences, unconscious motivations and personality traits. Funder (2016) mentions, “Everything that has happened to you in the past, everything that is true about you now, and anything that might happen in the future can influence you only by affecting your thoughts and feelings at this moment” (p. 441). When I think about the decisions I’ve made in my life, it has all been influenced by either past experience or my personality trait. I don't believe that you can find purpose without being driven by at least one of these ideas.

I think free will can exist, but to an extent, it’s very hard to make decisions without past experiences or personality traits getting in the way. I guess if you are aware of this idea and try to experiment with free will, it can exist. The way our society is set up, it's hard to have free will without being scrutinized. It may be possible for free will to exist in certain regions of the world but in America, I find it rare.  

Reference:

Funder, D. (2016). The personality puzzle (7th ed.). New York: Norton.

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3. Jungian Personality Assessment

The results of the Jungian personality assessment is fairly accurate and his approach is effective. Funder (2016) mentions, “to some degree, everyone’s persona is false because everyone keeps some aspects of their real selves private, or at least fails to advertise all aspects of the self equally” (p.414).  An online survey is never going to generate a perfect result of a person personality, but the goal is to get as close as possible. Rating from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree” for the assessment made it easier for me to be honest with my answers.

Although I feel like it’s an accurate assessment, there are things that can be off with the results. I'm described as a loner which is completely false, I have many good friends that I socialize with. It’s true that I value solitude because I believe that being alone can give a balance to life. What really resonates with me with this result is “rarely shows anger”, it’s something I’m good at because I feel like I know myself well. My whole life I think I’ve really shown my anger a handful of times. Looking at the favored careers result, there are some interesting careers that I wouldn’t mind pursuing. The most interesting ones to me are Astronomer and Philosopher. I think that some of the results under disfavored careers are inaccurate, music is a hobby of mine so djing would be considered.

Reference:

Funder, D. (2016). The personality puzzle (7th ed.). New York: Norton.

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2. Attachment Style

I agree with the assessment style survey results because they’re pretty accurate based on how I was raised. Growing up, I didn’t get a lot of attention and I guess it affected the way I dealt with certain things. Funder (2016) mentions, “Avoidant children come from homes where they have been rebuffed repeatedly in their attempts to enjoy contact or reassurance” (p. 428). When I was younger, my parents were at work long hours so I used to be at my aunt’s a lot. I guess I was longing for my parent's attention but looking back, I understand that it wasn’t their fault. The way things just panned out reflects my attachment style.

I think I experience the same attachment style in my adult relationships, but to an extent, because I’ve learned to outgrow some of my tendencies of being dismissing or avoidant. Funder (2016) mentions, “They like to work alone, and they sometimes use work as an excuse to detach from emotional relationships” (p.429). This resonates with me because depending on myself at work gives me the best peace of mind. It’s not to say that I can't work in a team environment, it’s just what I would prefer. I do use work as an excuse sometimes to detach from emotional relationships, I don't like that about myself and it’s something that I continue to work on. 

Reference:

Funder, D. (2016). The personality puzzle (7th ed.). New York: Norton.

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Dream Analysis

Dream 1

2/20/19: I was with my friend Michael who was driving us on a narrow road up a mountain. We were on our way to a J. Cole concert and suddenly, the cops tried pulling us over. I told Michael to stop but he kept driving and it led to a chase. I asked him why he didn’t want to pull over but he told me that the car wasn’t his. For some odd reason I jumped out the car and didn’t get hurt, the cops stopped chasing my friend and went after me. I ran into the woods and ended up getting away from the cops but then a bear came out of nowhere and charged at me. The only color I saw was red and blue from the cop cars but everything else was in black and white. 

Freudian analysis: Since this semester started, I started going out less with such a busy schedule. I think this dream was a sign that I need to be more involved in my social life. From a Freudian perspective, the manifest content would be the cop and my friend. The cop forced me to separate myself from Michael which could be a sign that I’m not as down to kick it as much anymore. The Latent content would be the bear and the J. Cole concert, maybe this is a sign that instead of trying to go an event such as a concert, I should spend my time outdoors, with nature. I actually love the outdoors, I do a lot of fishing and hiking so that makes sense. 

Jungian analysis: For me to jump out of the car and leave my friend to save myself is a representation of the shadow archetype. Things got worse for me after jumping out, so that could be a sign that I shouldn’t have been so selfish based on fear of my friend getting us both in trouble. 

Dream 2

2/22/19: I was at Richmond Park for my nephew’s birthday and decided to take a walk around the pond and try to catch some bass. My cousins Nai and Low tag along and asked me if I wanted to go hiking and then pointed up to the top of a hill with a trail coming down of it. I agreed and we headed towards the trail, for some reason I tried to fly up there and was able to do it. I couldn’t stop in mid air though, I had to keep moving or else I’d slowly fall back down to the ground. I was the only one who was able to fly so I ended up not even going up the trail, I just flew around the park and enjoyed the view I had because it was by the ocean. I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t really sleep after, everything was in color.

Freudian analysis: I do a lot of fishing year round and I think this dream was telling me that I need to add some excitement in my life, maybe new hobbies or something that can give me a new thrill. I’m so focused on school and work and that routine has gotten boring. From a Freudian perspective, the manifest content is my ability to fly and the trail that my friends and I tried hiking. Flying gave me excitement, the elevation of that trail means that I should strive for something exciting in my life. The latent content is me slowly falling down when I stopped moving while flying and the pond. I think me being still while in the air was a sign that if I don't continue to try and do exciting things I’ll probably fall down into the pond back to my normal hobby. 

Jungian analysis: Having the ability to fly could be related to me not trying new things more often, I’m so used to my routine and hobbies that I’m not open to new ideas or activities. This could be a representation of the self-archetype based on my ability to fly. I was experiencing something that was unnatural and it felt like a sign of new scenery. 

Dream 3

2/25/19: This dream occurred at a house I used to live in, I’m in the backyard helping my dad out with some landscaping and all of a sudden our neighbor comes over and asks if we could help with finding their dog. My dad decided that he would go and had me stay back. I decided to go into the house and then my mom tells me that she’s worried about my dad because he wasn’t answering his phone. I got a little worried so I drove around looking for him. The roads ended up taking me somewhere I wasn’t familiar with but I found my dad just walking. I tried catching up but he kept moving further and further away and then I woke up. Everything happened in color. 

Freudian analysis: This dream may have something to do with the relationship between me and my dad. As I got older, I’m not as close with my dad as I should be. From a Freudian perspective, the manifest content could be the backyard and my neighbor, but the latent content is my father and I having a close relationship and then watching it grow apart. The neighbor represents separation while the car is what brings us closer. 

Jungian analysis:  My mom being worried about my father could be a representation of the shadow archetype, maybe it was a test to see how much I cared about my dad. The neighbor could also represent the shadow archetype because he’s the reason why my dad left. 

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Chapter 8

3. Psychosurgery has mostly given way to drug therapy. Is this an improvement? Does it make a difference whether a person’s mood, behavior, or personality is changed with drugs, or with surgery?

Psychosurgery giving way to drug therapy is an improvement, there’s just too many risks involved with psychosurgery. Trying to alter a person's emotions and behavior by having surgery on their brain can cause irreversible damage. Psychosurgery was first done on a human in 1937. Funder (2016) mentions, “This may have been the first instance of psychosurgery, surgery done with the specific purpose of altering personality, emotions, or behavior”(p. 267). Patients could end up being more damaged than fixed and there was a lot of uncertainty on the damages that were to come with psychosurgery.

Drug therapy is a safer alternative because your brain isn’t being exposed to the risk of damage. There still may be risks that come with drug therapy but not as much as psychosurgery. I think it makes a big difference whether a person’s mood, behavior, or personality is changed with drugs or with surgery because their natural feelings are being altered to be what is considered normal. Drugs may have side effects but not as severe as the ones that come with surgery. I think more research has to be done to find a safer alternative that has minimal side effects.   

Reference:

Funder, D. (2016). The personality puzzle (7th ed.). New York: Norton.

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Big 5 Assessment

Take the Big Five Inventory (BFI) online 

2. After you take the inventory be sure to SAVE your RESULTS! You can do this by taking a screen-shot or saving as a PDF.

Write a reflection on the results of your BFI. Explain why you got the results you did and give examples from your own behavior for each of the traits measured.

After taking the BFI I learned that my personal evaluation differs from this test. For “Open-Mindedness”, I can say that it’s true, I don't really seek out new experiences. That’s due to how busy I am with school and work, but it’s an area I would like to improve. I scored low on “Conscientiousness” when doing a self-evaluation of my traits, but scored high on the BFI test. I’m more convinced with the BFI test because the questionnaire gave me more accurate results. I’m always a reliable person, my attendance at work and school is above average and I always tend to stay organized. My score on “Extraversion” is pretty accurate from the BFI test, I feel like I'm right in the middle. There are days where I want to just want to be alone and focus on my personal goals, and then there are days where I want to socialize and be around good company. 

Agreeableness is a trait that I already knew I had, I consider myself to be compassionate and optimistic of others. Funder (2016) mentions, “People high in this trait are more likely to be involved in religious activities, have a good sense of humor, be psychologically well adjusted, and have a healthy heart” (p.229). This quote resonates with me because I have a good sense of humor, I laugh at almost everything and my co-workers can attest to this. I had to think about myself being psychologically well adjusted, I’ve been through the good and bad times and have always controlled my state of mind. I’m generally relaxed when it comes to the fifth trait, “Negative Emotionally”. I am nervous in situations like public speaking or presentation but other than that, this is pretty accurate. 

Reference:

Funder, D. (2016). The personality puzzle (7th ed.). New York: Norton.

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Chapter 7

#11: According to the survey cited in the text (Hudson & Roberts, 2014) almost everybody would like to change least one of their Big Five traits at least somewhat. Does this include you? If so, which one and why?

After rating the Big Five traits for myself, I found that there are two that I would like to change. Conscientiousness would be the first because I always want to improve how efficient and organized I am. Funder (2016) mentions, “A recent major analysis of 194 studies found that highly conscientious people are more likely to avoid many kinds of risky behavior as well as to engage in activities that are good for their health” (Bogg & Roberts, 2004, p.201). I like the sound of avoiding risky behavior and having a healthy lifestyle so this is an area I would love to improve on.

Another area that I would like to improve is extraversion, this is the trait that resonates with me the most. I believe that it represents personality in the biggest way. Being reserved and reclusive has always given me peace of mind, I just find it a lot easier to focus on myself. That's not to say I don't like being around people, I just try to find a balance between my personal and social life. I think it would improve my overall character if I could change this trait. 

Reference:

Funder, D. (2016). The personality puzzle (7th ed.). New York: Norton.

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Chapter 6

 #7: Rate yourself or a good friend on the five essential traits of personality (the Big Five). You can use a 1-5 scale or rate your target as “high” or “low” on each. Do these ratings contain useful information? What aspects of personality do they leave out? Reflect on your ratings.

I’ll be rating myself on the five essential traits of personality, 

Openness: High

Conscientiousness: Low

Extraversion: Low

Agreeableness: High

Neuroticism: High

These ratings definitely contain useful information. As I rated myself, I had to think about my overall personality for a moment. Whenever I think about my personality, I usually think about only one or two traits, so it was very helpful to have all five traits laid out and rated. It allowed me to see where my strengths and weakness are and how I can improve in the areas where I scored low. I'm not sure if Introvert applies, but that would be the one aspect that I could think of that is left out. It’s basically the opposite of extraversion.

I rated myself high on openness because I’m a curious person who loves being creative musically. I gave myself a low score on conscientiousness because I’m not as efficient and organized as I should be. This one was tough to evaluate because I relate more with the opposite of conscientiousness but a small area applies to me. I also gave myself a low score for extraversion, I have a group of close friends that I socialize with but I would still consider myself more reserved than outgoing. Agreeableness is a trait that I know I possess strongly, it’s just in my nature to be compassionate towards others rather than malicious. I get nervous easily and it’s something that I try to work on daily so it was easy to give myself a high score on Neuroticism. The Big FIve ratings gave me a good understanding of personality but there are other ways to evaluate personality. “The degree to which someone dresses fashionably and has a stylish haircut can lead lay perceivers to infer that she is extraverted, and they are correct more often than not” (Borkenau & Liebler,1993). It can also be the type of music, or the way someone’s room look that may be revealing of who they are.

Reference:

Funder, D. (2016). The personality puzzle (7th ed.). New York: Norton.

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Chapter 3

#1: If you wanted to understand someone’s personality and could ask the person only three questions, what would those questions be? What would the answers reveal?

I don't know if three questions would be enough to help me understand someone’s personality but if I had to choose three they would be 1.“What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?” 2.“Would you rather have more than 5 friends or fewer than 5 friends?” and 3.“Do you think crying is a sign of weakness or strength?”. Funder (2016) mentions, “Psychologists, like other scientists, never really expect to reach a final answer to any question” (p.62). The answer may never reveal a complete image of someone’s personality because trying to understand someone takes a lot of time and effort.

The first question would reveal how sociable and talkative a person can be when they know nobody will judge them. There’s a big difference in peoples actions when judgment isn’t a factor, they become more open and true to themselves. The second question would reveal whether a person is reclusive or not. Having a lot of friends can be beneficial because it gives a balance to their personal and social life. The third question would reveal a lot about a person’s pride, to see it as a sign of weakness shows a lot of pride and to see it as a sign of strength shows little pride. 

Reference:

Funder, D. (2016). The personality puzzle (7th ed.). New York: Norton.

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Chapter 2

#2 In your opinion, is there anything about another person that is impossible to know? Is there anything that is unethical to know?

There can be many things about another person that is impossible to know, we can only know what the person allows us to know. This can be a variety of things like fantasies, hopes, dreams, and fears. Funder (2016) mentions, “Other people can know about these things only if you reveal them somehow, intentionally or not” (p.23). I think we all have the right to keep some areas of our lives private. I feel like sometimes if you allow people to know too much about you, they may take advantage of it or use it against you.

There’s always a possibility that something unethical about someone is known. It may be a bad experience or decision made in their lives. A majority of the time, knowing something unethical about someone doesn’t come from questioning, it would most likely come from that person directly or witnessing whatever it is that is unethical. There is a possibility that these kinds of experiences are forced to be forgotten also. Funder (2016) mentions, “The Freudians would point out that some particularly important memories may be actively repressed; they might be so painful to remember that the ego prevents them from emerging into consciousness” (p.29). In essence, there can be a multitude of things about a person that is impossible or unethical to know. 

Reference:

Funder, D. (2016). The personality puzzle (7th ed.). New York: Norton.