Glossary / Lexicon

Deutsch: Persönlichkeit / Español: Personalidad / Português: Personalidade / Français: Personnalité / Italiano: Personalità /

Personality refers to the enduring, consistent, and characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that originate within an individual.

Description

In psychology, "personality" refers to the unique pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that characterize an individual and distinguish them from others. It encompasses various dimensions such as traits, motivations, beliefs, and values, which collectively shape how individuals perceive themselves and interact with the world. Personality is often conceptualized through different theoretical frameworks, including trait theory, psychoanalytic theory, humanistic theory, and social-cognitive theory, each offering distinct perspectives on the structure and development of personality. Understanding personality involves examining both stable traits and dynamic processes, considering both genetic and environmental influences, as well as the interplay between individual differences and situational factors. Personality traits can manifest across different domains, such as extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience, influencing various aspects of life including relationships, career choices, and psychological well-being.

Application Areas

• Clinical psychology
• Counseling psychology
• Personality assessment
• Organizational psychology
• Educational psychology
• Forensic psychology

Treatment and Risks

• Treatment: Psychological interventions aimed at addressing personality-related issues may include psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, or psychodynamic therapy, focusing on modifying maladaptive patterns of thinking and behavior, enhancing self-awareness, and fostering adaptive coping strategies.
• Risks: Personality disorders, characterized by inflexible and maladaptive patterns of behavior, can pose challenges to treatment and may require long-term therapeutic approaches. Additionally, overly rigid personality traits or extreme manifestations of certain traits may lead to interpersonal conflicts, occupational difficulties, or impaired social functioning.

Examples

• A person with high extraversion may be outgoing, sociable, and energized by social interactions.
• An individual with low neuroticism may exhibit emotional stability and resilience in the face of stressors.
• Someone with high conscientiousness may be organized, disciplined, and achievement-oriented, excelling in academic or professional settings.

Similar Concepts and Synonyms

• Character
• Temperament
• Individuality
• Identity
• Disposition
• Nature

Weblinks

• top500.de: 'Personality' in the glossary of the top500.de
• allerwelt-lexikon.de: 'Persönlichkeit' in the allerwelt-lexikon.de (German)

Articles with 'Personality' in the title

• Antisocial personality disorder: Antisocial personality disorder refers to a disorder characterized by a failure to conform to standards of decency - repeated lying and stealing- a failure to sustain lasting, loving relationships- low tolerance of boredom- and a complete . . .
• Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD): Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) : Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) refers to a n adult disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others, as well as engagement in multiple . . .
• Authoritarian personality: Authoritarian personality : Authoritarian personality refers to a cluster of personal attributes (eg. submission to persons above and harshness to those below) and social attitudes (eg
• Avoidant personality disorder: Avoidant personality disorder refers to an enduring pattern of social discomfort, fear of negative evaluation, and timidity. People with this disorder tend to be socially isolated outside of family circles
• Borderline Personality Disorder: A Borderline Personality Disorder refers to personality disorder marked by instability in various areas, impulsiveness, suicidal acts, self-mutilations, identity problems, and feelings of emptiness or boredom
• Dependent personality disorder: Dependent personality disorder refers to Cluster C (anxious or fearful) personality disorder characterized by a person’s pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of, a condition that leads to submissive and clinging behavior and . . .
• Dramatic-emotional personality disorders: Dramatic-emotional personality disorders: Dramatic-emotional personality disorders refer to disorders which include Antisocial, Borderline, Narcissistic, and Histrionic personality disorders which are characterized by dramatic and . . .
• Hardy personality model: Hardy personality model refers to the theory that suggests some people are buffered against the potentially harmful effects of stress by their "hardy personality"
• Histrionic personality disorder: Histrionic personality disorder : Histrionic personality disorder refers to Cluster B (dramatic, emotional, or erratic) personality disorder involving a pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking
• Implicit personality theory: Implicit personality theory- a type of schema people use to group various kinds of personality traits together- for example, many people believe that if someone is kind, he or she is generous as well- Other /More definition: Implicit . . .
• Narcissistic personality disorder: Narcissistic personality disorder refers to Cluster B (dramatic, emotional, or erratic) personality disorder involving a pervasive pattern of grandiosity in fantasy or behavior, need for admiration, and lack of empathy
• Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder refers to Cluster C (anxious or fearful) personality disorder featuring a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control at the expense of . . .
• Odd-eccentric personality disorders: Odd-eccentric personality disorders: Odd-eccentric personality disorders are disorders that include paranoid, schizotypal, and schizoid personality disorders which is marked by chronic odd and/or inappropriate behavior with mild features . . .
• Personality Disorder: Personality Disorder refers to enduring maladaptive pattern for relating to the environment and self, exhibited in a range of contexts that cause significant functional impairment or- subjective distress
• Personality Disorders: Personality Disorders are mental illnesses that share several unique qualities. They contain symptoms that are enduring and play a major role in most, if not all, aspects of the person's life
• Personality inventories: Personality inventories refer to questionnaires that assess people's typical ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving, Personality inventories are used to obtain information about people's well-being, self-concept, attitudes, and beliefs
• Personality inventory: Personality inventory refers to self-report questionnaire that assesses personal traits by asking respondents to identify descriptions that apply to themselves
• Personality tests: Personality tests refer to tests that measures overt and covert dispositions of individuals- the tendency that individuals will show a particular behavior or response in any given situation
• Personality-Related Position Requirements Form: Personality-Related Position Requirements Form refers to a new job analysis instrument that helps determine the personality requirements for a job. The Personality-Related Position Requirements Form (PPRF) is a tool used in organizational . . .
• Personality-type Theory: Personality-type Theory refers to the view proposed by Holland that people find their work fulfilling when the important features of a their job or profession meet and complement their personality
• Schizoid personality disorder: Schizoid personality disorder refers to a syndrome marked by a chronic lack of interest in and avoidance of interpersonal relationships as well as emotional coldness in interactions with others- a Cluster A personality disorder . . .
• Schizotypal personality disorder: Schizotypal personality disorder: schizotypal personality disorder referst to Cluster A (odd or eccentric) personality disorder involving a pervasive pattern of interpersonal deficits featuring acute discomfort with, and reduced capacity . . .
• Type B personality: Type B personality refers to a Personality style marked by relatively relaxed, patient, easygoing, amicable behavior. Type B Personality is characterized by calm, relaxed, patient , and at a lower risk for heart problems- a non-stress- . . .
• Type C (cancer-prone) personality: Type C (cancer-prone) personality refers to a behaviour pattern marked by co-operativeness, unassertiveness, patience, suppression of negative emotions, and acceptance of external authority- supposedly associated with an increased . . .
• Altruistic personality: Altruistic personality refers to- the aspects of a person's makeup that are said to make him or her likely to help others in a wide variety of situations
• The Hardy Personality: The Hardy Personality refers to individuals who are especially resistant to illness in spite of increased stress.
• Criminal personality profiling: Criminal personality profiling : Criminal personality profiling refers to the attempt to identify a person's mental, emotional, and psychological characteristics
• Personality psychologists: Personality psychologists refer to a type/kind of psychologists who focus their study on people"s unique characteristics.
• Type A personality: Type A personality refers to a Personality style marked by a competitive
• Type C personality: Type C personality refers to cancer-prone Personality where the person is cooperative, appeasing, unassertive, and compliant and someone who does not express negative emotions
• Disease-prone personality: Disease-prone personality refers to a personality type associated with poor health - marked by persistent negative emotions, including anxiety, depression, and hostility
• Paranoid personality disorder: Paranoid personality disorder: paranoid personality disorder refers to Cluster A (odd or eccentric) personality disorder involving pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent
• Personality trait: Personality trait refers to an enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and others.
• Addictive personality: Addictive personality is the the hypothesis of a personality structure common to all people with substance-use disorders
• Aggressive personality: Aggressive personality refer to behaviors and attitudes associated with the neurotic trend of moving against people, such as a domineering and controlling manner
• Behavioral personality theory: Behavioral personality theory: Behavioral personality theory refers to any model of personality that emphasizes learning and observable behavior.
• Compliant personality: Compliant personality are behaviors and attitudes associated with the neurotic trend of moving toward people, such as a need for affection and approval
• Detached personality: Detached personality is defined as behaviors and attitudes associated with the neurotic trend of moving away from people, such as an intense need for privacy
• Hardy personality: Hardy personality refers to a personality style associated with superior stress resistance.
• Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2): Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) : Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) refers to one of the best-known and most widely used objective personality . . .
• Objective personality tests: Objective personality tests: Objective personality tests are tests that typically use the questionnaire technique of measurement, for example, true/false or multiple-choice questions
• Pain-prone personality: Pain-prone personality is defined as a personality type that predisposes a person to experience persistent pain. It is a- constellation of personality traits that predisposes a person to experience chronic pain
• Personality theory: Personality theory is defined as a system of concepts, assumptions, ideas, and principles used to understand and explain personality.
• Personality type: Personality type refers to a style of personality defined by a group of related traits.
• Personality-based integrity tests: Personality-based integrity tests is a type of honesty test that measures personality traits thought to be related to anti-social behavior.
• Projective personality tests: Projective personality tests refer to tests in which the stimulus or the required response or both are ambiguous.
• Personality Test: Personality Test is a psychological assessment tool used to measure and evaluate an individual's character traits, behaviors, and attributes. These tests are designed to provide insights into a person's personality, often for purposes . . .

Summary

In psychology, "personality" refers to the unique and relatively stable pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that characterize an individual. It encompasses various dimensions, including traits, motivations, and values, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Personality is studied across different domains of psychology, informing research, assessment, and intervention efforts in clinical, organizational, and educational settings. While personality traits contribute to individuals' strengths and vulnerabilities, extreme manifestations or maladaptive patterns can pose challenges to well-being and interpersonal functioning, requiring targeted interventions and support.

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