PERSONALITY

BY PERIS KOECH

JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND

TECHNOLOGY
A personality can be defined as a
dynamic and organized set of
characteristics possessed by a
person that uniquely influences
his or her cognitions, emotions,
interpersonal orientations,
motivations and behaviours in
various situations.
Personality characteristics

 Independence
 Conscientiousness (thorough, careful,
desire to do a task well).
 Agreeableness
 Self-control
 PERSONALITY STUDIES

Personality studies can be divided into two; Nomothetic

and Idiographic approaches.
Nomothetic Approach
• A measurable and specific perspective that looks at the
identification of traits and personality as a collection of
characteristics that can be described, identified and
measured.
• Environmental and societal influences are minimal and
personality is viewed as Consistent, largely inherent and
resistant to change.
Idiographic Approach

Views personality from a holistic and

dynamic perspective.

Managers must understand their

subordinates beyond the psychological aspect
and understand their societal context in
which they live.
It regards personality development as a
process that is open to change and that
views individuals as responding to the
environment and people around them
and see the dynamics of the interaction
as playing a critical role in shaping
personality.
The Myers-Biggs type indicator

Myers-Briggs type Indicator is a system of personality evaluation based on the fact that
as individuals we have different preferences, for instance extroversion or introversion, or
between sensory knowing and intuitive knowing.
MBTI is a personality
assessment instrument with
100 question personality test
that asks people how they
usually feel or act in
particular situations. Based
on their answer, individuals
are classified as extraverted or
introverted, sensing or
intuitive, thinking or feeling
and judging perceiving.
Extraverted versus introverted –
Extraverted individuals are outgoing,
sociable and assertive. Introverts are quiet
and shy.
Sensing versus intuitive – sensing type is
practical and prefer routine and order. They
focus on details, intuitive rely on
unconscious process and look at the big
picture.
Thinking versus feeling – thinking types use
reason and logic to handle problems.
Feeling types rely on their personal values
and emotions.
Judging versus perceiving – judging type
want control and prefer their world to be
orderly and structured. Perceiving types
are flexible and spontaneous.
Dimensions that capture distinct
differences between people include;

 Openness/close mindedness
 Conscientiousness/heedlessness
(conscientiousness-state of being
thorough, careful or vigilant implies a
desire to do tasks well)
 Extraversion/introversion
 Agreeable/hostility
 Neuroticism (characterized by anxiety,
moodiness, worry, envy and jealousy).
Type A personality
Excessively competitive and thrive on hard work
and long hours, work under moderate to high
levels of stress and exhibit characteristics such
as;
 High need for achievement
 Extreme competitiveness
 Impatience with obstacles to the completion
of tasks
 Aggressiveness
 A tendency to move and speak rapidly
 An aversion to idleness
 Restlessness and urgency about time
Type B personality exhibit the opposite
characteristics from type A, however they
have high level of drive and ambition are
more relaxed , work at a steady pace and
do not exhibit a sense of time urgency.
 Theories of Personality

Psychodynamic Theory (Sigmund Freud (1856-

1939)
Affirms that the dynamic interplay of inner
psychological processes determines ways of
thinking, feeling and acting.
•
•Freud proposed that a personality is determined
by conscious, preconscious and unconscious
powers –
• the unconscious exerting great influence on
consciousness and behaviour.
•Personality is comprised of three separate but
interacting parts: the id, the ego and the superego
The id is the unconscious portion of the
personality and is related to the driving force of
an individual.
The ego is the conscious mind and modulates
the impulses of the id, refining them.
The superego relates more directly to our
moral or conventional codes and is ‘beyond’ or
‘above’ the ego.
Socio-Cultural Approach
Society and culture shape cognition. Social
customs, beliefs, values, and language are all
part of what shapes a person's identity.
Personality is based on socio-cultural
background. A socio-cultural approach takes
into account more than the individual in
attempting to understand cognitive processes.
End