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Personality
Profiles
by Allen R. Miller, Ph.D., and Susan Shelly
Pearson USA, Inc.
201 West 103rd Street
Indianapolis, IN 46290
A Pearson Education Company
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Copyright © 2000 by Allen R. Miller, Ph.D., and Susan Shelly
All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval sys-
tem, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,
or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is as-
sumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every
precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and authors
assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for
damages resulting from the use of information contained herein. For information, ad-
dress Alpha Books, 201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46290.
THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO and Design are registered trademarks of
Pearson Education, Inc.
International Standard Book Number: 0-7865-4231-4
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: Available upon request.
02 01 00 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Interpretation of the printing code: The rightmost number of the first series of num-
bers is the year of the book’s printing; the rightmost number of the second series of
numbers is the number of the book’s printing. For example, a printing code of 00-1
shows that the first printing occurred in 2000.
Printed in the United States of America
Note: This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its authors. It is intended to
provide helpful and informative material on the subject matter covered. It is sold with
the understanding that the authors and publisher are not engaged in rendering profes-
sional services in the book. If the reader requires personal assistance or advice, a com-
petent professional should be consulted.
The authors and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss
or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indi-
rectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book.
Making or distributing electronic copies of this book constitutes copyright
infringement and could subject the infringer to criminal and civil liability
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Publisher
Marie Butler-Knight
Product Manager
Phil Kitchel
Managing Editor
Cari Luna
Acquisitions Editor
Randy Ladenheim-Gil
Development Editor
Doris Cross
Production Editor
Billy Fields
Copy Editor
Fran Blauw
Illustrator
Jody P. Schaeffer
Cover Designers
Mike Freeland
Kevin Spear
Book Designers
Scott Cook and Amy Adams of DesignLab
Indexer
Tonya Heard
Layout/Proofreading
Angela Calvert
Mary Hunt
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Contents at a Glance
Part 1: What Is Personality? 1
1 The Personality Puzzle 3
An overview of the concepts and theories of personal-
ity, and how it affects nearly everything we do.
2 You Are What You Believe 17
Our deepest beliefs influence and greatly affect our
views of ourselves, others, and the world around us.
3 The Psychodynamic (Huh?) Theory of Personality 31
The psychodynamic theory of personality began with
Sigmund Freud and has been important and influen-
tial ever since.
4 The Learning Theory of Personality 43
The learning theory focuses almost entirely on what’s
going on in a person’s conscious mind.
5 The Humanistic Theory of Personality 53
The humanistic theory, which emphasizes the
uniqueness of the individual, is as relevant as ever
in today’s society.
6 Other Personality Theories 63
Many other theories regarding personality are impor-
tant and have influenced the field of psychology.
Part 2: Tests, Tests, and More Tests 77
7 The Development of Psychological Tests 79
Psychological tests must be carefully developed and
controlled to be considered reliable.
8 For Professional Use Only 91
Professional tests generally are valid and reliable,
and a notch above the nonprofessional versions.
9 Tests for Everyone to Take 103
There’s no shortage of psychological tests out there
for the taking, if you know where to look.
Part 3: Personality Characteristics 117
10 Personality Traits 119
Personality traits are enduring, and they influence
the way that we go about living.
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11 Schemas and So Forth 133
We use schemas to process and store our assump-
tions and beliefs.
12 The All-Important Self-Esteem Factor 145
Self-esteem, or how we think about ourselves, varies
tremendously from person to person.
13 States of Being 159
Temporary conditions, or moods, are conditions such
as anxiety and depression.
Part 4: Personality Disorders 171
14 Eccentric Behaviors 173
The eccentric behaviors include paranoid, schizoid,
and schizotypal personality disorders.
15 Dramatic Behaviors 187
Antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic
personality disorders are called dramatic behaviors.
16 Fearful Behavior 201
The cluster of disorders known as fearful behavior
includes avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-
compulsive behavior.
17 The Addictive Personality: Myth or Reality? 213
There is great debate about whether addiction
is a disease or a learned behavior.
Part 5: For Love and Money 227
18 Your Personality and Your Love Life 229
Your personality affects your love life in ways you
may not even want to hear.
19 Personality on the Job 243
The jobs you’ll get and how you’ll perform in them
are directly influenced by your personality.
20 Molding the Future 253
Your traits, characteristics, and beliefs will largely
determine the kind of parent you’ll be.
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Part 6: Personality and Change 265
21 Can a Leopard Change His Spots? 267
It’s possible to change personality using cognitive
therapy.
22 Changing What We Believe 279
Changing automatic thoughts from negative to
positive can greatly lessen anxiety and boost the
chances that you’ll succeed.
23 Changing How We Behave 293
Behavior is easier to change than some other aspects
of personality, but the possibility of change depends
a great deal on self-efficacy.
24 Rewriting History 305
Core beliefs are near and dear to our hearts, but
they are not unchangeable.
25 Do Not Attempt to Do This at Home 317
Some very serious issues should not be addressed
solely with self-help measures.
26 Cheer Up, Will Ya? 327
There’s renewed interest in the area of positive
psychology.
27 Taking a Good, Long Look in Your Crystal Ball 337
You have more control over your life than you may
believe.
Appendixes
A Glossary 347
B Additional Resources 355
Index 365
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Contents
Part 1: What Is Personality? 1
1 The Personality Puzzle 3
What Is Personality, and Why? ..........................................3
Pieces of the Puzzle ..............................................................5
Body Basics ..........................................................................5
Circumstances and Surroundings ..........................................6
Genetic Factors ....................................................................7
Theories of Personality ........................................................7
Testing, Testing: Psychological Tests ..................................8
Test Reliability and Validity ................................................9
Interpreting Tests ................................................................10
Applying Test Results ........................................................10
Personality: A Work in Progress ........................................10
Personality and Relationship Issues ..................................12
How Personality Affects Your Career ................................13
Changing Your Personality ................................................13
Check Yourself Out ............................................................14
2 You Are What You Believe 17
The Cognitive/Constructivist Theory ................................18
The Social Learning Theory ..............................................19
Early Messages ..................................................................21
Reinforcement of Early Messages ......................................23
Getting to the Core of the Matter ....................................25
How Core Beliefs Affect Personality ....................................25
A Case Study ....................................................................26
Your Brain on Cruise Control ............................................26
What’s That Supposed to Mean? ......................................28
Check Yourself Out ............................................................28
3 The Psychodynamic (Huh?) Theory of Personality 31
What Is This Theory, and What Does It Mean? ................32
The Importance of the Unconscious Mind........................32
Id, Ego, and Superego ........................................................33
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The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Personality Profiles
The Five Stages of Development ........................................35
The Oral Stage ....................................................................35
The Anal Stage....................................................................35
The Phallic Stage ................................................................36
The Latency Period..............................................................36
The Genital Stage................................................................36
A Guy Named Freud and His Followers ............................36
Sigmund Freud ..................................................................37
Anna Freud ........................................................................37
Carl Gustav Jung ..............................................................38
Erik Erikson ......................................................................39
Check Yourself Out ............................................................41
4 The Learning Theory of Personality 43
What It Is and How It Works ............................................44
The Learning Theory’s Beginnings ......................................46
Is the Learning Theory Relevant Today? ............................47
Learning Theory Big Shots: John B. Watson and
His Followers ....................................................................47
John B. Watson ..................................................................47
Edward Lee Thorndike ........................................................49
B.F. Skinner ........................................................................50
The Role of Reinforcing Behavior ....................................50
Focus on Research ..............................................................51
Check Yourself Out ............................................................52
5 The Humanistic Theory of Personality 53
What It Is and How It Works ............................................54
The Humanistic Theory’s Beginnings ..................................54
Is the Humanistic Theory Relevant Today? ........................55
Recognizing the Value and Dignity of Every Person ........55
Emphasizing Individual Freedoms ....................................56
The “Here and Now” Factor ..............................................57
Self-Actualization: Where It’s At ......................................58
The Ideal Self ....................................................................59
The Real Self ......................................................................60
The Role of Meaning in Personal Development ..............60
viii
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Contents
Current Views of the Humanistic Theory ........................61
Check Yourself Out ............................................................62
6 Other Personality Theories 63
Neo-Freudian, or Social Theories ......................................64
Alfred Adler ........................................................................65
Individual Psychology ........................................................65
Birth Order ........................................................................67
Harry Stack Sullivan............................................................68
Karen Horney ....................................................................69
Development Theorists and Theories ..............................71
Jean Piaget ........................................................................71
Erik Erikson ........................................................................72
Understanding Biological Influences ................................74
Check Yourself Out ............................................................74
Part 2: Tests, Tests, and More Tests 77
7 The Development of Psychological Tests 79
Whose Idea Was This, Anyway? ........................................80
What Are Psychological Tests For? ....................................81
Consistent, Reliable Results—Are They Possible? ............83
Do Tests Measure What They’re Supposed To? ................84
Low-Tech Tests, High-Tech World ....................................85
Why Go Low-Tech? ..........................................................86
Why They’re Valuable ........................................................86
Inkblots and Other Projective Tests ..................................87
The Thematic Apperception Test ........................................88
Other Kinds of Projective Tests ..........................................88
Check Yourself Out ............................................................89
8 For Professional Use Only 91
Professional Tests—A Notch Above the Rest......................92
How Professionals Give Psychological Tests ......................93
Why Only Pros Have Access to Some Tests ......................95
What the Pros Can—And Can’t—Learn from
Psychological Testing........................................................95
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