La legitimación activa:

George Kelly's theory of personal constructs does not just consider personality development; it considers the whole person in terms of their perceptions, attitudes, and goals. For Kelly, personality is the individual's way of construing and experimenting with their world. Kelly was critical of separating the study of personality apart from the 'whole' person:

According to Bannister and Fansella (1971), the castrating effect of separating personality off as a mini-psychology in its own right is perhaps best seen in the curiously named study of 'individual differences', which in fact turns out to be the study of group sameness. As a result we have focused on the establishment of general dimensions, at some point along which all individuals can be placed, rather than on a study of the dimensions which each individual develops in order to organise his own world.

For Kelly it was critical to take data from one individual person (idiography) and to employ a technique which could cope with the qualitative nature of the data to be collected. He developed the Repertory Grid which was able to measure an individual's construct of the world. Kelly was thus able to employ a clear and valid measure within an idiographic approach. This was an important advance in idiographic techniques and the repertory technique has become increasingly important as a research tool. It enables the person to use his/her own constructions of the world but in such a way that they are comparable and measurable.

An example of the repertory grid technique is provided from a case study by Fiona Wilson. The research examined the impact of computer numerical control (CNC) technology in the engineering industry. Its main objective was to explore the effect of new technology on the responses of both craftsmen and managers in two differing companies. One of the research measures used to explore the subjective experiences of the workers was Kelly's Repertory Grid. Wilson describes it as a 'formalised conversation' and says that 'It is an attempt to stand in others' shoes, to see their world as they see it, to understand their situation, their concerns.

Using this technique, Wilson was able to measure the workers' own feelings and motivations, and to understand the impact that technology had on their job, their skills

and sense of self worth. She noted in her conclusion that the strategic decisions made by the two companies in their utilisation-of ,the new technology made a direct and measurable impact on the perception and attitudes of the craftsmen.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2 Explain the idiographic theory of personality.

4.0 CONLUSION

The analysis in this unit, as you have observed, has been used to discuss the concept of personality. From the foregoing, you have appreciated the fact that personality is a dynamic organisation, inside the person, of psychophysical systems that create a person’s characteristic patterns of behaviour, thoughts, and feelings. This explains the uniqueness of individual human being. This unit has also been used to discuss the fact that there are mainly two distinct theories which explain the nature of personality; one which holds that personality cannot be influenced by the environment while the other holds that personality is a subject of environmental dictates.

5.0 SUMMARY

In this study unit, topics covered include the following:

Meaning and nature of personality Nomothetic theory, and

Idiographic theory.

In the next study unit, you will be taken through the discussion on learning.

6.0 TUTOR MARKED ASSIGNMENT

Discuss Freud’s psychoanalytic approach to the understanding of personality.

Answer to Self Assessment Exercise

1. Nomothetic theory of personality views personality as consistent, largely inherited and resistant to change, and environmental and social factors have minimal influence on personality.

Contributions range from the theory of Main Personality Types (Hans Eysenck) such as extrovert and introvert personalities; and the Personality Traits (Cattell) identifying surface traits and source traits in personality.

2. Idiographic approach is concerned with understanding the uniqueness of individuals and the development of the self concept. Personality development is a process which

is open to change; responding to the environment and people around them, and the dynamics of the interactions as playing a critical part in shaping personality.

7.0 REFERENCES

Briggs-Meyers, I. (1987). Introduction to Type, Oxford: Oxford Psychologists Press.

Carver, C. S., & Scheier, M. F. (2000). Perspectives on personality (4th ed.) Boston:

Allyn and Bacon

Erikson, E. H. (1980). Identity and Life Cycle, New York: Norton

Mullins,. L. J. (2000). Management and Organizational Behaviour,( 4^th Edition). London:

Pitman Publishing.

Rogers, C. A. (1980). Way of Being, Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Schultz, D., & Schultz, S.E. (1994). Theories of personality (5th ed.) Pacific Grove, CA:

Brooks/Cole

FURTHER READING

Freud, S. (1973). New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis, New York: Penguin.