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Second level
● Third level

● Fourth level

● Fifth lev

How Can Personality be

A Systems Approach
Described? John D. Mayer

Based on: Mayer, J. D. (1993-1994). A System-Topics Framework for the study of

personality. Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, 13, 99-123.

© Copyright 2008 John D.

Personality
Mayer ???
 How Do We
Describe
Personality
Let’s start with the idea that an Personality
individual’s personality is a
system of some kind… ???Click to edit Master text s
Second level
…and a system is any set of
interrelated parts. For example:
● Third level
● Fourth level
● Fifth level

• The solar system…

• The human muscular system…
• A home’s electrical system…
 What Is Gears in motion
Personality?

Diverse systems all

can be described in a
common fashion, in
the sense of following
Gears
Gearsinin
motion
motion
a standard outline.

To describe a
particular system, we
typically talk about its Gears
Gearsinin
Gears motion
in motion
motion

• Definition and
location
• Parts
Gears in motion
• Organization, and
 How Do We
Describe
Personality
Forapplied
As example,
to as
theapplied to the
solar system,
solar
for system…
example… Click to edit Master text styles
Definition and location: Second level
Our solar system
Definition includes the
and location: ● Third level
sun and the objects bound to it
Our solar system includes the
by gravity.
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sun and the objects bound to it ● Fifth level

by gravity.
Parts:
The sun, eight planets, three
dwarf planets, more than 100
Parts: asteroids, and other
moons,
objects
The sun, eight planets, three
dwarf planets, more than 100
Organization:
moons, asteroids, and other
The system is organized with
objects
the sun at the center, the
planets, dwarf planets, and
asteroid belt in orbit around it.
Organization:
Development:
The system is organized with
The system
the sun was
at the formed
center, during
the
the gravitational
planets, contraction
dwarf planets, and of
 Framework for
Studies

When this approach is

applied to the personality
system, the topics become:
I. The Definition and
Location of Personality
1. Identifying Personality
● What it is; where it
is…
2. Personality’s Parts

II. Personality’s Parts

● Traits, mental
models…
III. Personality’s
Organization, and
3. Personality’s Organization
IV. Personality’s ● Structure,
Development
dynamics
4. Personality
Collectively, these four
Development
● Infancy,
topics can be referred to as
the childhood…
Systems Framework for
End of slideshow