A part of personality can be defined as follows:
A part of personality is a discretely identified, localized portion of the personality system that performs a unique function, stores information, or represents a thematic quality of the individual’s mental processes (after Mayer, 1995, pp. 828-829).
To get a better sense of what is meant above, each key part of the definition can be further described:
...personality... -- The system that represents the collective function of major psychological subsystems such as motives, emotions, cognitions, the self, and similar such aspects.
…discretely identified... -- That is, using sound analytic and conceptual rules, it makes sense to identify various discrete subsystems of personality. The part is not necessarily a discrete part of the brain or mind, although that is the intention, but nonetheless can be divided for purposes of scientific exploration.
…localized portion of the system... -- It is a portion or component of the system, and not the whole system.
…that performs a unique function... -- That is, some parts of personality are responsible for doing something that affects the operation of the personality system (e.g., short-term memory).
…stores information… -- That is, some parts of personality store information about the self and the world (e.g., knowledge about baseball).
...represents the thematic quality of personality processes... -- That is, some parts of personality represent identified thematic aspects or patterns of personality function (e.g., an expert in baseball).
Personality parts (or components) can be distinguished according to two broad fashions: according to their type, and their function (see Mayer, 1995).
For Example…
The above description of a personality part can be made clearer with some further examples of personality parts.
In the emotions area, for example, there are examples of parts that do something, store information, and represent qualities of personality.
Happiness (as a part that "does something"): the capacity to respond happily involves an integrated ability to relax physically, crinkle one's eyes, smile, think positive thoughts, and share enjoyment with others.
Anxious schema (as a part that "stores information"). A mental representation of something, for example, a birthday party, that, for the individual, has various worries and concerns related to it.
Well-Being (as a part that reflects a person's pattern of operation). An individual's general subject sense that he or she is doing well.
Those three examples can be seen in the chart below, which also includes another three examples from the knowledge guidance area of personality.
Parts across different areas of personality |
A "do something" part (mental mechanism) |
A "store something" part (mental model) |
A general pattern (personality trait or theme) |
Emotions system |
Happiness |
Anxious schema |
Well-being |
Knowledge guidance
|
Short-term memory |
Mental models (e.g., arithmetic knowledge)
|
Verbal intelligence |
Executive consciousness |
Attention |
Strategies of self-control |
Good self-control |
References
Freud, S. (1923/1960). The ego and the id. J. Riviere (Trans.), J. Strachey (Ed.). New York, NY: W. W. Norton.
Epstein, S. (1998). Constructive thinking. New York, NY: Praeger.
Mayer, J. D. (1995). A framework for the classification of personality components. Journal of Personality, 63, 819-877.
Mayer, J. D. (1998). A systems framework for the field of personality psychology. Psychological Inquiry, 9, 118-144.