Good Grief!

It’s a personality analysis of

CHARLIE BROWN!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h38srxvt6qE

Lucy’s “help”

Any Charlies out there???

• http://www.quizilla.com/quizzes/8506340/which-peanuts-character-are-you

• Charlie Brown's main characteristic is either self-defeating stubbornness or admirable determined persistence to try his best against all odds: he can never win a ballgame but continues playing baseball; he can never fly a kite successfully but continues trying to do so. Though his inferiority complex was evident from the start, in the earliest strips he also got in his own jabs when verbally sparring with Patty and Shermy.

Biology and Genetics

• Charles Schultz stated that 60% of Charlie was him…http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/5564

Psychodynamic Theory

• Charlie’s ego was challenged to keep his superego from taking over, he was very concerned about how others perceived him. This caused him much internal conflict and anxiety.

• Because Charlie does not utilize defense mechanisms, he is constantly burdened with this overwhelming anxiety.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTUy_mlpgy4

Lucy and the football

Learning Theory

• No matter how many times he fell and got hurt, Charlie was not classically conditioned to avoid Lucy and her football!

• Charlie’s behavior > negative attention > Charlie being rewarded by feeling like he belonged to his “gang” > a reinforcement and continuation of the behavior

• Charlie’s perceived self-efficacy was low, however, Charlie remained persistent and never gave up hope

• Rather than reappraising situations, Charlie often responded with self-defeating thoughts and behaviors

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4Hv9YmhGpw

Christmas Clip

Humanistic Theory

• Charlie does not get unconditional positive regard, but his enduring personality traits drive him to hopefully persevere anyway

• Because Charlie is not fully functioning, he does not trust his own judgment-he is perpetually confused!

• Charlie, like Charles Schultz, uses his feelings of inferiority as an impetus of change…but does he have an inferiority complex?

• Relationships with others:Linus is Charlie’s best friend, both are in a sense on the “outside” of the friendship circle and are only fully accepted at special times

Trait Perspective

Charlie is driven by robust Agreeableness:

Kind-hearted people who avoid conflictCan blend into any situation well Can appear wishy-washy, has difficulty with firm decisions Highly sensitive Can be quiet and soft-spoken Friendly complianceLow assertiveness, high responsivenessModesty

Has the most conflict with personality types that are high in assertiveness and low in responsiveness (I.e. dominant Lucy), yet opposites are often attracted to each other!

Charlie’s Complex Self

• Charlie works to maintain the schema he has about his identity, he hangs around a group of friends who support his self-concept

• Charlie continuously monitors his social environment for cues regarding the degree to which he is being accepted vs. rejected and bases his self-esteem accordingly

• Charlie’s supportive friend, Linus, could have been the influential external factor affecting Charlie’s resiliency when responding to the criticisms of others

Psychiatric Help…5 cents!

Jennifer Hines & Kara ScheidlerCPSY 631July 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBPcoI4OE9Y

Song