Multiplicity (psychology)
Multiplicity is the psychological phenomenon in which a body can display multiple distinct personas.[1] This phenomenon can feature in identity disturbance, dissociative identity disorder, and other specified dissociative disorders, among other things. Some individuals describe their experience of multiplicity as a form of neurodiversity, rather than something that demands a diagnosis.[1][2] Since 1994, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) no longer refers to it as "multiple personality disorder", favoring other terms.[3] Multiplicity can also be referred to as personality style defined as "an individual's relatively consistent inclinations and preferences across contexts."[4]
History
Throughout history, concepts of phantoms, muses, and fluid "selves" have been applied to this phenomenon.[2] This has been extended to concepts such as tulpamancy. Additionally, some individuals throughout history have stated that they had been taken over by a spirit, soul, or ghost.[2][5]
Plato described the soul ("psyche") as tripartite, calling them Logos (rationality), Eros (erotic love), and Thymus (desire).[5] According to Carter,[Who?] Shakespeare showed examples of this via characters such as Hamlet and Macbeth who had distinct personalities.[5] Carter claimed that Freud supported the notion of different personalities when he came up with the Id, Ego, and Superego, arguing that a split separates the conscious and unconscious mind.[5] Carl Jung proposed: "The many contains the unity of the one without losing the possibilities of the many."[6]
Carter says that Italian psychologist Roberto Assagioli developed psychosynthesis, and hypothesized that an individual may not be consciously aware of their many personae.[5] American psychologist John G. Watkins used hypnosis to bring out different personalities.[5]
Multiplicity as personality styles
Stephen Braude and Rita Carter use a different definition of personality style, defining "personality style" as "personality" and proposing that a person may have multiple selves and not have any relatively consistent inclinations and preferences in personality. This may happen as an adaptation to a change of environment and role within a person's life and may be consciously adopted or encouraged, in a similar way to acting or role-playing.[7] For example, a woman may adopt a kind, nurturing personality when dealing with her children but change to a more aggressive, forceful personality when going to work as a high-flying executive as her responsibilities change.[5]
See also
References
- Ribáry, Gergő; Lajtai, László; Demetrovics, Zsolt; Maraz, Aniko (2017-06-13). "Multiplicity: An Explorative Interview Study on Personal Experiences of People with Multiple Selves". Frontiers in Psychology. 8: 938. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00938. ISSN 1664-1078. PMC 5468408. PMID 28659840.
- Telfer, Tori (2015-05-11). "Are Multiple Personalities Always a Disorder?". Vice. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
- traumadissociation.com (2015-07-03). "Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)". Cite journal requires
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(help) - Eriksen, Karen & Kress, Victoria E. (2005). A Developmental, Constructivist Model for Ethical Assessment (Which Includes Diagnosis, of Course). Beyond the DSM Story: Ethical Quandaries, Challenges, and Best Practices . Thousand Oaks, CA: Page Publications. ISBN 0-7619-3032-9
- Carter, Rita (March 2008). Multiplicity: The New Science of Personality, Identity, and the Self. Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316115384.
- Michael Vannoy Adams (2008). "Multiplicity". The Cambridge Companion to Jung. Cambridge University Press. p. 115. ISBN 9780521685009.
- Stephen E. Braude (1995), First Person Plural: Multiple Personality and the Philosophy of Mind, Rowman & Littlefield, p. 86, ISBN 9780847679966