Case Study: Lola
Introduction
Personality psychology is the focus of some of the best-known psychology theories. To illustrate the discipline’s different theories and approaches to individuality, you will examine the application of several theories to the case of a young woman, Lola. In this case study, you will hear from Lola herself as well as from some of the significant people in her life.
Unit 1: Case Study of Lola
Trait Theories
Using both the Five Factor Model of personality and Eysneck’s hierarchical model of personality, describe the major personality traits that you see in Lola and identify how they may have developed. Which theory best describes Lola? Be sure to include all five factors and Eysneck’s three broad traits.
Rose (Mother)
Lola is a girl with some problems. She’s always nervous and angry, and she has conflicts with friends and family. She has never had long friendships and seems to be quite difficult for others to get along with. I can’t seem to ever make her happy, and I can’t try anymore. I never had many friends growing up either, and I came through just fine. I don’t know why she can’t just be more like her sister, Emily.
Eduardo (Father)
Lola is a beautiful, sweet girl. She’s experiencing some difficulties now—maybe you could call it an identity crisis. But she’ll come through with flying colors. She always has. She is the apple of my eye, and I know that she will get through this.
Emily (Sister)
Lola is my older sister. She was always the smart one. She used to do so well in school. Then I don’t know what happened. She moved away last year when she went away to college. I miss her. I wish we had a better relationship. One day she loves being with me and the next she is picking fights with me and tells me what I’m doing wrong, but she’s my only sister. She is so strong and is never afraid to share what she thinks. I know she is lonely—she doesn’t have many friends. She always seems to fight with everyone, but she is kind at heart, and she is so talented. You should see her paint—so beautiful. I want to be more like her.
Lola
I’m Lola. Where do I come from? What are my roots? I’ve often wondered. The facts are simple enough, but the feelings are not. Objectively, it all started twenty years ago, when my father (a warm, loving, teddy-bear character) and my mother (a pretty, icy princess) welcomed me into their arms (I hope). Soon after, they extended another welcome to my sister Emily. As soon as Emily and I were both in school, my mother went back to work. She is a researcher for Jax Enterprises. We moved around a lot when I was little, and I remember being pretty lonely and not having many friends. There didn’t seem to be time for family outings or gatherings. I guess we weren’t that important to my parents.
In sixth grade things really clicked! I got fantastic grades. I always did well in school. I had some friends, but most of my classmates were very jealous of me. Through a contest in a local department store I got into modeling children’s clothes. I loved the attention and the extra clothes. I was the envy of all the kids in school, and I got a kick out of showing them my photo album. The pictures were amazing!
Then the bubble burst. I started turning into myself and often hated what I saw. In seventh grade, I was miserable. That’s when my weight problem started. I didn’t have acne, at least, but I didn’t have dates or boyfriends either. At the end of the year, I transferred to an all girls’ school. I made one or two friends, but nothing serious or meaningful. Everyone was always so weird to me. I think most of the girls were jealous of me—they weren’t models, and nothing special really. Some of them acted nice to me, but I know it was because they wanted to know private things about me—things that I don’t share with anyone. What really excited me was painting and music (piano). The school had excellent teachers and facilities, and I really gave it everything I had until I graduated from high school. When I was playing the piano I was out of time, out of space, soaring with the notes. In painting, I was lost in colors—I felt I was actually moving in and out of the canvas. I went from one to the other and felt totally fulfilled and everything seemed right with the world.
When I graduated high school, I decided to go east to college and was accepted at Williams College. The dorm food was so awful, so I lost a little weight. I worked really hard and got good grades in the classes I cared about, but I broke out into a sweat every time I had to take an exam. I worried a lot about essay exams, but the objective ones really knocked me out. My sophomore year, I went out with a boy from Harvard, and I thought I was in love. At last, I was in a genuine relationship. He was so sweet to me. He told me I was smart and beautiful. He made me feel special at first, but then after about six months he became cruel. I think he was cheating on me, but he denied it. I think he was lying all along.
When we broke up, I just fell apart, and so did my world. I’d wake up at night with terrible nightmares. During the day, I just couldn’t concentrate—perhaps I didn’t even want to. I had trouble sleeping at night and drank whole quarts of hot chocolate with marshmallows—trying to fill up the empty places. I gained weight and couldn’t look at myself in a mirror. I had trouble studying, got very scared in exams, and started cutting classes. My grades got so bad, I was put on probation. I couldn’t decide what to major in and didn’t think any department would want me as a major anyway.
People are always telling me how beautiful I am, but I’m not always sure they’re being sincere. I think they want something from me and they are just trying to be nice to get over on me. I know that I am pretty, but why are they saying these things? It just doesn’t make sense.
I still don’t have a major—I don’t even have a meaning. How can someone decide what field to concentrate in until they know what they want to be? I’m still searching. I’m thinking seriously about dropping out of school—at least for a while until I find out. But if I drop out of school, I will have to leave the dorm and I won’t have anywhere to live. Where will I go? The dorm gives me a place to stay and three meals each day so I really can’t leave, can I?
Unit 3: Case Study of Lola
Motive Theories
Needs help us to organize our understanding and guide us to see what we want and “need” to see. Using the case of Lola, discuss Henry Murray’s theory of needs. What is the function of a need? What does it mean to say that the motive concept is dynamic, and why is Murray’s motivational theory of needs a dynamic theory? Then compare Murray’s theory and apply Maslow’s hierarchy of needs of needs to the case of Lola. What are the needs at each level, and what are the assumptions Maslow made about these needs and the satisfaction of these needs? Which theory best describes Lola’s current presentation?
Rose (Mother)
Lola is a girl with some problems. She’s always nervous and angry, and she has conflicts with friends and family. She has never had long friendships and seems to be quite difficult for others to get along with. I can’t seem to ever make her happy, and I can’t try anymore. I never had many friends growing up either, and I came through just fine. I don’t know why she can’t just be more like her sister, Emily.
Eduardo (Father)
Lola is a beautiful, sweet girl. She’s experiencing some difficulties now—maybe you could call it an identity crisis. But she’ll come through with flying colors. She always has. She is the apple of my eye, and I know that she will get through this.
Emily (Sister)
Lola is my older sister. She was always the smart one. She used to do so well in school. Then I don’t know what happened. She moved away last year when she went away to college. I miss her. I wish we had a better relationship. One day she loves being with me and the next she is picking fights with me and tells me what I’m doing wrong, but she’s my only sister. She is so strong and is never afraid to share what she thinks. I know she is lonely—she doesn’t have many friends. She always seems to fight with everyone, but she is kind at heart, and she is so talented. You should see her paint—so beautiful. I want to be more like her.
Lola
I’m Lola. Where do I come from? What are my roots? I’ve often wondered. The facts are simple enough, but the feelings are not. Objectively, it all started twenty years ago, when my father (a warm, loving, teddy-bear character) and my mother (a pretty, icy princess) welcomed me into their arms (I hope). Soon after, they extended another welcome to my sister Emily. As soon as Emily and I were both in school, my mother went back to work. She is a researcher for Jax Enterprises. We moved around a lot when I was little, and I remember being pretty lonely and not having many friends. There didn’t seem to be time for family outings or gatherings. I guess we weren’t that important to my parents.
In sixth grade things really clicked! I got fantastic grades. I always did well in school. I had some friends, but most of my classmates were very jealous of me. Through a contest in a local department store I got into modeling children’s clothes. I loved the attention and the extra clothes. I was the envy of all the kids in school, and I got a kick out of showing them my photo album. The pictures were amazing!
Then the bubble burst. I started turning into myself and often hated what I saw. In seventh grade, I was miserable. That’s when my weight problem started. I didn’t have acne, at least, but I didn’t have dates or boyfriends either. At the end of the year, I transferred to an all girls’ school. I made one or two friends, but nothing serious or meaningful. Everyone was always so weird to me. I think most of the girls were jealous of me—they weren’t models, and nothing special really. Some of them acted nice to me, but I know it was because they wanted to know private things about me—things that I don’t share with anyone. What really excited me was painting and music (piano). The school had excellent teachers and facilities, and I really gave it everything I had until I graduated from high school. When I was playing the piano I was out of time, out of space, soaring with the notes. In painting, I was lost in colors—I felt I was actually moving in and out of the canvas. I went from one to the other and felt totally fulfilled and everything seemed right with the world.
When I graduated high school, I decided to go east to college and was accepted at Williams College. The dorm food was so awful, so I lost a little weight. I worked really hard and got good grades in the classes I cared about, but I broke out into a sweat every time I had to take an exam. I worried a lot about essay exams, but the objective ones really knocked me out. My sophomore year, I went out with a boy from Harvard, and I thought I was in love. At last, I was in a genuine relationship. He was so sweet to me. He told me I was smart and beautiful. He made me feel special at first, but then after about six months he became cruel. I think he was cheating on me, but he denied it. I think he was lying all along.
When we broke up, I just fell apart, and so did my world. I’d wake up at night with terrible nightmares. During the day, I just couldn’t concentrate—perhaps I didn’t even want to. I had trouble sleeping at night and drank whole quarts of hot chocolate with marshmallows—trying to fill up the empty places. I gained weight and couldn’t look at myself in a mirror. I had trouble studying, got very scared in exams, and started cutting classes. My grades got so bad, I was put on probation. I couldn’t decide what to major in and didn’t think any department would want me as a major anyway.
People are always telling me how beautiful I am, but I’m not always sure they’re being sincere. I think they want something from me and they are just trying to be nice to get over on me. I know that I am pretty, but why are they saying these things? It just doesn’t make sense.
I still don’t have a major—I don’t even have a meaning. How can someone decide what field to concentrate in until they know what they want to be? I’m still searching. I’m thinking seriously about dropping out of school—at least for a while until I find out. But if I drop out of school, I will have to leave the dorm and I won’t have anywhere to live. Where will I go? The dorm gives me a place to stay and three meals each day so I really can’t leave, can I?
