12.3 Psychodynamic and Humanistic Approaches to Personality Flashcards
Conscious mind
your current awareness, containing everything you are aware of right now
Unconscious mind
a vast and powerful but inaccessible part of your consciousness, operating without your endorsement or will to influence and guide your behaviours
Id
represents a collection of basic biological drives, including those directed toward sex and aggression
- fueled by libido, operates according to the pleasure principle
Superego
comprises our values and moral standards
Ego
decision maker, frequently under tension, trying to reconcile the opposing urges of the id and superego - operates according to the reality principle
Defence mechanisms
unconscious strategies the ego uses to reduce or avoid anxiety
Fixation
Involves becoming preoccupied with obtaining the pleasure associated with a particular stage as a result of not being able to adequately regulate themselves and satisfy their needs at that stage
Anal retentive
cleanliness, order
Anal expulsive
carelessness, irresponsible
Oedipus complex
Attachment to mother through oral means
Latency stage
calm, development period
Projective tests
personality tests in which ambiguous images are presented to an individual to elicit responses that reflect unconscious desires or conflicts
Rorschach inkblot test
people are asked to describe what they see in an inkblot, and psychologists interpret this description using a standardized scoring and interpretation method
Thematic Apperception Test
asks respondents to tell stories about ambiguous pictures involving various interpersonal situations
Analytical psychology
focuses on the role of unconscious archetypes in personality development
Personal unconscious
a vast repository of experiences and patterns absorbed during the person’s life
Collective unconscious
a separate, non-personal realm of the unconscious that holds the collective memories and mythologies of humankind, stretching deep into our ancestral past
Archetypes
are images and symbols that reflect common patterns of experience across all cultures
Inferiority complex
the struggle many people have with feelings of inferiority, which stem from experiences of helplessness and powerlessness during childhood
Person-centred perspective
founded on the assumption that people are basically good, and given the right environment their personality will develop fully and normally
Self-actualization
the point at which a person reaches their full potential as a creative, deep-thinking, and accepting human being
