7B: Theories of Personality

Question 1

Psychoanalytic Theory

Answer 1

personality is shaped by a person’s unconscious thoughts, feelings, and past memories-driven by unconscious desires

Question 2

What are two drives of Psychoanalytic theory?

Answer 2

Libido ( motivation for survival, growth, and pleasure)

and death instinct ( aggressive behaviors fueled by unconscious wish to die or hurt oneself)

Question 3

What are 3 parts of the human mind based on Psychoanalytic Theory?

Answer 3

Id: unconscious part. Develop after birth and demands immediate gratification
Ego: conscious and unconscious- seek long-term gratification
Superego: moral conscience

Question 4

Humanistic Theory

Answer 4

Focus on healthy personality development, and humans are inherently good. The most basic of all people is
self-actualization–> self-motivated to improve
Focus on the conscious and pp are inherently good.

Question 5

How can a person achieve reach self-actualization?

Answer 5

1) Growth is nurtured by when individual is genuine

2) Second is growth is nurtured through acceptance of others

Question 6

Biology Theory

Answer 6

important components of personality are inherited and determined by our genes

Question 7

Behaviorist Theory

Answer 7

personality is the result of learned behavior patterns based on a person’s environment
-deterministic: the environment completely determines their behavior/ personalities
_ Focus on observable and measure behavior

Question 8

Operant conditioning

Answer 8

Reward/ punishment to increase/decrease a behavior

Question 9

Classical conditioning

Answer 9

Place a neutral stimulus with an unconditional stimulus to trigger an involuntary response ( Ringing a bell in presence of food causes dog to start salivating

Question 10

Trait Theory

Answer 10

Personality is put in the patterns of behavior

Question 11

Social Cognitive Theory

Answer 11

Interactions between people and their environment-

and cognition is important

Question 12

Schizophrenia?

Answer 12

Abnormal perceptions of reality-hallucinations and delusions

Question 13

What is the cause of Schizophrenia?

Answer 13

Cerebral cortex seems to be smaller
abnormalities in dopamine
Mesocorticolimbic pathway: lead to dysfunction in parts of frontal cortex that cause cognitive symptoms –> ( attention and planning abilities)
Limbic structure causes negative symptoms ( blunted emotions)
Temporal cortex –> positive symptoms ( hallucinations and delusions)

Question 14

Biological basis of depression?

Answer 14

Feelings of hopelessness and loss of interest in activities

Question 15

What are the causes of depression?

Answer 15

Decrease activity in frontal lobe

Increase activity in limbic lobe

Question 16

Alzheimer’s Disease ( AD)

Answer 16

Neuro-cognitive disorder: loss of cognitive functions

Normal motor functions are fine until later stages where they lose basic activities of daily living

Question 17

Causes of Alzheimer’s Disease

Answer 17

It is the cerebrum that often decreases in size.

Starts in temporal lobes, important for memory

Question 18

Parkinson’s Disease

Answer 18

Neurological disorder involving motor abnormalities and neural too.