Ch. 14 Personality Flashcards
psychodynamic theory
views personality with a focus on the unconscious and the importance of childhood experiences
psychoanalysis
Freud’s theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts; the techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions
unconscious
according to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories
free association
in psychoanalysis, method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embara
free association
in psychoanalysis, method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing
id
reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that, according to Freud, strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives
ego
partly conscious, “executive” part of personality that, according to Freud, mediates among the demands of the id, the superego, and reality
superego
partly unconscious part of personality that, according to Freud, represents the internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment and for future aspirations
psychosexual stages
childhood stages of development during which, according to Freud, the id’s pleasure-seeking energies focus on erogenous zones
Oedipus
complex according to Freud, a boy’s sexual desire toward his mother and feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival father
identification
process by which, according to Freud, children incorporate their parents’ values into their developing superegos
fixation
in psychoanalytic theory, a lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at an earlier psychosexual stage, in which conflicts were unresolved
defense mechanisms
in psychoanalytic theory, the ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality
repression
in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories
collective unconscious
Carl Jung’s concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species’ history
terror-management
theory of death-related anxiety; explores people’s emotional and behavioral responses to reminders of their impending death
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes
projective test
personality test, such as TAT or Rorschach, that provides ambiguous images designed to trigger projection of people’s inner dynamics
Rorschach inkblot test
projective test designed by Hermann Rorschach; seeks to identify people’s inner feelings by analyzing how they interpret 10 inkblots
humanistic theories
theories that view personality with a focus on the potential for healthy personal growth
hierarchy of needs
Maslow’s pyramid of human needs, beginning at the base with physiological needs that must first be satisfied before people can fulfill their higher-level safety needs and then psychological needs.
self actualization
according to Maslow, one of the ultimate psychological needs that arises after basic physical and psychological needs are met and self-esteem is achieved; the motivation to fulfill one’s potential
self-transcendence
according to Maslow, the striving for identity, meaning, and purpose beyond the self
unconditioned positive regard
a caring, accepting, nonjudgmental attitude, which Carl Rogers believed would help people develop self-awareness and self-acceptance
self-concept
all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, “who am I?”
trait
characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act in certain ways, as assessed by self-report inventories and peer reports
personality inventory
questionnaire on which people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors; used to assess selected personality traits
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
most widely researched and clinically used of all personality tests. originally developed to identify emotional disorders, this test is not used for many other screening purposes
empirically derived test
test created by selecting from a pool of items those that discriminate between groups
Big Five Factors
researchers identified 5 factors - openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism - that describe personality
social-cognitive perspective
view of behaviors as influenced by the interaction between people’s traits and their social context
reciprocal determinism
interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment
self
in contemporary psychology, assumed to be the center of personality, the organizer of our thoughts, feelings, and actions
spotlight effect
overestimating others’ noticing and evaluating our appearance, performance, and blunders
self-esteem
our feelings of high or low self-worth
self-efficacy
our sense of competence and effectiveness
self-serving bias
readiness to perceive ourselves favorably
narcissicm
excessive self-love and absoption
