Ch 14-Personality Flashcards
personality
an individual’s characteristic style of behaving, thinking, feeling
personality inventories/scales
scales or tests that ask an individual a set of standardized questions or whether a statement does or does not apply to them
- objective assessment of personality (has agreed upon scoring and responses so the marker cannot sway the determination)
- based on self-report data
- empirical analysis (calculates where an indv falls in terms of a given factor)
MMPI-2
most common personality scale/inventory for assessing personality and psychological problems
- scores are used as indicators
- has validity measures in place to alleviate response bias by testing the indvs honesty (ex. I get angry sometimes)
projective techniques
means for measuring personality
- a standard series of ambiguous stimuli designed to elicit unique responses that might reveal or be indicative of inner aspects of an indvs personality
ex. rorschach inkblot test, thematic apperception test (TAT) - poor predictors of behaviour and depend entirely on the test administer’s subjective interpretation, so these techniques shouldn’t be used for assessment, but may be useful in therapy
trait
relatively stable disposition to behave in a particular and consistent way
- might be a pre-existing/genetic disposition which can be tested for by personality inventories
- might be a motive that guides our behaviour, which could be measured by projective tests
- can use factor analyses to sort characteristics into more general traits/core factors
Raymond Katel
looked at 1000s of potential traits and using factor analysis, concluded there were 16 factors
-some argue that Katel’s factors aren’t all independent tho and could be further condensed
Extraversion-Stability Model (eysenck)
- tried to take Katel’s factors and pare them down as much as possible
- settled on a 2 factor model based on introversion vs extraversion and stability vs instability, though he later added a third dimension, psychoticism vs self-control
the Big Five factor model
Conscientiousness
-organized, careful and self-disciplined vs disorganized, careless and weak-willed
Agreeableness
-softhearted, trusting and helpful vs ruthless, suspicious , and uncooperative
Neuroticism
-worried, insecure, and self-pitying vs calm, secure, and self-satisfied
Openness to experience
-imaginative, variety, and independent vs down-to-earth, routine, and conforming
Extraversion
-social, fun loving and affectionate vs retiring, sober and reserved
factors have little overlap, multiple observer validity, and seem to be consistent across cultures
behavioural genetics
looks for overlap btw monozygotic and dizygotic twins
personality and heritabilty
heritability estimates for personality are btw 0.40-0.60
-estimates for the big five range from 0.35-0.49, suggesting they make up a lot of the aspects of personality that are genetically linked
the psychodynamic approach
pioneered by freud
- belief that personality is formed by needs and desires largely happening outside of awareness
- the dynamic unconscious leads to conscious behaviour
dynamic unconscious
active system encompassing a lifetime of hidden memories, deepest instincts and desires, and the inner struggle to control these forces
Id
part of the mind containing all drives, wants, desires, impulses present at birth, including sexual and aggressive drives
-completely unconscious and completely unconcerned with social rules
Ego
part of the mind that deals with life’s practical demands
- developed through contact with the external world
- attempts to rein in the Id, though is not necessarily remorseful or reprehensive of the Id
- is semi-conscious, semi-unconscious
Superego
mental system that reflects the internalization of cultural rules
- standards, codes of conduct, guilty conscience
- is semi-conscious, semi-unconscious
defense mechanisms
how freud believed we cope with conflicts of the id/ego/superego that bubble up into consciousness
- rationalization, reaction formation, projection, regression, displacement, identification, sublimation
- also intellectualization?
psychosexual stages
(freud (obviously))
- distinctive early stages that help form personality
- important in terms of physical development
- adult issues can stem from repressed childhood problems
- oral, anal, phallic,, latency, genital
oral psychosexual stage
(0-18 mo)
- pleasures and frustrations associated with the mouth
- feeding and sucking, exploring by putting everything in the mouth
- indv stuck in the oral stage have adult lives that are either very full or very empty
anal psychosexual stage
(2-3 yrs)
- pleasures and frustrations associated with the anus, expulsion of waste, toilet training
- control conflicts (self-control issue for the toileting toddler, and child-caregiver control issues over expectations and strictness)
- indv stuck in the anal stage may be preoccupied with money, cleanliness
phallic psychosexual stage
(3-5 yrs)
- pleasures, conflict and frustration around phallic regions and incestuous feelings
- oedipus conflict (child becomes jealous of the same sex parent and falls in love with the opposite)
latency psychosexual stage
(5-13 yrs)
further development of intelligence, creativity, interpersonal and athletic skills
-if you make it here, freud basically says ur good to go
genital psychosexual stage
(adulthood)
coming together of mature adult capacity to love, work together, engage in mutually satisfying relationships
humanistic approach
-personality is created by (healthy) choices
humanistic psychologists
- have a positive, optimistic view of the indv and believe in their goodness and potential for growth
- support the self-actualizing tendency (belief ????)