Chapter 10: Personality Flashcards
Personality
the unique, core set of characteristics that influence the way one thinks, acts, and feels and that are relatively consistent and enduring throughout the life span (NOT THE SAME AS CHARACTER)
Temperament
distinct patterns of emotional reactions and behaviors observed early in life; remains somewhat stable across life span but can be modeled by the environment; an important stable aspect of personality
Character=
morality
Freud’s 3 levels of consciousness
1- conscious
2- preconscious
3- unconscious
Conscious
the state of being aware of oneself, one’s thoughts, and/or the environment
Preconscious
mental activities outside your current awareness but that can be brought easily to your attention
Unconscious
level of consciousness outside of awareness, which is difficult to access without effort or therapy
Freud’s structural model of the mind
- id
- ego
- superego
Id
the most primitive structure of the mind, the activities of which occur at the unconscious level and are guided by the pleasure principle
Ego
use of the reality principle to negotiate between the id and the environment
Superego
the structure of the mind that guides behavior to follow the rules of society, parents, and other authority figures
Ego defense mechanisms (7)
- sublimation
- identification
- displacement
- repression
- rationalization
- projection
- denial
Repression
anxiety-producing information is pushed into the unconscious
Rationalization
creating an acceptable excuse for an uncomfortable situation
Displacement
shifting negative feelings and impulses to an acceptable target
Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Development
- oral
- anal
- phallic
- latency period
- genital
Oral stage of development
- from birth- 1 1/2 years
- erogenous zone= mouth
- focuses on: sucking, chewing, and gumming
- conflict: weaning
- results of fixation: smoking, drinking, nail-biting, excessive talking
Anal stage of development
- from 1 1/2 - 3 years
- erogenous zone= anus
- focuses on: defecation
- conflict: toilet training
- results of fixation: being rule-bound, stingy, chaotic, destructive
Phallic stage of development
- from 3-6 years
- erogenous zone= genitals
- focuses on: sexual feelings and awareness of self
- conflict: self-stimulation
- results of fixation: promiscuity, flirtation, vanity, or overdependence, and a focus on masturbation
Latency period
- 6 years-puberty
- period during which children develop mentally, socially, and physically
Genital stage of development
- puberty and beyond
- erogenous zone= genitals
- focuses on: the reawakening of sexuality, with a focus on relationships
- conflict: sexuality and aggression
- results of fixation: inability to thrive in adult experiences such as work and love
Neo-Freudians
- Alfred Adler
- humans are not just pleasure seekers, but conscious and intentional in their behaviors
- we are motivated by the need to feel superior
- his theory focuses on each person’ unique struggle with feelings of inferiority
Inferiority complex
feelings of incompetence, vulnerability, and powerlessness; influence of birth order and environmental pressure
Self-actualizing
people who are continually seeking to reach their fullest potential
Self-concept
the knowledge an individual has about their strengths, abilities, behavior patterns, and temperment
Which 2 psychologists were associated with humanistic psychology?
- Abraham Maslow
- Carl Rogers
Ideal self
the self-concept a person strives for and fervently wishes to achieves
Unconditional positive regard
the total acceptance or valuing of a person, regardless of behavior
Who developed locus of control?
Julian Rotter
Locus of control
refers to a pattern of beliefs about where control and responsibility reside; two types
1- internal
2- external
Internal locus of control
you’re in control of what happens to you
External locus of control
life happens to them; it is always someone else’s fault
Expectancy
predictions about consequences or outcomes of behaviors
Self-efficacy
beliefs about our ability and effectiveness in reaching goals
Reciprocal determinism
multidirectional interactions among cognition, behaviors, and the environment
Traits
the relatively stable properties that describe elements of personality
Trait theories
theories that focus on personality dimensions and their influence on behavior; can be used to predict behaviors
The Big Five Personality Traits
OCEAN
- openness
- conscientiousness
- extraversion
- agreeableness
- neuroticism
Hans Eysenck
proposed three dimensions of personality:
1- introversion-extraversion
2- neuroticism
3- psychoticism
AIM
A- anxiety/aggressive
I- irritable/impulsive
M- mood swings manipulation
2 categories of personality traits
1- subjective
2- objective
Subjective
based on intuition, clinical judgment, opinion, or interruption
Objective
administered and evaluated using standardized procedures
Reliability
the degree to which assessment produces stable and consistent results
Validity
the degree to which a test measures what it is intended to measure
Projective Personality Tests
assessments that present stimuli without a specified meaning to test takers, whose responses can be interpreted to uncover underlying personality characteristics:
- Rorschach Inkblot Test
- Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
- development by Murray
- assumes that the test taker will project underlying conflicts onto the ambiguous stimuli of the picture, with the job of the test administrator being to unearth them
Objective Personality Tests
use a standard set of equations with answer choices and have clear scoring instructions that are identical for everyone taking the test:
- Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2)
- 16 Personality Factor Test
- Myer-Briggs Personality Test
MMPI-2
- the most commonly used objective personality test developed to identify disorders and abnormal behaviors
- contains 10 clinical scales as well validity scales
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
personality types related to four dimensions:
1- extraversion vs. introversion
2- sensing vs. intuition
3- thinking vs. feeling
4- judgement vs. perception
