Chapter 11: Personality theory and Assessment

Question 1

Personality

Answer 1

A persons unique and stable pattern of characteristics and behaviours

Question 2

Trait

Answer 2

Stable and consistent personal characteristics that are used to describe or explain personality

Question 3

Psychoanalysis

Answer 3

The term Freud used for both his theory of personality and his therapy for the treatment of psychological disorders;
unconscious is the primary focus
The psychotherapy that uses free association, analysis of resistance, dream analysis, and transference to uncover repressed memories, impulses, and conflicts thought to cause psychological disorder

Question 4

Conscious

Answer 4

Thought, feelings, sensation, and memories of which we are aware at any given moment

Question 5

Preconscious

Answer 5

The thought, feelings and memories that we are not consciously aware of at the moment but may not be brought to consciousness

Question 6

Unconscious

Answer 6

Considered by Freud to be the primary motivating force of behavior, containing repressed memories as well as instincts and wished that have never been allowed into consciousness

Question 7

Id

Answer 7

The unconscious system of the personality, which contains the life and death instincts and operates on the pleasure principle

Question 8

Ego

Answer 8

In Freudian theory, the rational and largely conscious system of one’s personality: operates according to the reality principle and tries to satisfy the demands of the id without violating moral values

Question 9

Superego

Answer 9

The moral system of the personality, which consists of the conscience and the ego ideal

Question 10

Libido

Answer 10

Freud’s name for the psychic, often sexual, energy that come from the id and provides the energy for the entire personality

Question 11

Defense mechanisms

Answer 11

An unconscious irrational means used by the ego to defend against anxiety, involves self-deception and the distortion of reality

Question 12

Psychosexual Stages

Answer 12

A series of stages through which the sexual instinct develops; each stage is defined by an erogenous zone that becomes the center of new pleasures and conflicts

Question 13

Level of Awareness

Answer 13

Consciousness, Preconscious, Unconscious

Question 14

Psychosexual Stage Theory

Answer 14

The sex instinct, Freud said, the most important factor influencing personality, but it does not just suddenly appear full-blown at puberty

Question 15

Psychosexual Stages

Answer 15

Oral
Anal
Phalic
Latency
Genital

Question 16

Oral Stage

Answer 16

12-18 months
Erogenous zone: Mouth
Weaning, oral gratification from sucking, eating , biting
Adult Traits: Excessive optimism, gullibility, dependency, or pessimism, passivity, hostility, sarcasm, aggression

Question 17

Anal

Answer 17

18 months- 3 years
Erogenous zone: Anus
Toilet training, gratification from expelling and withholding feces
Adult traits: Excessive cleanliness, orderliness, stinginess, or messiness, rebelliousness, destructiveness

Question 18

Defense Mechanisms

Answer 18

Repression
Projection
Denial
Rationalization
Regression
Reaction Formation
Displacement
Sublimation

Question 19

Repression

Answer 19

Most important and most frequently used defense mechanism and it is present to come degree in all other defense mechanisms
It can prevent unconscious but disturbing, threatening sexual/aggressive impulses from breaking into consciousness
Can remove painful/threatening memories, thoughts, ideas from consciousness and keep them in unconsciousness

Question 20

Projection

Answer 20

Attributing one’s own undesirable traits or impulses to another (impose own beliefs on another)

Question 21

Denial

Answer 21

Refusing to accept threatening information or existence of danger

Question 22

Rationalization

Answer 22

Supply logical, rational reason rather than the real reason for an action or event

Question 23

Regression

Answer 23

To go backwards

Reverting back to earlier development stage

Question 24

Reaction Formation

Answer 24

Expressing exaggerated ideas/emotions that are opposite of disturbing, unconscious impulses and desires

Question 25

Displacement

Answer 25

Substituting less threatening object for original object of an impulse (displacing aggression on someone else)

Question 26

Sublimation

Answer 26

Re channeling sexual and aggressive energy into purists that society considers acceptable or even admirable

Question 27

Carl Iung (1875-1961)

Answer 27

Iung did not consider the sexual instinct to be the main factor in personality, nor did he believe that personality is completely formed in early early childhood

Question 28

Alfred Alder (1870-1937)

Answer 28

Emphasized unity of personality rather than the separate warring components of id, ego and superego
Believed that our behavior is motivated more by the conscious than the unconscious and that we are influenced more by future goals than by early childhood

Question 29

Karen Horney (1885-1952)

Answer 29

Champion of feminine psychology
The centered on town main themes: the neurotic personality and feminine psychology
Accepted Freud’s emphasis on unconscious motivation and the basic tools of psychoanalysis

Question 30

OCEAN theory

Answer 30

Attempts to explain personality and differences between people in terms of personal characteristics that are stable across situations

Question 31

OCEAN described in five broad dimension

Answer 31

Openness: are you eager to try new things… accepting of new ideas
Conscientiousness: Particular, ambitious, dependable, hardworking, organized, punctual
Extraversion: Active, affectionate, assertive, outgoing, social, talkative
Agreeableness: Forgiving, good-natured, gullible, helpful
Neuroticism: Anxious, emotional. feelings of insecurity and adequacy