Chapter 12 Flashcards
What is the definition of personality in psychology?
Personality refers to the unique characteristics that account for enduring patterns of inner experience and outward behavior.
What are the three key components of personality according to Freud’s psychodynamic theory?
The three components are the id, ego, and superego.
What is the pleasure principle, and which component of personality operates on it?
The pleasure principle is the drive to seek pleasure and avoid pain; it is associated with the id.
Define Freud’s concept of the ‘unconscious’.
The unconscious holds memories or feelings that are repressed due to being unpleasant or anxiety-provoking.
What is the role of the ego in Freud’s model of personality?
The ego operates on the reality principle, balancing the id’s drives with environmental constraints.
What is the ‘superego’ in Freudian psychology?
The superego represents moral standards and develops through internalization of others’ values.
Explain Freud’s concept of psychosexual stages.
Psychosexual stages are stages where the id’s pleasure-seeking tendencies focus on specific body areas; unresolved conflicts can lead to fixation.
What is repression in the context of defense mechanisms?
Repression is a defense mechanism that keeps unpleasant thoughts buried in the unconscious.
What is denial as a defense mechanism?
Denial is a defense mechanism where a person refuses to acknowledge an existing situation.
What critique did Freud’s theories face regarding evidence?
Freud’s theories faced criticism for limited sample size and lack of scientific testability.
Who is Alfred Adler and what is his view on personality development?
Adler believed social needs and conscious thoughts shape personality more than sexual needs.
What is Carl Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious?
The collective unconscious includes inherited memories shared by all humankind, according to Jung.
What does Karen Horney’s concept of ‘basic anxiety’ entail?
Basic anxiety is the feeling of isolation in children, potentially leading to later neuroses, according to Horney.
Who is Abraham Maslow, and what is his contribution to personality theory?
Maslow proposed a hierarchy of needs, with self-actualization at the top as the drive to fulfill one’s potential.
Define Carl Rogers’ concept of ‘self-actualization’.
Self-actualization is the need to realize one’s full potential, a key aspect of humanistic psychology.
What is unconditional positive regard according to Carl Rogers?
Unconditional positive regard is acceptance without conditions, essential for healthy self-concept according to Rogers.
What are personality traits?
Personality traits are tendencies to behave consistently across situations.
Who is Gordon Allport, and what is his contribution to trait theory?
Allport was a pioneering trait theorist who used case studies to define individual personality traits.
What are Eysenck’s three ‘superfactors’ of personality?
Eysenck proposed three ‘superfactors’: neuroticism, extraversion, and psychoticism.
What are the five factors in the Five-Factor Model of personality?
The Five-Factor Model includes openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
What is the main criticism of trait theories?
Trait theories are criticized for oversimplifying personality and portraying it as unchanging.
Define situationism in personality theory.
Situationism argues behavior is shaped more by situational factors than internal traits.
What is interactionism in the context of personality?
Interactionism suggests behavior is a result of personality traits and situational choices.
What is the purpose of personality inventories?
Personality inventories assess various personality aspects using structured questionnaires.
What are projective tests, and give an example.
Projective tests use ambiguous stimuli to explore unconscious thoughts, like the Rorschach inkblot test.
What role do genes play in personality development?
Genes contribute significantly to temperament and behavioral tendencies, especially in trait development.
Describe the role of the amygdala in personality.
The amygdala is linked to emotionality, motivation, and processing negative stimuli like fear.
What are some key gender differences in personality traits?
Women tend to be higher in social connectedness, while men score higher in individuality and autonomy.
How do collectivist cultures impact personality traits?
Collectivist cultures prioritize group needs over individual needs, influencing traits like agreeableness.
What personality traits are emphasized in individualist cultures?
Individualist cultures value traits like independence and achievement, often emphasizing extraversion.
What are personality disorders and their four main features?
Personality disorders are enduring patterns causing distress; features include distorted thinking and impulsivity.
Define borderline personality disorder.
Borderline personality disorder involves emotional instability, impulsivity, and risky behaviors.
What are the characteristics of antisocial personality disorder?
Antisocial personality disorder is marked by a disregard for others, impulsivity, and possible criminal behavior.
