chapter 12

Question 1

projective tests

Answer 1

rooted in psychoanalytic theory . Include Rorschach inkblot tests and thematic apperception test. used mostly in therapy. reliability and variability for personality assessment is mixed, largely weak if existing

Question 2

the trait approach

Answer 2

traits as a way to describe people.

Question 3

essential trait approach

Answer 3

attempts to identify the few traits out of thousands, that are truly essential to understanding all of the others

Question 4

lexical criterion hypothesis

Answer 4

the notion that the most important differences between people become encoded as words in a language

Question 5

use of factor analysis

Answer 5

reduces a set of variables by extracting all their commonalities into a small number of factors

Question 6

the Big 5

Answer 6

proposes that human personality can be understood through five broad dimensions: Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism

Question 7

the psychodynamic approach

Answer 7

the dynamic interplay of inner forces as a casual factor for behaviour. there are internal factors that influence behaviour. developed by Sigmund Freud

Question 8

psychic energy

Answer 8

generated by instinctual drives, the energy powers the mind and constantly presses for either direct or indirect response

Question 9

psychic determinism

Answer 9

theorizes that all mental processes are not spontaneous

Question 10

Id

Answer 10

the primitive and unconscious part of the personality that contains the instincts. associated with pleasure principle

Question 11

pleasure principle

Answer 11

the instinctive seeking of pleasure and avoiding of pain to satisfy biological and psychological needs.

Question 12

Ego

Answer 12

the “executive” of the personality that is partly conscious and that mediates among the impulses of the id, the prohibitions of the superego, and the dictates of reality. associated with reality principle

Question 13

reality principle

Answer 13

the egos tendency to take reality into account and act in a rational fashion in satisfying needs

Question 14

superego

Answer 14

the moral arm of the personality that internalizes the standards and values of society and serves as the persons conscience.

Question 15

repression

Answer 15

an active defense process through which anxiety arousing impulses or memories are pushed into the unconscious mind.

Question 16

denial

Answer 16

a person refuses to acknowledge anxiety arousing aspects of the environment . the denial may involve either the emotions connected with the event or the event itself

Question 17

intellectualization

Answer 17

the emotion connected with an upsetting event is repressed and the situation is dealt with as an intellectually interesting event.

Question 18

rationalization

Answer 18

a person constructs a false but plausible explanation or excuse for an anxiety arousing behaviour or event that has already occurred

Question 19

projection

Answer 19

an unacceptable impulse is repressed and then attributed to other people

Question 20

reaction formation

Answer 20

an anxiety arousing impulse is repressed and its psychic energy finds release in an exaggerated expression of the opposite behaviour

Question 21

displacement

Answer 21

an unacceptable or dangerous impulse is released and then directed at a safer substitute target

Question 22

sublimation

Answer 22

a repressed impulse is released in the form of a socially acceptable or even admired behaviour

Question 23

psychodynamic approach to child development

Answer 23

Sigmund Freud’s psychosexual theory proposes that personality develops through five stages, each marked by a focus on a specific erogenous zone and associated conflicts. These stages are oral (birth to 1 year), anal (1 to 3 years), phallic (3 to 6 years), latency (6 to puberty), and genital (puberty to adulthood). Success at each stage depends on resolving the inherent conflict and finding a healthy balance between the biological needs and social expectations.

Question 24

the humanistic existential approach

Answer 24

humanistic psychologists focus more on the positives of human experience. existential psychologists focus on concepts such as morality and responsibility of freedom. our tendency towards self actualization as a primary factor of our personalities. may help determine out goals/dreams. ease difficulties of pursuing our goals shape our personalities . obstacles may lead to maladaptive personality characteristics.

Question 25

existential approach

Answer 25

sees personality as, at least partially, a defense against angst and death anxiety

Question 26

terror management

Answer 26

argues that people deny death via cultural worldviews and self esteem. argues that we have a drive towards survival but an awareness of death.

Question 27

neuroticism

Answer 27

could be understood as a poor ability to cope with death and anxiety

Question 28

Rogers

Answer 28

behaviour is a reaction to immediate conscious experience of self and environment. The forces that direct our behavior are directed towards self actualization. we have a need for self consistency and congruence. also staged that we have a need for positive regard.

Question 29

self consistency

Answer 29

persons ability to maintain consistency in their thoughts, behaviours, and beliefs

Question 30

congruence

Answer 30

when a persons self concept matches their experiences

Question 31

unconditional personal self regard

Answer 31

fully accepting and valuing someone regardless of their behaviour

Question 32

conditional self regard

Answer 32

giving approval or esteem only when certain conditions are expectations are met

Question 33

self regard

Answer 33

refers to the level of respect and acceptance person has for themselves

Question 34

conditions of worth

Answer 34

internalized standards of self worth fostered by conditional positive regard from others.

Question 35

flow

Answer 35

a state of intense focus and involvement in an activity, often described as being "in the zone."

Question 36

the social cognitive approach

Answer 36

builds on the behaviorist perspective; reciprocates inner mental states. considers the interaction of personality and situational/ environmental factors of behaviour

Question 37

person situation debate

Answer 37

Walter Mischel questioned the efficacy of personality in predicting behaviour . however there are several issues with this investigation. Single traits may not be as predictive . situational factors are similarly predictive. certain situations may be more powerful than others

Question 38

Kelly and personal constructs

Answer 38

for Kelly, to understand someone's personality , you must know their personal constructs. our primary goal is to make sense of the world and find personal meaning in it. we do not perceive or understand things the same as other people.

Question 39

expectancies and Julian Rotter

Answer 39

people have individualized goals , which often take into consideration ones situation and roles. outcome expectancies help translate goals in behaviour

Question 40

Bandura and social learning

Answer 40

argued that humans are active agents in their own lives. self efficacy predicts goal achievement

Question 41

self efficacy bias

Answer 41

relates ones beliefs of their abilities vs. their actual abilities. -performance expectancies: previous success and failure experiences on similar tasks -observational learning: observation of the behaviours and consequences to similar models in similar situations. -verbal persuasion: encouraging or discouraging messages received from others - emotional arousal: arousal that can be interpreted as enthusiasm or anxiety.

Question 42

the self

Answer 42

how we understand ourself can both cause and be a cause of aspects of our personality

Question 43

the self concept

Answer 43

as the cognitive understanding of ourselves.

Question 44

self schemas

Answer 44

the body of info one has about themselves. helps us understand ourselves and the world around us.

Question 45

self serving bias

Answer 45

we like to take credit for our triumphs, but we are more likely to blame others on circumstances for our shortcomings

Question 46

self handicapping

Answer 46

when someone creates obstacles for themselves to avoid failure and protect their self esteem.

Question 47

Minnesota multiple personality inventory (MMPI) & (MMPI-2-RF)

Answer 47

a well researched clinical questionnaire used to assess personality and psychological problems. measures a wide range of psychological constructs.

Question 48

validity scales

Answer 48

assess a persons attitudes towards test taking and any tendency to try to distort the results by faking answers

Question 49

behavioural activation system (BAS)

Answer 49

a go system, activates approach behaviour in response to the anticipation of reward. the extravert has a highly reactive BAS and will actively engage in the environment , seeking social reinforcement and being on the go.

Question 50

behavioural inhibition system (BIS)

Answer 50

a stop system. inhibits behaviour in response to stimuli signaling punishment . the introverted person has a highly reactive BIS and will focus on negative outcomes and be on the lookout for stop signs