Chapter 12 Flashcards
Personality
An individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting
Psychodynamic theories
View personality with a focus on the unconscious and the importance of childhood experiences
Psychoanalysis
Freud’s theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts; the techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions
Unconscious
According to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories. According to contemporary psychologists, information processing of which we are unaware
Free association
In psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing
id
A reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that, according to Freud, strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives. The id operates on the pleasure principle, demanding immediate gratification
Ego
The largely conscious, “executive” part of personality that, according to Freud, mediates among the demands of the id, superego, and reality. The ego operates on the reality principle, satisfying the id’s desires in ways that will realistically bring pleasure rather than pain
Superego
The part of personality that, according to Freud, represents internalized ideals & provides standards for judgement (the conscious) & for future aspirations
Psychosexual stages
The childhood stages of development (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital) during which, according to Freud, the id’s pleasure seeking energies focus on distinct erogenous zones
Oedipus complex
According to Freud, a boy’s sexual desires toward his mother and feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival father
Identification
The process by which, according to Freud, children incorporate their parents’ values into their developing superegos
Fixation
According to Freud, a lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at an earlier psychosexual stage, in which conflicts were unresolved
Freud’s Psychosexual stages
1) Oral (0-18 months) Pleasure centers on the mouth- sucking, biting, chewing
2) Anal (18-36 months) Pleasure focuses on bowel and bladder elimination; coping with demands for control
3) Phallic (3-6 years) Pleasure zone is the genitals; coping with incestuous sexual feelings
4) Latency (6- puberty) A phase of dormant sexual feelings
5) Genital (puberty on) Maturation of sexual interests
Defense mechanisms
In psychoanalytic theory, the ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality
Repression
In psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories
According to Freud’s ideas about the three part personality structure, the 1) _______ operates on the reality principle and tries to balance demands in a way that produces long-term pleasure rather than pain; the 2)________ operates on the pleasure principle and seeks immediate gratification; and the 3)________ represents the voice of our internalized ideals (our conscience)
1) Ego
2) id
3) Superego
In the psychoanalytic view, conflicts unresolved during the first three psychosexual stages may lead to ______ at their stage
Fixation
Freud believed that our defense mechanisms operate _______ and defend us against ________
Unconsciously; anxiety
Collective unconscious
Carl Jung’s concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species’ history
Projective test
A personality test, such as the Rorschach, that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics
The most widely used projective test, a set of 10 inkblots,, designed by Hermann Rorschach; seeks to identify people’s inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots
Rorschach inkblot test
Humanistic theories
View personality with a focus on the potential for healthy personal growth
Self-actualization
According to Maslow, one of the ultimate psychological needs that arises after basic physical and psychological needs are met and self-esteem is achieved; the motivation to fulfill one’s potential
Unconditioned positive regard
According to Rogers, an attitude of total acceptance toward another person
What are three values that Freud’s work in psychoanalytic theory has contributed? What are three ways in which Freud’s work has been criticized?
Freud first drew attention to (1) the importance of childhood experiences, (2) the existence of the unconscious mind, and (3) our self-protective defense mechanisms. Freud’s work has been criticized as (1) not scientifically testable- drawing on after-the-fact explanations, (2) focusing too much on sexual conflicts in childhood, and (3) based upon the idea of repression, which has not been supported by modern research
Which elements of traditional psychoanalysis do modern-day psychodynamic theorists and therapists retain, and which elements have they mostly left behind?
Today’s psychodynamic theories still rely on the interviewing techniques that Freud used, & they still tend to focus on childhood experiences and attachments, unresolved conflicts, and unconscious influences. However, they are not likely to dwell on fixation at any psychosexual stage, or the idea that resolution of sexual issues is the basis of our personality
Self-concept
All our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, “who am I?”
Trait
A characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel & act, as assessed by self report inventories and peer reports