Chapter 12, cours 3 midterm 2 Flashcards
Personality psychology is a subfield of psychology that attempts to account for individual differences in
thinking, feeling, and behaving at various levels of analysis that range from the biological level (e.g., heredity) to the group level (e.g., cultural differences).
personality can be defined as
as an enduring set of internally based characteristics that produce uniqueness and consistency in the expressions of a person’s thoughts and behaviors, along with an explanation to account for these characteristics.
personality traits definition
internally-based characteristics that make up one’s personality.
Individual differences in personality reflect the types of and degree to which they possess certain traits.
To help you think about what personality is, we will look at three distinct elements of personality:
uniqueness, consistency, and explanation
what is uniqueness? link with twins too
Personality traits are specific to each person
even among monozygotic twins, each twin has unique personality traits.
Personality explains how the expression of each individual’s thoughts and behavior is different.
what is consistency?
How an individual behaves over time in similar situations
Personality describes how the behavior of the individual is consistent over time and across situations.
The focus of these perspectives on personality range from
emotional processes (e.g., anxiety and joy) to mental processes (e.g., beliefs and expectations) to biological processes (e.g., genetics and hormones)
what is processes of personality?
Personality accounts for the internal operations producing the unique and consistent expression of an individual’s thoughts and behavior.
Which of the following is NOT a critical element of defining personality?
a
How a person behaves consistently across time and situations
b
How a person is unique and different from others
c
How a person’s behavior can be explained (or accounted for)
d
How a person’s behavior is affected by social and cultural norms
d
How a person’s behavior is affected by social and cultural norms
Explanation
Personality is influenced by genetics and culture, but we don’t need to identify all the genetic and social influences on behavior to define personality. Personality is also more comprehensive than one type of behavior.
what is the psychodynamic perspectives of personality?
the Freudan notion that perosnality is a function of internal processes and conflicts over which individuals have little or no conscious awareness or personal control
the psychodynamic perspective is associate with who?
Sigmund Freud
Others who proposed their own psychodynamic perspectives in reaction to Freud’s perspective include
Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, and Karen Horney
Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, and Karen Horney placed greater emphasis on …wich concept to explain personality?
on social relationships and conscious awareness as the basis for understanding the expression of personality.
selon Freud, there are 3 regions of the Mind:
Conscious Mind
Preconscious Mind
Unconscious Mind
the conscious mind explain it:
is limited to only those mental activities the individual is consciously aware of at any given moment
connects with conscious awareness. we are aware of our thoughts and feelings at the moment
explain the preconscious mind
contains mental information that the individual may not be thinking about at any given moment but can easily access when needed, as well as remove from awareness when no longer needed.
connects with conscious and unconscious minds. Contains information accesible to the conscious mind when needed.
explain the unconscious mind:
the largest and most influential part of the mind, according to freud. houses any thoughts or impulses that are considered too threating to be in one’s conscious mind.
it is an unlimited storage facility containing the thoughts, feelings, memories, needs, desires, wishes, and past experiences deemed too threatening to appear at the conscious level of awareness.
True or False
According to Freud, to understand personality it is necessary to expose and gain access to the content of the unconscious mind.
true
according to Freud, how can we access the unconscious mind?
free association(word vomit)
dream analysis(the most important technique for hime)
what is free association?
required the individual to say whatever came to their mind without considering how meaningless or threatening it might seem
what is the manigest content?
is what the dreamer remembers, it is the disguised content- without any interpretation
what is the latent content?
is the expression of the unconscious mind and a reflection of a person’s true feelings, needs, and desires.
what are the parts of a dream analysis?
the manifest content
the latent content
what are the 3 structural components of the mind?
Id
Ego
Superego
explain the Id
the core component of personality
located completely in the unconscious mind
it was present at birth and served as the primary driver of personality
it is the pleasure principle
takes care of basic human needs for survival and self-preservation (e.g., eating, drinking) in addition to satisfying primal urges, such as sexual impulses (Eros) and unrestrained aggression (Thanatos).
Freud proposed that the id, without any direct contact with the external world or conscious awareness, operates on the
pleasure principle
what is the pleasure principle?
the driving force of the Id, where the focus is on the fulfilment of all sexual urges and aggressive impulses
where do you find Eros and Thanatos and explain them#
in the Id(unconscious mind)
Eros: unconscious primal urges such sexual impulses
Thanatos: unrestrained aggression
As the desire to fulfill sexual and aggressive impulses builds, the level of psychic tension mounts as the id’s impulses are restrained by the confines of reality.
explain the ego:
the component of the mind that can subdue the id’s sexual and aggressive impulses to wait for the “right time and right place.”
Develops out of Id and subdues its impulses
Go-between for id and reality
reality principle
Toward the end of the first year and at the beginning of the second year of life, the ego develops out of the id and operates across all three levels of consciousness
The principal purpose of the ego is to
is to meet the needs of the id within the constraints of the real world.
the id operates on which principle and the Ego too?
the id operates on pleasure principle
the ego operates on reality principle
what is reality principle:
The world in which the ego operates where impulses from the unconscious and id are rejected in their natural form and are expressed in socially acceptable ways
The ego develops a strategy that will make it possible to meet these instinctual needs and desires in a manner that will satisfy the unconscious demands of the id but also will not threaten the ego’s sense of self within the context of reality at the conscious level.
The ego arbitrates between
reality, the unconscious impulses of the id, and the moral limits of the superego, which represents one’s sense of right and wrong.
what is the superego?
One’s moral compass of what is right and what is wrong; this is learned from parents, teachers, societies, official laws, religious beliefs, personal moral code
The sense of morality characteristic of the superego is regulated by
the ego ideal and the conscience
For example, the ego ideal creates a sense of pride when the individual exhibits thoughts and behaviors consistent with a personal moral code (e.g., telling the truth and obeying societal conventions). On the other hand, the conscience creates a sense of shame, disapproval, anxiety, or guilt when the individual exhibits thoughts and behaviors that violate the personal moral code(stealing lying)
according to freud, The operation of an emotionally healthy personality is a reflection of a balanced expression of
the id, the ego, and superego.
According to Freud’s psychoanalytic perspective, the uniqueness in the expression of personality reflects how
the ego serves to mediate between the demands and desires of the id and the moral constraints of the superego in a consistent manner across time (e.g., during adolescence compared to adulthood) and in different situations (e.g., acquiring money to purchase a video game versus a car).
Freud hypothesized that criminal behavior was the result of a
a strong id and a weak superego.
Freud proposed that feelings of anxiety serve as a warning sign of possible danger to
th ego
what is reality anxiety?
a form of anxiety that serves as a warning sign for real danger
it informs the ego of real danger(car drifting into your lane)
what is moral anxiety?
notifies the superego that the ego is considering violating a moral code (e.g., you want to cheat on a test)
what is the neurotic anxiety?
warns the ego of the threatening expression of id impulses at the level of conscious awareness (e.g., you want to scream out loud while sitting in a boring class).
To mask feelings of anxiety and disguise the source of the tension, as well as to keep them from being expressed (e.g., screaming out loud), individuals unconsciously employ a variety of
defense mechanisms
what are defense mechanisms?
ways to avert the expression of id impulses without conscious awareness
The principal defense mechanism Freud identified is and explain it?
repression
which is characterized by the individual’s ego simply removing (e.g., ignoring, trying to forget) the threatening impulse from conscious awareness.
describe repression and give an example
Description
Forcing distressing or unacceptable memories, thoughts, and feelings into the unconscious.
A victim of sexual assault during childhood unable to recall the details in adulthood.
describe reaction formation and give an example
Unacceptable thoughts and desires in the unconscious are expressed as their opposite in consciousness.
Speaking out against homosexual behavioral while fantasizing about having sex with same-sex individuals.
describe projection and give an example
Attributing one’s own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, impulses, and motives to others.
Easing one’s guilt about cheating on a test by believing others are also cheating.
describe regression and give an example
Reacting to a threatening situation with a response characteristic of an earlier stage of development.
“Acting like a baby” by throwing a temper tantrum when co-workers do not agree with you.
describe sublimation and give an example
Transforming inappropriate impulses and motives into socially acceptable and even valuable expressions.
Developing a career as a scientist studying deviant sexual behavior to satisfy one’s own atypical sexual desires.
describe denial and give an example
A conscious refusal to perceive and believe painful facts or situations exist.
After a series of job losses and failed relationships, an alcoholic will not admit to having a drinking problem.
describe rationalization and give an example
Creating an acceptable and local explanation to replace a true but threating cause of behavior.
Instead of admitting to being a thief, an employee justifies stealing supplies from work as compensation for what is perceived as an unfair salary.
describe displacement and give an example
Shifting the expression of an unwanted impulse from a threating person to a less threatening one.
Instead of expressing his anger at his boss for humiliating him in a meeting, an office manager yells at his child when arriving home.
Homework: Match the example on the left with the defense mechanism on the right.
- To deal with his sexual desires¸an individual organizes a protest rally against the opening of an adult bookstore in the community.
- A shopper makes a mess by throwing the merchandise on the floor and refusing to move out of line when told by the salesclerk that a sales receipt is required to exchange a purchase.
- Although she is angry at her professor for assigning her a low grade on a quiz¸ the student doesn’t express the anger towards her professor and instead yells at her little brother for making too much noise playing his video games when she arrives home.
- Reaction Formation
- Regression
- Displacement
Explanation
Reaction formation occurs when a person has sexual desires (which the culture doesn’t condone) and wants to be a patron of the adult bookstore but outwardly protests the adult bookstore to be consistent with the more modest cultural message. Displacement occurs when a student receives a low grade, becomes upset with the professor (one person) and takes out her anger on her brother (another person) in a different situation. Regression occurs when an adult shopper is confronted with a threatening situation (can’t exchange purchase without a receipt) and the shopper throws merchandise on the floor as a child would.
David forgets that he has a term paper in his psychology class until the night before it is due. Although he forgot about it until now, the information about the term paper was stored in the ______________ region of his mind.
a
retroconscious
b
private self-conscious
c
unconscious
d
preconscious
e
metaconscious
d. preconscious
The term paper due date was forgotten until the deadline became relevant and was easily recalled, which happens in the preconscious mind.
Sue decides that she will deal with her shyness by joining a poetry reading group instead of just sitting at home and daydreaming of meeting someone. Her decision is based on the ______________ principle as mediated by her ego.
a
mind-body
b
reality
c
ego ideal
d
primary process
e
reactive
b. reality
The reality principle of the ego is that the id can satisfy its needs but the way in which these needs are satisfied is also consistent with the true sense of self that the ego has. The sense of self comes from interacting with the conscious real world.
The ego can utilize ______________ to help deal with the threatening influences of neurotic anxiety.
a
latent-meaning reactions
b
covert mechanisms
c
defense mechanisms
d
mental representation
c. defense mechanisms
Explanation
There are many defense mechanisms that the ego can employ unconsciously to prevent people from experiencing anxiety about the threatening situation. Himmet probably did not enjoy studying because of his anxiety and instead engaged in those activities that did bring him joy–playing video games and socializing with friends. Himmet’s neurotic anxiety was a warning that he probably tried to suppress.
according to freud, the development of personality is based on 5 psychosexual stages:
which reflects
oral stage
anal stage
phalic stage
latency period
genital stage
according to freud, the development of personality is based on 5 psychosexual stages:
which reflects
oral stage
anal stage
phalic stage
latency period
genital stage
reflects the conflict between the expression of the id’s desire to seek immediate pleasure and society’s demands to restrict it. Each stage is associated with a major biological function corresponding to a specific erogenous zone (a region of the body that serves as the source of enjoyment).
the strenghts of the psychoanalytic perspective of Freud
- Comprehensive and unifying perspective of personality
- Stimulated the thinking of other perspectives of personality
- Considerable influence to disciplines inside and outside of psychology
the limitations of psychoanalytical perspective of Freud
- Perspective based on biased sample of clinical observations
- Perspective based on a set of loose and ambiguous terms and concepts that are difficult to verify objectively
- Problematic view of the development and expression of the female personality
In addition, although contemporary research has provided some evidence to support Freud’s ideas of defense mechanisms, they seem to operate more at
at the conscious level of awareness as a deliberate strategy to protect our self-image than as an unconscious response to weaken threatening impulses
Match the psychosexual stage on the left with the life lesson on the right.
- Willingness to delay gratification
- There is a right time and a right place
- Learn to go along to get along with those more powerful than you
- It is good to know you are not alone
- To get pleasure¸ you must give pleasure
- Oral stage
- Anal stage
- Phallic stage
- Latency period
- Genital stage
The process of identification with the same-sex parent is associated with the acquisition and understanding of sex-role behavioral patterns during the ______________ stage of psychosexual development.
a
phallic
b
anal
c
oral
d
latency
e
genital
a. phalic
Explanation
In the phallic stage, boys are said to be in competition with their fathers for their mother’s affection because Oedipus married his mother Jocasta, whom he did not know was his mother. The Electra complex doesn’t follow her Greek tragedy, but girls are said to be in competition with their mothers for their father’s affection.
the anal stage:
Freud’s pychosexual period during which a child learns to control his bodily excretions
the phalic stage
Freud’s third stage of development, when the penis becomes the focus of concern and pleasure
the latency period
the fourth psychosexual stage, in which the primary focus is on the further development of intellectual, creative, interpersonal, and athletic skills
the genital stage
Freud’s last stage of personality development, from the onset of puberty through adulthood, during which the sexual conflicts of childhood resurface (at puberty) and are often resolved during adolescence).
the neo-freudian perspectives represent:
represent explanations of personality based on reactions to and extensions of Freud’s psychoanalytic perspective. The basis of each of these viewpoints reflects a perceived limitation of some aspect of Freud’s ideas and a desire to correct that shortcoming.
Jung proposed the idea of :
collective unconscious
what is collective unconscious?
interconnected through past experiences to other individuals across generations and locations around the world. Contained in this region of the mind was a universal set of common thoughts, feelings, behaviors, beliefs, rituals, emotions, experiences, images, and symbols inherited from all of those who came before us over time, including animals.
Examples of such universal knowledge and tendencies include a fear of the unknown, the search for novelty, a desire for social order, and the need for emotional contact with others.
Jung believed that all of this inherited universal knowledge was stored in the collective unconscious in the form of
archaetypes
what are archaetypes:
Archetypes are universal thought patterns and behavior rituals triggered by specific situations, symbols, and images representing certain people, ideas, or beliefs. When expressed, these archetypes provide a universal response that is adaptive over time and across situations.
what is the persona? by Jung
The persona was the tendency for people to develop a certain pattern of behavior when in public to get along with others, similar to Freud’s superego
what is the shadow, by Jung?
he shadow represents the dark and more primitive side of personality, similar to Freud’s id.
what is the self, by jung?
the most important archetype, serves to unite all other aspects of the individual’s personality, much like Freud’s ego.
what are the 7 archaetypes given by Jung?
sage
rebel
hero
Jester/ Trickster
Caregiver/mother
Monster
The shadow of the Doppelganger
explain the sage
A wise or holy figure, a guardian of special knowledge
explain the rebel:
Transgressor, shows a general disregard for the rules/authority
explain the hero
A path from the ego to a new identity, the self
explain the jester
Intellect, secret knowledge, nothing is what it seems, chaos, moral ambiguity