chapter 13 Personality recognition Flashcards
an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.
personality
view personality with a focus on the unconscious and the importance of childhood experiences.
psychodynamic theories
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.
free association
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.
psychoanalysis
according to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories. According to contemporary psychologists, information processing of which we are unaware.
unconscious
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.
id
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 was that will realistically bring pleasure rather than pain.
ego
the part of personality that, according to Freud, represents internalized ideals provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and for future aspirations.
superego
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.
psychosexual stages
according to Freud, a boy’s sexual desires toward his mother and feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival father.
Oedipus complex
the process by which, according to Freud, children incorporate their parents’ values into their developing superegos.
identification
according to Freud, a lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at an earlier psychosexual stage, in which conflicts were unresolved.
fixation
in psychoanalytic theory, the ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality.
defense mechanisms
in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness.
repression
Carl Jung’s concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species’ history.
collective unconscious
a personality test, such as the Rorschach, that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics.
projective test
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
a theory of death-related anxiety; explores people’s emotional and behavioral responses to reminders of their impending death.
Terror-management theory
view personality with a focus on the potential of healthy personal growth.
Humanistic theories
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.
Self-actualization
according to Rogers, an attitude of total acceptance toward another person.
unconditional positive regard
all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, “Who am I?”
Self-concept
a characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act, as assessed by self-report inventories and peer reports.
trait
a questionnaire (often with true-false or agree-disagree items) on which people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors; used to assess selected personality traits.
personality inventory
the most widely research and clinically used of all personality tests. Originally developed to identify emotional disorders (still considered its most appropriate use), this test is now used for many other screening purposes.
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
a test (such as the MMPI) developed by testing a pool of items and then selecting those that discriminate between groups.
empirically derived test
views behavior as influenced by the interaction between people’s traits (including their thinking) and their social context.
Social-cognitive perspective
the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment.
reciprocal determinism
the extend to which perceive control over our environment.
personal control
the perception that change or outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate.
external locus of control
the perception that you control you own fate.
Internal locus of control
the ability to control impulses and delay short-term gratification for greater long-term rewards.
Self-control
the hopelessness and passive resignation on animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events.
learned helplessness
the scientific study of optimal human functioning; aims to discover and promote strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive.
positive psychology
a readiness to perceive oneself favorably.
Self-serving bias
excessive self-love and self-absorption.
narcissism
