chapter 14 - personality

Question 1

what is personality

Answer 1

a persons internally based characteristic ways of acting and thinking (consistency and stability, distinctiveness)

personality traits

4 main theories (psychoanalysis, humanistic, trait, social-cognitive)

Question 2

freud: psychoanalytical perspective

Answer 2

unconscious level: ID - basic impulses (sex and aggression); seeking immediate gratification; irrational and impulsive. Operates at unconscious level. Where we keep most of our repressed feelings.

preconscious level: Superego - ideals and morals; striving for perfection; incorporated from parents; becoming a person’s conscience.

conscious level: ego - executive mediating between id impulses and superego inhibitions; testing reality; rational. mostly in conscious level but can be at the preconscious level

Question 3

psychosexual stages (Freud)

Answer 3

Freud believed we developed our personality within the first few years of life. Psychosexual stages where the id’s energy is focused on erogenous zones.

Stages:
Oral: 0-18 months, sucking, chewing, biting

Anal: 18-36 months, bowel and bladder pleasure; coping with demands for control

Phallic: 3-6 yrs, pleasure in genitals; incestuous sexual feelings (Oedipus complex)

Latency: 6 to puberty, dormant sexual feelings

Genital: puberty on, sexual interest matures

Question 4

defense mechanisms (Freud)

Answer 4

We must control our sexual and aggression impulses

Different defense mechanisms
Regression: sucking thumb when anxious
Reaction formation: overly friendly when angry
Projection: someone who steals thinks everyone is stealing
Rationalization: social drinking
Displacement: brother hits sister when he gets put into timeout by mom
Denial: denying evidence of an affair

Question 5

Psychodynamic over time

Answer 5

Carl Jung: followed Freud but later veered off, our collective unconscious

Modern psychodynamic theorists:

• don’t align with Freud or use his classifications
• Believe much of our mental life and personality development is a result of the unconscious
  
  • schemas
  • priming
  • implicit memories
  • stereotypes and prejudice
• we struggle with inner conflict

Question 6

Humanistic theories

Answer 6

• potential for healthy personal growth
  
  • self-determination
  • self actualization
• contrasted Freud’s attempt at explaining personality as a result of dark conflicts and desires
• who am I?

Question 7

Maslow (humanistic) - hierarchy of needs

Answer 7

top pf pyramid-
self-fulfillment needs: self actualisation

psychological needs:
esteem needs
belongingness and love needs

basic needs:
safety needs
physiological needs

-bottom

Question 8

Rogers (humanistic)

Answer 8

believed growth-promoting social climates provide (AGE)

1. acceptance
2. genuineness
3. empathy

Question 9

trait theories

Answer 9

Gordon Allport:

• central traits: 5-10 traits that best describe you
• cardinal traits: single characteristic that influences everything you do

fundamental traits: characteristic behaviors and conscious motives - describing personality in terms of these traits

ways to explore traits: factor analysis, biology and personality, personality inventories

-Raymond Cattell: 16 dimensions of personality traits
-5 Factor Model (Costa and McCrae): CANOE
C - conscientiousness
A - agreeable
N - neuroticism
O - openness
E - extraversion

Question 10

social cognitive theories

Answer 10

Albert Bandura:

• behaviors and personality are impacted both by our traits and our social context
• reciprocal determinism

Question 11

exploring the self

Answer 11

pros of self esteem:

• self efficacy: ones sense of competence and effectiveness
• spotlight effect: thinking we stand out less than others so that we don’t think everyone is watching us

cons of self esteem:

• excessive optimism
• self-serving bias
• narcissism
• inability to see one’s incompetence

Question 12

assessment of personality

Answer 12

see screenshot of blue table