Chapter 16 - Personality Flashcards
style in which a person iynteracts with the world, particularly with other people
personality
method of interpreting personality data that is person-centered and focuses on how the unique parts of a person’s personality form a consistent whole
idiographic approach
method of interpreting personality data that is variable-centered and focuses on finding consistent patterns of relationships among individuals’ traits
nomothetic approach
a person’s relatively stable disposition to behave in a certain way
trait
a person’s transient disposition to behave in a certain way
state
states that a set of meaningful and distinct personality dimensions can be used to describe how people differ from one another
trait theory
statistical technique that is used to identity patterns of correlations in responses to questionairres
factor analysis
part of the brain that activates/inhibits approach behavior in response to the anticipation of a reward/punishment
behavioral activation system (BAS) /
behavioral inhibition system (BIS)
model that is used to describe personality by assessing a person’s score on each of five dimensions
five-factor model (“big five” theory)
five facts of big five theory
extraversion/introversion, agreeableness/antagonism, conscientiousness/unidirectedness, emotional stability/instability, openness/non-openness to experiences
long, scientifically rigorous questionnaire that asks questions about many different behaviors and assesses several traits at once
personality inventory
most widely used personality inventory, initially developed to identify emotional disorders but now used for a variety of other purposes
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
observation that personality ratings are consistent across time and among different observers, but that behavior ratings are not
consistency paradox
describes the degree to which a trait is able to be passed on genetically
heritability
focuses on the question of whether people’s behaviors are more influenced by situation factors that by personality traits
person-situation controversy
concept that unconscious processes underlie all conscious thoughts and actions
psychic determination
type of psychotherapy that relates closely to Freudian concepts like the influence of the unconscious.
psychoanalysis
requires patients to talk to a psychiatrist about their lives while the psychiatrist listens, analyzes, and interprets each word
psychoanalysis
personality theory that focuses on the interaction of mental forces
psychodynamic theory
part of the psyche that tries to satisfy a person’s basic drives and survival instincts
Id
states that a person should seek immediate gratification and pay no attention to societal expectations or constraints
pleasure principle
part of the psyche that tries to identify the basic drive that the id wants to fulfill and to come up with a realistic plan for satisfying that drive
ego
states that basic drives and survival instincts should be achieved through actions that will be pleasurable rather than painful
reality principle
part of the psyche that forces the ego to consider societal constraints and acceptable forms of behavior
superego
developmental stages during which the id’s desire for pleasure focuses on many of the body’s erogenous zones in turn
psychosexual stages
focus on one particular erogenous zone of the body
fixation
mental process of self-deception that helps a person alleviate his or her worry or anxiety
defense mechanism
process that blocks anxiety-provoking thoughts from the conscious mind
repression
error in speech that represents the surfacing of repressed memories and thoughts
Freudian slip
retreat to an earlier stage of development
regression
process of redirecting an unconscious and unacceptable wish or drive toward a more acceptable alternative
displacement
process that occurs when displacement causes a person to direct his or her energy into more important or valuable characteristics
sublimation
process of changing a wish into its more acceptable opposite
reaction formation
process by which a person who unconsciously experiences an impulse attributes that impulse to someone else
projection
act of unconsciously taking on the characteristics of another person who seems better able to cope with feelings of threat and anxiety
identification
use of conscious reasoning to explain away anxiety-inducing thoughts and feelings
rationalization
shared pool of memories and images common to all humans
collective unconscious
particular image, such as mother as caretaker and nurturer, persistent across time and cultures
archetype
drive for perfection and superiority throughout adulthood in an effort to compensate for feelings of both physical and mental inferiority rooted in childhood
inferiority complex
presents a participant with a series of random, unfamiliar images and asks him to tell stories about them, which supposedly reflects the person’s inner hopes, fears, and desires
thematic apperception test (TAT)
presents a participant with a series of nebulous inkblots and asks him to say whatever comes to mind; interpretations related to unconscious thoughts
Rorschach inkblod test
type of personality theory that emphasizes people’s conscious understanding of themselves and their abilities to attain self-fulfillment
humanistic theory
person’s understanding of who he is
self-concept
involves valuing a person despite his or her problems and weaknesses
unconditional positive regard
complete feeling of self-acceptance and awareness of fulfilling one’s unique potential
self-actualization
pyramidal structure that shows the five needs that must be satisfied for a person to achieve self-actualization
hierarchy of needs
life-story conception of personality
psychobiography
type of personality theory that places emphasis on the beliefs and habits of though, both conscious and automatics, that a person forms through interactions with society
social cognitive theory
person’s sense of controlling his environment rather than feeling helpless
personal control
refers to a person’s perception of whether he has control over a given situation
locus of control
a person’s tendency to believe that he or she controls his own rewards and fate
internal locus of control
person’s tendency to believe that his rewards and fate are controlled by outside forces
external locus of control
person’s assumption about the consequences of his or her own behavior
outcome expectancy
describes a feeling of hopelessness and passivity caused by being unable to avoid or control traumatic events
learned helplessness
theory that a person’s behavior is both influenced by and influences a person’s personal factors
reciprocal determinism
describes a person’s expectations about his or her own ability to perform a certain task
self-efficiency
a culture that emphasizes people’s interdependence
collectivist culture
refers to a person’s view of himself as part of a larger network of family and community members
interdependent construal of self
culture that emphasizes each person’s individual rights and freedoms and deemphasizes the social roles that people play in relation to others
individualist culture
refers to a person’s view of himself or herself as a self-directed, self-contained entity
independent construal of self
personality trait exhibiting the tendency to think and act in a collectivist manner
allocentrism
personality trait exhibiting the tendency to think and act in an individualistic manner
ideocentrism
