Chapter 2 Flashcards
Personality
an individual unique constellation of consistent behavioral traits
personality trait
a durable disposition to behave in a particular way in a variety of situations
common personality traits
- openness to experience
- conscientiousness
- extroversion
- agreeableness
- neuroticism (anxiousness, insecure)
Psychoanalytical theory
-3 assumptions about personality
- governed by unconscious forces we cannot control
- childhood experiences play a significant role
- shaped by the manner in which we cope with sexual urges
personality has 3 structures
- Id
- Ego
- Superego
Id
- definition
- ex
- type of actions
- pleasure principle; primary process thinking
- demands that we meet our bodily needs
- naturalistic and primitive actions
Ego
- definition
- ex
- reality principle; secondary process thinking
- creates balance; problem solver
superego
- definition
- ex
- moral imperatives
- Don’t make a fool of yourself
concious
contact with outside world
preconcious
material just beneath the surface of awareness
unconcious
difficult to retrieve the material; well below the surface of awareness
what happens when we have an imbalance between the id and superego
-how do we justify it
anxiousness
-by using defense mechanisms
defense mechanism
- unconsciously distort reality to protect us from anxiety
- repression
- denial
- projection
- reaction formation
- rationalization
- displacement
- regression
- identification
- repression
Adler’s Individual theory
-2
- striving or superiority
2. use compensation
use compensation
- when does inferiority develop
- what may result
- may develop if unsuccessful
- overcompensation
4 important contributions in the psychodynamic perspective
- unconcious forces may contribute to personality
- internal conflict may play a key role in psychological distress
- early childhood experiences can influence adult personality
- people do rely on defense mechanisms to reduce unpleasant emotion
criticism for psychodynamic perspective
- poor testability
- unreprestative samples
- inadequate evidence
- sexism
behavioral perspective
- behaviorism
- personality is shaped through 3 things
studies observable behavior
- classical conditioning
- operant conditioning
- observational learning
- classical conditioning
classical conditioning
-definition
a type of learning in which a neutral stimulus acquires the capacity to evoke
neutral stimulus
anything that does not elicit a response
unconditioned response
something you already learned (born with)
what happens if you break the UCS
extinction
-UCR will stop
operant conditioning
- definition
- includes
a form of learning in which voluntary responses come to be controlled by their consequences
-reinforcers and punishments
reinforcers
- definition
- positive reinforcement
- negative reinforcement
- increases behavior
- Giving a dog a treat to sit
- Mom takes away chores because child did hw
punishments
- definition
- positive punishment
- negative punishment
- decreases behavior
- spanking your child to have him stop crying
- taking away a toy if he is bad
Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory
- type of learning
- requires 3 things
- what is the key
- observational
- pay attention to other’s behavior
- understand the consequences that follow others behavior
- store this info in memory
- pay attention to other’s behavior
- self efficacy
self efficacy
idea that we have the ability to complete a task
behavioral perspective
-important contributions
- rooted in research
2. suggested both personality and situation factors work together to shape behavior
behavioral perspective
-2 criticisms
- strict behaviorism doesn’t account for cognitive influences
- relies heavily on animal models
humanistic perspectives
-accepts that humans (3)
- have an innate drive toward personal growth
- exercise free will over actions
- are largely rational beings driven by conscious, not unconscious need
- have an innate drive toward personal growth
maslow’s theory of self actualization
-hierarchy of needs
needing lower level needs
