Chapter 6: Identity and Personality

Question 1

What is the difference between identity and self-concept?

Answer 1

Social scientists define identity as the individual components of our self-concept related to the group to which we belong. Whereas we have one all-encompassing self-concept, we have multiple identities that define who we are and how we should behave within any given context.

Question 2

What is gender identity?

Answer 2

Describes a person’s appraisal of him or herself on scales of masculinity and femininity

Question 3

What is the name of the state that describes being simultaneously very masculine and very feminine?

Answer 3

Androgyny

Question 4

What is ethnic identity?

Answer 4

Refers to one’s ethnic group, in which members typically share a common ancestry, cultural heritage, and language. It is largely an identity into which we are born.

Question 5

What is national identity?

Answer 5

Based on political borders, it is the result of shared history, media, cuisine, and national symbols such as a country’s flag.

Question 6

What are the three selves of the self-discrepancy theory?

Answer 6

1. Actual self
2. Ideal self: person we would like to be
3. Ought self: our representation of the way others think we should be
   The closer these three selves are to one another, the higher our self-esteem

Question 7

What is self-efficacy?

Answer 7

Our belief in our ability to succeed. Very high self-efficacy may lead to overconfidence.

Question 8

What is Freud’s theory of psychosexual development?

Answer 8

Human psychology and human sexuality are inextricably linked. Freud believed that libidinal energy and the drive to reduce libidinal tension were the underlying dynamic forces that accounted for human psychological processes. He hypothesized five distinct stages of psychosexual development.

Question 9

What is the first stage of Freud’s theory of psychosexual development? Fixation?

Answer 9

Oral stage (0 to 1 year): gratification through putting things in mouth, biting, and sucking. Fixation leads to excessive dependency.

Question 10

What is the second stage of Freud’s theory of psychosexual development? Fixation?

Answer 10

Anal stage (1 to 3 years): libido is centered on the anus and gratification is gained through the elimination and retention of waste materials. Fixation leads to excessive orderliness or sloppiness.

Question 11

What is the third stage of Freud’s theory of psychosexual development?

Answer 11

Phallic stage (3 to 5 years): centers on resolution of the Oedipal conflict for male children or Electra conflict for female children.

Question 12

What is the fourth stage of Freud’s theory of psychosexual development?

Answer 12

Latency stage (5 years to puberty): Libido is largely sublimated

Question 13

What is the fifth stage of Freud’s theory of psychosexual development?

Answer 13

Genital stage (puberty to adulthood): If previous stages have been successfully resolved, the person will enter into normal heterosexual relationships

Question 14

What is Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development?

Answer 14

Stages of personality development are based on a series of crises that derive from conflicts between needs and social demands. The mastery of each stage is not required to move on to the next.

Question 15

What are the 8 stages of crises theorized by Erik Erikson (including ages)?

Answer 15

Trust vs Mistrust (0 to 1 year)
Autonomy vs shame and doubt (1 to 3 years)
Initiative vs guilt (3 to 6 years)
Industry vs inferiority (6 to 12 years)
Identity vs role confusion (12 to 20 years)
Intimacy vs isolation (20 to 40 years)
Generativity vs stagnation (40 to 65 years)
Integrity vs despair (over 65 years)

Question 16

What is Kohlberg’s theory of moral reasoning? Phases?

Answer 16

His theory of personality development focuses on development of moral thinking (resolving moral dilemmas and perceiving notion of right and wrong). He theorized three phases: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional. Kohlberg believed that we all begin in stage one and progress to varying degrees as our thinking matures.

Question 17

What is the pre-conventional phase of Kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 17

Consequence and Reward: This phase emphasizes the consequences of the moral choice.
Obedience is concerned with avoiding punishment.
Self-interest is about gaining rewards.

Question 18

What is the conventional stage of Kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 18

Social Rules and Relationships: This phase is based on understanding and accepting social rules.
Conformity seeks approval from others.
Law and order is about maintaining the social order in the highest regard.

Question 19

What is the post-conventional stage of Kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 19

Abstract Thinking: This phase describes a level of reasoning that Kohlberg claimed not everyone was capable of and is based on social mores, which may conflict with laws.

Question 20

What is theory of mind?

Answer 20

The ability to sense how another’s mind works. For example, understanding how a friend is interpreting a story while you tell it.

Question 21

What is Freud’s structural model of personality?

Answer 21

The structural model consists of the id, ego, and superego. This was developed under the assumption that unconscious internal states motive the overt actions of individuals and determines personality.

Question 22

What is the difference between the id, ego, and superego?

Answer 22

Id: basic, primal, inborn urges to survive and reproduce, achieve immediate gratification to relieve any pent up tension (pleasure principle)

Ego: Take into account objective reality as it guides or inhibits the activity of id (reality principle)

Superego: personality’s perfectionist, judges our actions, responds with pride at accomplishments and guilt at failures

Question 23

What is the difference between repression and suppression?

Answer 23

Repression is unconscious forgetting. Suppression is deliberate, conscious forgetting.

Question 24

What is the reaction formation defense mechanism?

Answer 24

When individuals suppress urges by unconsciously converting them into their exact opposites.

Question 25

How is projection used as a defense mechanism?

Answer 25

Individuals attribute their undesired feelings to others. For example, “I hate my parents” might turn into “My parents hate me”

Question 26

How is sublimation used as a defense mechanism?

Answer 26

Channeling of an unacceptable impulse in a socially acceptable direction

Question 27

What is the inferiority complex?

Answer 27

An individual’s sense of incompleteness, imperfection, and inferiority both physically and socially. The believe that striving for superiority drives personality.

Question 28

What is the difference between the Jungian archetypes: persona, anima, animus, and shadow?

Answer 28

Persona: the aspect of our personality we present to the world
Anima: a “man’s inner woman”
Animus: a “woman’s inner man”
Shadow: unpleasant and socially reprehensible thoughts, feelings, and actions in our consciousness

Question 29

What are the big five traits of personality?

Answer 29

Openness, Consciousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism

Question 30

What are 6 different perspectives that define personality?

Answer 30

Psychoanalytic, (unconscious urges and desires) Humanistic (conscious feelings, self-actualization) Type/Trait (grouping distinct qualities)
Social Cognitive (interaction between individual and environment)
Behaviorist (stimuli/punishment/reward)
Biological (genetic influence)

Question 31

What is the difference between cardinal traits, central traits, and secondary traits?

Answer 31

Cardinal: traits around which a person organizes their life, not everyone develops a cardinal trait (ex. Mother Theresa and sacrifice)
Central: traits represent major characteristics of personality (ex. honesty, charisma)
Secondary: more personal characteristics, limited in occurrence

Question 32

What is the name of the state that describes achieving low scores on both femininity and masculinity scale?

Answer 32

Undifferentiated

Question 33

What is fixation?

Answer 33

This term relates to Freud’s theory of psychosexual development. Fixation occurs when a child is overindulged or overly frustrated during a stage of development. In response to the anxiety formed by fixation, a child forms a personality pattern based on that stage and persists into adulthood.

Question 34

What is the zone of proximal development?

Answer 34

This refers to skills and abilities that have not yet fully developed but are in the process of development. Gaining these skills successfully requires the help of a more knowledgable other.

Question 35

What is the looking glass self?

Answer 35

A person’s self grows out of society’s interpersonal interactions and the perceptions of others.

Question 36

What is the collective unconscious?

Answer 36

A powerful system that is shared among all humans and considered to be a residue of the experiences of our early ancestors. Example: having a mother and father

Question 37

What is the difference between how Freud, Jung, and Adler theory of motivation of behavior?

Answer 37

Freud: behavior is motivated by inborn instincts
Jung: A person’s conduct is governed by inborn archetypes
Adler: People are primarily motivated by striving for superiority.

Question 38

What are the big 5 traits of personality?

Answer 38

OCEAN
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Neuroticism (emotional arousal)

Question 39

What is functional autonomy?

Answer 39

A behavior continues despite satisfaction of the drive that originally created the behavior. Example: a personally initially hunts for food but then keeps hunting because they enjoy it

Question 40

What is reciprocal determinism?

Answer 40

The idea that our thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and environment all interact with each other to determine our actions in a given situation. People choose environments that suit their personality, and their personality determines how they feel about their environment.