Chapter 6 - Personality, Motivation, Attitudes, and Psychological Disorders Flashcards
Describe the psychoanalytic theory of personality
Personality is shaped by a person’s unconscious thoughts, feelings, and memories.
The existance of unconscious is inferred from behaviors such as dreams, slips of the tongue, posthypnotic suggestions, and free associations.
Which theory on personailty is Sigmund Freud associated with?
psychoanalytic theory
Freud believed what two instinctual drives motivate human behavior?
- libido/life instinct
- death instinct
Libido drives what kind of behaviors?
those focused on survival, growth, creativity, pain avoidance, and pleasure
Death instinct drives what kind of behaviors?
aggressive behaviors fueled by an unconscious wish to die or hurt oneself or others
Freud said that psychic energy is distributed among what 3 personality components?
- id
- ego
- superego
What is the function of the id and what is it ruled by?
It is the unconscious source of energy and instincts ruled by the pleasure principle that avoids pain. It is not logical or moral. Young children function almost entirely from the id.
What is the function of the ego and what is it ruled by?
It preconsciously uses logical thinking and planning to control consciousness and the id. It tries to find realistic ways to satisfy the id’s desire for pleasure. It is ruled by the reality principle.
What is the function of the superego?
It inhibits the id and influences the ego to follow moralistic and ideals goals rather than just realistic goals. It strives for a higher purpose. It strives for self-love and avoidance of guilt.
What purpose do ego defense mechanisms serve?
They help cope with anxiety and protect the ego.
We mature through what 5 psychosexual stages according to Freud?
1) oral - sensual pleasure through oral activities
2) anal - sensual pleasure through control of elimination
3) phallic - sensual pleasure through genitals (incestuous desire for opposite sex parent)
4) latency - sexual interests subside to pursue other interests
5) genital - sexual energy fuels activities
What did Frued mean by psychological fixation?
If a child does not resolve a psychosexual stage’s developmental conflicts, they will grow up continuing to seek pleasure through behaviors related to that stage.
What is the Oedipus complex/Electra complex?
a boy sexually attracted to his mom/a girl sexually attracted to her dad
In which stage would girls supposedly exhibit penis envy?
phallic stage
Describe Erikson’s developmental stage of infants
They must resolve the crisis of trust versus mistrust (physical and emotional needs must be met otherwise they will mistrust as an adult).
Describe Erikson’s developmental stage of toddlers
They must resolve the crisis of autonomy versus shame and doubt (must explore and make mistakes otherwise will be dependent as an adult).
Describe Erikson’s developmental stage of preschool-age children
They must resolve the crisis of initiative versus guilt (must meet need to make decisions otherwise will feel guilty choosing as an adult).
Describe Erikson’s developmental stage of school-age children
They must resolve the crisis of industry versus inferiority (must meet needs to attain personal goals and understand the world, otherwise will feel inadequate as an adult).
Describe Erikson’s developmental stage of adolescents
They must resolve the crisis of identity versus role confusion (must test limits and clarify their life meaning or will develop role confusion as an adult).
Describe Erikson’s developmental stage of young adults
They must resolve the crisis of intimacy versus isolation (must form intimate relationships or will become alienated and isolated).
Describe Erikson’s developmental stage of middle age
They must resolve the crisis of generativity versus stagnation (must feel productive or will become stuck in psychological stagnation).
Describe Erikson’s developmental stage of later life
They must resolve the crisis of inegrity versus despair (must not look back with regret and lack of personal worth or will feel hopeless).
What is the endgoal of psychoanalytic therapy/talk therapy?
to help the patient become more able to choose behaviors consciously and strength the ego to make choices based in reality
Describe the humanistic theory of personality
The basic motive of all people is the actualizing tendency, which is an innate drive to maintain and enhance the organism.
Who developed the humanistic theory?
Carl Rogers
What is incongruence in the humanistic theory?
The discrepancy between self-concept and experiences in life that contradict it.
How does humanistic therapy/person-centered therapy work?
It provides an environment that will help clients trust and accept themselves and their emotional reations so they can learn and grow from their experiences.
Describe the behaviorist theory of personality
Personality is the result of learned behavior patterns based on a person’s environment. It is deterministic, proposing that people begin as blank slates and then learn through classical and operant conditioning.
How does behavioral therapy work?
It uses conditioning to shape a client’s behaviors in the desired direction using the ABC model (changing the antecedents and consequences of the behavior).
Describe the social cognitive theory of personality
Personality is formed by a reciprocal interaction among:
- Behavioral factors: learned through classical and operant conditioning, and observational learning
- Cognitive factors: mental processes involved in learning and conscious self-efficacy beliefs
- Environmental factors: situational influences such as opportunities, rewards, and punishment
How does cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) work?
A person’s feelings and behaviors are seen as reactions not to actual events, but to their thoughts about those events, based on unconscious beliefs.
Describe the trait perspective of personality
focus on identifying, describing, measuring, and comparing individual differences and similarities with respect to personality traits
What are surface traits?
traits evident from a person’s behavior (ex: talkative)
What are source traits?
factors underlying human personality and behavior (ex: extroversion)
What was Cattell’s contribution to personality theory?
He developed 16 primary personality factors (surface traits) that fit into 5 global factors (source traits): extroversion, anxiety, receptivity, accomodation, and self-control.
What is the Five-Factor model of personality?
McCrae and Costa developed of many surface traits that fit into 5 source traits: extroversion, neuroticism, openness to experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness.
Describe the biological perspective of personality
Much of our personality is at least partly due to innate biological differences amount people.
What did Hans Eysenck propose about personality?
- A person’s level of extroversion is based on individual differences in the reticular formation: those more easily aroused tolerate less external stimulation and are introverted.
- A person’s level of neuroticism is based on individual differences in the limbic system.
What did Jeffrey Alan Gray propose about personality?
He propose that personality is governed by interactions among 3 brain systems that response to rewarding and punishing stimuli:
- Fearfulness and avoidance are linked to the SNS.
- Worry and anxiety are linked to the behavior inhibition system.
- Optimism and impulsivity are linked to the behavioral approach system.
What did C. Robert Cloninger propose about personality?
He linked personality to neurotransmitter levels in 3 interacting brain systems involved with reward, motivation, and punishment:
- low dopamine = higher impulsivity and novelty seeking
- low norepinephrine = higher approval seeking and reward dependence
- low serotonin = risk avoidance
What is the person-situation controversy/trait versus state controversy?
It considers the degree to which a person’s reaction in a given situation is due to their personality (trait) or due to the situation itself (state). (ex: extroversion is a trait, stress is a state)
What 4 factors influence motivation?
- instincts
- drives/negative feedback systems (urges originating from a physiological discomfort)
- arousal
- needs
What is the drive reduction theory of motivation?
A physiological need drives an organism to reduce that need by engaging in some behavior.
What is the incentive theory of motivation?
Positive and negative incentives in the environment either help induce or discourage certain behaviors.
What is the order of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs from base to top?
- physiological
- safety
- love and belongingness
- esteem
- self-actualization
What did Maslow suggest about motivation?
We are only motivated to satisfy higher-level needs once certain lower-level needs have been met.