Chapter 8

Question 1

What is personailty

Answer 1

An individuals characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (persists over time)(is genetic cannot be changed, but behaviors can)

Question 2

What is continuous distributions

Answer 2

In which characteristics can go from low to high, with all different intermediate values possible. One does not simply have the trait or not

Question 3

What is lexical hypothesis

Answer 3

States that all important personality characteristics should be reflected in the language that we use to describe others; freindly sociable (Used by Allport and Odbert to reduce the number of traits) (used the dictionary)

Question 4

What is factor analysis

Answer 4

A statistical technique for grouping similar things together according to how highly they are associated (helped to determine the five factor model)

Question 5

What are the personality traits of the five factor model

Answer 5

Openness- the tendency to appreciate nee art, ideas, values, feelings and behaviors
Conscientious ness- the tendency to be careful, on-time, follow rules, and be hardworking
Extroversion- the tendency to be talkative, sociable, and to enjoy others
Agreeableness- the tendency to agree and go along with others rather than assert ones own opinions and choices
Neuroticism- the tendency to frequently experience negative emotions such as anger, worry, and sadness, as well as being interpersonal sensitive

Question 6

What are facets

Answer 6

Broad personality traits can be broken down into narrower facets or aspects of a trait. Ex extraversion has several facets, sociability, dominance, risk taking, etc.

Question 7

What is the hexco model

Answer 7

Created by Ashton and Lee, similar to the big five but adds honesty-humility as a sixth dimension of personality

Question 8

What is the person situation debate

Answer 8

A historical debate about the relative power of personality traits as compared to situation influences on behavior

Question 9

What are Sigmund Freuds 8 defense mechanisms

Answer 9

Repression
Regression
Reaction formation
Projection
Rationalization
Displacement
Sublimation
Denial

Question 10

What is the difference between repression and regression

Answer 10

Repression- the first defense mechanism discovered by Freud. A mechanism employed by the ego to keep disturbing/threatening thoughts from becoming conscious. Not successful long term as it can create anxiety
Regression- retreating to a more infantile psychosexual stage. When we are troubled or frightened, our behaviors often become more childish or primitive. Ex. Teenagers may giggle uncontrollably when introduced to a social situation involving the opposite sex

Question 11

What is the difference between reaction formation and projection

Answer 11

Reaction formation- switching unacceptable impulses into the opposites. Going beyond denial and behaving in the opposite of what they think/feel. Ex. Prejudice against homosexuals yo make a defense against their own homosexual feelings. adapting a harsh anti-homosexual attitude helps convince them of their heterosexuality
Projection- disguising ones own threatening impulses by attributing them to others. Ex the their thinks everyone else is a thief

Question 12

What is the difference between rationalization and denail

Answer 12

Rationalization- offering self-justifying explanations in place of the real more threatening reasons for one’s actions. Ex. An alcoholic says she drinks with her friends “just to be sociable”, ignoring that she has a problem
Denial-refusing to believe or even perceive painful realities. Denial involves blocking external events from awareness. Ex. A partner denies evidence of their loved ones affair, even when right in front of them.

Question 13

What is the difference between displacement and sublimation

Answer 13

Displacement- the redirection of an impulse (usually aggressive but can be sexual) onto a powerless substitute. Target can be a person or object; always socially unacceptable. Ex. Someone frustrated with their boss may go home and beat a family member
Sublimation- similar to displacement, but takes place when we manage to displace our emotions into a constructive , rather than destructive, activity; socially acceptable. Ex. Using sports to relieve stress

Question 14

What is reflexivity

Answer 14

The idea that the self reflects back onto itself (made famous by William james)

Question 15

Who was Charles Taylor

Answer 15

Described the self as a reflective project; we often try to manage, discipline, refine, improve, and develop the self

Question 16

What is the self as a social actor

Answer 16

The sense of self as an embodies actor whose social performances may be constructed in terms of more or less consistent self-ascribed traits and social roles (personality) (outside personality)

Question 17

What is the self as a motivated agent

Answer 17

The sense of self as an intentional force that strives to achieve goals, plans, values, and projects ( inner wants and desires)

Question 18

What is the self as autobiographical author

Answer 18

The sense of the self as a story teller ego reconstructs the past and imagines the future in order to articulate an integrative narrative that provides life with some measure of temporal continuity and purpose (how the self has and will develop)

Question 19

What are Sigmund Freud structures of the self

Answer 19

Ego- executive structure, manages the role world and the id’s and superegos desires
Id- innate primitive desires, no regard for consequences
Superego- restrictive and punishing, always worries about consequences and society

Question 20

What is social reputation

Answer 20

The traits and social roles that others attribute to an actor. Actors also have their own conceptions of what they imagine their respective social reputations are in the eyes of others

Question 21

What is theory of mind

Answer 21

Children’s growing understanding of the mental states that affect people’s behavior (typically occurs by age 4)

Question 22

What is the age 5-to-7 shift

Answer 22

Cognitive and social changes that occur in the early elementary school years that result in the child’s developing a more purposeful, playful, and goal-oriented approach to life, setting the stage for the emergence of the self as a motivated agent

Question 23

What is self esteem

Answer 23

The extend to which a person feels that they are worthy and good. The success or failure that the motivated agent experiences in pursuit of valued goals is a strong determinant of self-esteem

Question 24

What is identity

Answer 24

According to Erik Eriksons concept, identity us a developmental task for late adolescence a d young adulthood. Involves exploring alternative roles, values, goals, and relationships and eventually committing to a realistic agenda for life that productively situates a person in the adult world

Question 25

What is the difference between the I and Me

Answer 25

The I- the self as knower, the sense of self as a subject who encounters (know, works on) itself (the me)
The me- the self as known, the sens3 of self as the object or target of the I’s knowledge and work

Question 26

What is narrative identity

Answer 26

An internalized and evolving story of the self that reconstructs the past and anticipates the future in such a way as to provide a person’s life with some degree of unity, meaning, and purpose over time (impacted by culture)

Question 27

What is autobiographical reasoning

Answer 27

A narrator is able to derive substantive conclusions about the self from analyzing their own personal experiences

Question 28

What is trait theory

Answer 28

Assumes that we have traits that are a function of personality, not situation

Question 29

Who was Albert Bandura

Answer 29

Believed that personality is: the result of an interaction that takes pace between a person and their social context. Involving how we think about ourselves and situations

Question 30

What is reciprocal

Answer 30

A back and forth influence, with no primary cause. Ex. A tendency to enjoy risky behaviors affects choice of friends (that may encourage said behavior)

Question 31

What is determism reciprocal

Answer 31

How personality, thoughts, social environment, all reunforce/cause eachother. Ex. Seeing others smile because you are smiling, reinforcing their smile