Exam 1 content Flashcards
What do we mean by personality?
An individual’s unique way of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Deeply ingrained patterns of behavior that evolve from a combination of innate and learned tendencies which are modified by life experiences.
What does evolve mean?
to develop gradually, especially from a simple to a more complex form
What is personality psychology?
it is the scientific study of individual differences: identifying ways in which people are similar and different, and explaining how they became that way
What shapes personality?
Intrapsychic, self, biological, environmental, trait, humanistic/spiritual, cognitive, and interactionist aspects.
What does intrapsychic aspect mean?
the complex internal workings of the mind.
What are some examples of intrapsychic aspects?
i. Instinctive/unconscious influences
ii. Freud’s Psychoanalytic approach
What does “self” aspect mean?
factors that provide a sense of identity or self.
What are some examples of “self” aspects?
i. Self-concept, self esteem
ii. Self-regulation
iii. Self-management
What does biological aspect mean?
the influences of physiology and genetics on personality
What are some examples of biological aspects?
i. Genetics and temperament
ii. Twin studies
What does environmental aspect mean?
ways personality is shaped by experience and environment.
What is an example of environmental aspects?
Classical and operant conditioning
What does cognitive aspect mean?
how people interpret the world around them
What are some examples of cognitive aspects?
Attitudes, mindsets, and beliefs
What does trait aspect mean?
personality is made up of a collection of characteristics
What is an example of trait aspects?
conceptualizing individual differences
What does humanistic/spiritual aspects mean?
human dimension that seeks enlightenment and happiness
What are some examples of humanistic/spiritual aspects?
i. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
ii. Existentialism and humanism
iii. Positive psychology and spirituality
What does interactionist aspect mean?
behavior is an interaction between a person and environment
What are some examples of interactionist aspects?
i. Power of the situation; meaning comes from interaction.
ii. Interactionist research; gender ideas
How do we measure personality?
Through objective and subjective measures
What are objective measures?
true/correct no matter who is saying it
What are subjective measures?
from the perspective or interpretation of the person making the observation
What are self-report tests?
the most common questionnaire where individuals rate themselves on descriptors
What is date corruption from response sets?
our tendency to respond to certain questions in a way that portraits is in an acceptable way, rather than how they are in fact
What is MMPI?
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
What is the projective hypothesis?
when individuals impose meaning and order on ambiguous stimuli, their responses tend to reflect their feelings, attitudes, desires and needs
-less subject to faking, but prone to subjective interpretation
What is word association?
look for patterns, themes, and blockages
What is sentence completion?
open ended sentences
What is drawing/creative tests?
draw-a-person, clay, paints, dolls
What are picture tests?
TAT( Thematic Appreciation Test)
Who invented inkblots?
Herman Rorschach
How is the inkblot test scored?
By:
-Location:
o where on the blot was the percept seen? Whole or part?
-Determinant:
o what feature of the blot determined the response? Shape? Color? Texture? Movement?
-Form Quality:
o does the percept match properties of the inkblot? Can therapist see what subject sees?
-Content:
o what was the percept? Human or animal? Emotional component-happy, sad, or frightening?
-Originality:
o how frequently was the percept seen in normative sample? Common or unique?
What are early recollections by Alfred Adler?
try to recall your earliest memory:
o Who is present? Who is not present?
o What is the world like? Friendly? Hostile? Unfamiliar?
o What is your role or behavior? Active? Passive?
o What is the outcome? Success? Failure?
What is intrapsychic?
-view of personality development that emphasizes driving forces within people that determine behavior and interpersonal relations
What are aspects of personality?
o Instincts, drives, biological urges (especially sex)
o Unconscious needs/anxieties/motives/defenses
o Past experiences that have been forgotten
When was Sigmund Freud alive?
1856-1939
What are the theories or influences of Freud?
o Influences of western culture
o Comprehensive theory
o Father of clinical psychology
o Studies on Hysteria (written with Josef Breuer)
o Talking about problems could bring about catharsis.
What is Freud’s topography of the mind using an iceberg?
-Conscious
-preconscious
-unconscious
What is the conscious topography of the human mind according to Freud?
Thoughts and perceptions
What is the preconscious topography of the human mind according to Freud?
Memories and stored knowledge
What is the unconscious topography of the human mind according to Freud?
- Fears
- Unacceptable sexual desires
- Violent motives
- Irrational wishes
- Immoral urges
- Selfish needs
- Shameful and traumatic experiences
What is Freud’s structure of the mind?
-Id (the it)
-Superego (the Over-I)
-Ego (the I)
What is Id?
irrational and emotional
-follows pleasure principle to gratify urges
What is Superego?
moralistic. Rule-oriented conscience
What is Ego?
Rational. Uses reality principle to bring balance.
What thoughts take place in the conscious mind?
Ego and Superego
What thoughts take place in the unconscious mind?
Id, parts of Ego, and parts of Superego.
What is Hysteria?
- Physical symptoms have an unconscious psychological origin
What is Catharsis?
- Release of bottled-up emotions caused by buried memories
What are the psychosexual stages of development?
Oral stage, anal stage, phallic stage, the latency period, and the genital stage.
What are the oral stage behavior types?
o Taking in (greedy)
o Biting (aggressive)
o Holding on (stingy)
o Closing (aloof)
o Spitting out (picky, critical)
What ages are affected by the oral stage?
0-2
What ages are affected by the anal stage?
2-4
How is the anal stage defined?
Anal retentive vs. anal expulsive
When does the anal stage happen?
during toilet training
What ages is the phallic stage affected by?
4-7
What are the behavior prototypes of the phallic stage?
overly vain, exhibitionistic, and sexually aggressive
What is associated with the phallic stage according to Freud?
Oedipus complex
What are the behavior prototypes of the latency period?
-Immaturity and inability to form fulfilling relationships as an adult.
-focus on peer relationships
What ages does the latency period occur?
7-12
What is the genital stage regarded as?
Sexual awakening
During what period of a child’s life does the genital stage occur?
Puberty
What are defense mechanisms?
- Compensation
- Denial
- Displacement
- Identification
- introjection
- projection
- reaction formation
- rationalization
- regression
- repression
- ritual and undoing
- sublimation
What is compensation?
disliking an aspect of ourselves and making efforts to compensate for it
What is denial?
refusing to accept a painful reality, facts or something about ourselves
What is displacement?
directing strong feelings/ emotions onto a person or object that doesn’t feel threatening
What is identification?
(Un)conscious modeling of another person’s values, attitudes, or behaviors
What is introjection?
conforming/ accepting standards to be true to avoid scrutiny
What is projection?
Projecting faults and negative self-beliefs or concepts onto others
What is reaction formation?
adopting behaviors or feelings that are exactly the opposite of one’s true emotions
What is rationalization?
justifying a behavior by presenting reasons which sound logical
What is regression?
retreating to infantile defenses and behaviors so life feels less threatening
What is repression?
(Un)consciously pushing feelings or thoughts away in order to not feel them
What is ritual and undoing?
Trying to undo a behavior by masking it with a positive one
When was Carl Jung alive?
1875-1961
What did Carl Jung believe?
-Believed humans have a unique personal unconscious and a shared collective unconscious
-certain ideas common to all cultures: God, Satan, fear of the dark, religion, family, government, military
-Proposed that personality is made up of two attitudes and four functions
What are the two attitudes that personality are made up of according to Carl Jung?
introversion vs. extraversion
What are the four functions that personality are made up of according to Carl Jung?
-thinking vs feeling
-sensing vs intuiting
What are the three general periods of development according to Jung?
Childhood, first half of life, and second half of life
What are Adler’s key concepts of how personality is formed?
three basic life tasks, social interest, goal-directed and purposeful behavior, feelings of inferiority, striving superiority, and fictional finalism
What are the three basic life tasks?
work, friendship, and love or intimacy
What is social interest?
a sense of community and one’s attitude toward others
What is goal-directed and purposeful behavior?
all behaviors are a result of out goals
What are feelings of inferiority?
relying totally on others in early life causes us to fell inferior
What is striving for superiority?
an attempt to overcome feelings of inferiority
What is fictional finalism?
beliefs, goals, and ideals held by the individual that give meaning to their actions and attribute significance to their life. Behavior is guided by these “fictions,” not necessarily attached to reality. (ex. Heaven and hell)
What are some of Adler’s beliefs?
o Contributing to others was how the individual feels a sense of worth and belonging in the family and society
o Believed the source of human striving was to compensate for feelings of inferiority
o Early interaction with family members, peers and adults help to determine the role of inferiority and superiority in life
o An inability to compensate effectively can lead to an inferiority complex, which can result in extreme helplessness or excessive achievement
o Proposed that birth order strongly influence personality
How is the proposed birth order strongly influencing personality?
Firstborn: protective, authoritarian, nostalgic
2nd born: competitive, ambitious, rebellious
Youngest: pampered, but most likely to go own way
When was Karen Horney alive?
1885-1952
What does Karen Horney believe?
Focused on feminine psychology. Felt that nurturing relationships are important or people fell insecure
