Exam 4 Flashcards
Personality
an individuals characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting
Examples of biosychological theories of personality
- Galen’s Humoral Theory: personality cam from excess of bodily fluid
- Phrenology: skull shape
Psychoanalytic perspective of personality (Freud’s Theory)
-Psychoanalysis is both an approach to therapy and a theory of personality. Emphasized unconscious motivation- the main causes of behavior lie buried in the unconscious mind
Three Main Structures of our Personality
- Id
- Ego
- Superego
Id
- 100% unconscious
- pleasure principle
- has urges, desires, wants; seeks pleasure and avoid pain, irrational, wants what you want no matter the reality
Ego
- Boss of mind
- Tell you what is right/wrong; can be irrational
Superego
- moral
- decision maker
Interaction between Id + Ego + Superego
Id + Superego + outside forces are telling you what you want to do, but the ego decides what to do
Defense Mechanism
is in psychoanalytic theory, the ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality
Why do we use defense mechanisms?
to reduce anxiety (the ego’s way)
Defense Mechanism Examples
- repression
- regression
- rationalization
- reaction formation
- projection
- displacement
- sublimation
Repression
pushing down any unwanted feelings into the unconscious
Regression
when we have too much anxiety, we regress (go back) and think of the way we acted in earlier life to calm down
Rationalization
when you have anxiety, you come up with another reason for your thoughts and behavior to make you feel better
Reaction Formation
you have anxiety that makes you uncomfortable, so you behave in the opposite way; kill them with kindness
Projection
you have unwanted feelings and you project them on someone else
Displacement
you have feelings and you displace those feelings else where
Sublimation
redirect energy into a socially acceptable way
Are Freud’s ideas/theories still considered valid?
NO
Projective Tests
personality test, such as the Rorschach inkblot test, that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics (draw out peoples feelings)
Objective Tests
direct and to the point, ask direct questions about thoughts, feelings, and behavior (not ambiguous)
Trait
characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to fell and act, as assessed by self-report inventories and peer reports
Goal of a trait perspective of personality
specify a set of distinct personality dimensions for use in summarizing fundamental psychological differences
‘BIG FIVE” personality traits
- Emotional Stability
- Extraversion
- Openness
- Agreeableness
- Conscientiousness
Emotional Stability
Calm vs anxious
secure vs insecure
self-satisfied vs self-pitying
Extraversion
sociable vs retiring
fun-loving vs sober
affectionate vs. reserved
Openness
imaginative vs practical
preference for variety vs preference for routine
independent vs conforming
Agreeableness
soft-hearted vs ruthless
trusting vs suspicious
helpful vs uncooperative
Conscientiousness
organized vs disorganized
careful vs careless
disciplined vs impulsive
Why do psychologists care about individual differences in personality?
If we measure them right, we might be able to predict things, and who is more likely to do certain things (good/bad behavior)