Identity and Individual Flashcards
Personality
Collection of lasting characteristics that makes a person unique
Trait Theory (of Personality)
Personality consists of a set of TRAITS, which are characteristics that vary btwn people and are stable over the course of the lifetime, REGARDLESS OF EVNTAL FACTORS
- does not care about internal processes that shape personality and translate personality traits into behaviour
Twin studies
Useful in separating the effects of genetics and the envt by building a picture of which traits are more closely tied to genetics than others
Psychoanalytic Theory
There exists a universal personality structure that contributes both to behaviour and to differences btwn people
- opposite of trait theory and biological theories
- personality is determined by the flow of psychic energy btwn 3 systems that reside in diff levels of consciousness: id, superego, and ego
Id*
Seeks instant gratification w/ no consideration for morality or social norms
- present from birth and motivated by desire to achieve immediate gratification and avoid pain
Superego*
Internalization of society’s rules for moral behaviour, learned primarily through interactions w/ caregivers
Ego*
Directs behaviour in a way that balances demands of id and the superego
Behaviourist Theory
Personality is constructed by a series of learning experiences that occur through interactions btwn individual and their envt
- it is the envt that shapes behaviour, not internal/innate factors
Social Cognitive Theory (of Personality)
- like behaviourist theory, focuses on learning experiences and observable behaviours
- diff from behaviourist theory b/c considers contributions of an individual’s mental life and personal choices
- this theory explains how THOUGHT AND EMOTION affect both learning process and experiences and surroundings that ppl choose for themselves
- includes OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING
- includes reciprocal causation*: behaviour, personal factors, and envt continually interact and influence each other
Observational Learning
- process of SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY
- people learn from the experiences of others and apply the lessons of previous experiences to new situations
Humanistic Theory
People continually seek experiences that make them better , more fulfilled individuals
- like SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY, it’s about individual shaping his or her own personality
- CONSCIOUS DECISIONSSSSSS make ppl who they are, not about uncontrollable impulses!
- diff from other theories b/c it considers individual’s views of SELF (i.e.. self, ideal self, perceived self)
Situational approach to explaining behaviour
People behave according to their interpretations of the situations
- not about internal, stable traits but about external, changing circumstances
Identity
Person’s view of who they are in terms of both internal factors, including personality traits, and social or external factors, like group membership
- has PERSONAL AND SOCIAL COMPONENTS
Self-concept
- most personal aspect of identity
- knowledge of one-self as a person both separate from other people and constant throughout changing situations
- a person’s view of his/her personality
- developed through interactions w/ others
- has PERSONAL AND INTERNAL ASPECTS OF IDENTITY
Social identity
Perception of oneself as a member of certain SOCIAL GROUPS
- involves cognitive and emotional component (attachment with the social group that an individual identifies with)
- entered around GROUP MEMBERSHIP
Social groups
- have associated characteristics that shapes a person’s social identity
Influence of culture and socialization
- important for identity development
- both shape a person’s identity inevitably!
Socialization
Process in which developing individuals learn the values, norms, and appropriate behaviours of their society, continuing throughout the lifespan
Influence of Individuals
- also important in identity formation
- eg. children interact with individuals who are immediately available to them (family members) and observe how these ppl interact
- leads children to IMITATE their behaviours
Imitation
- important in identity
- allows children to view themselves as similar to the imitated person
- allows children to get involved in ROLE-TAKING
Role-taking
Adopting the role of another person, either by imitating behaviours associated w/ specific social roles or by taking the other person’s point of view in a social interaction
Reference group
People REFER to their REFERence group for guidance in behaviour
- provides individual w/ a model for appropriate actions, values and worldviews
- for a group to serve as a person’s reference group, the individual must either be or aspire to be a member of that group
In-group
Individuals identify themselves as being part of this group
Out-group
Individuals do not identify themselves as being part of this group
Self-esteem
Person’s overall value judgement of him- or herself
- children tend to have very high self-esteem and then level off over the course of development