Identity and Personality Flashcards
Self-concept
Our own internal list of answers to the question “Who am I?”. Goes beyond self-schema and includes who we used to be and who we will become
Self-schema
A self-given label that carries with it a set of qualities (e.g. the athlete self-schema usually carries the qualities of youth, physical fitness, and dressing and acting in certain ways)
Identity
Defined as the individual components of our self-concept related to the groups in which we belong
Gender identity
Describes a person’s appraisal of him- or herself on scales of masculinity and femininity
Androgyny
The state of being simultaneously very masculine and very feminine
Undifferentiated
People who achieve low scores on both the masculinity and felinity scale
Theory of gender schema
Holds that key components of gender identity are transmitted through cultural and societal means
Ethnic identity
Refers to one’s ethnicity, in which members typically share a common ancestry, cultural heritage, and languages
Nationality
Based on political borders. The result of shared history, media, cuisine, and national symbols such as a country’s flag
Hierarchy of salience
The organization of our identities such that we let the situation dictate which identity holds the most important for us at any given moment
Self-discrepancy theory
Maintains that each of us has three selves: actual, ideal, and ought
Actual self
Made up of our self-concept. The way we see ourselves as we currently are
Ideal self
The person we would like to be
Ought self
Our representation of the ways others think we should be
Self-esteem
Self-worth
Self-efficacy
Our belief in our ability to succeed
Overconfidence
Can lead us to take on tasks for which we are not ready, leading to frustration, humiliation, or personal injury
Learned helplessness
When self-efficacy is depressed past the point of recovery. The point at which individuals to attempting to avoid a bad consequence.
Locus of control
Refers to the way we characterize the influences in our lives. People with an internal locus of control view themselves of controlling their own fate. Whereas those with an external locus of control feels that events in their lives are caused by luck or outside influence
Libido
Sex drive
Fixation
Occurs when a child is overindulged or overly frustrated during a stage of development
Neurosis
The personality pattern formed by a child in response to anxiety caused by fixation. Persists into adulthood as a functional mental disorder
Oral stage
First stage of psychosexual development. 0-1 yr. Gratification obtained primarily by putting objects into the mouth, biting, and sucking. Libidinal energy is centered on the mouth. Orally fixated adults exhibit excessive dependency.
Anal stage
Second stage of psychosexual development. 1-3 yrs. In this stage libido is centered on the anus and gratification is gained through the elimination and retention of waste materials. Fixation in this stage results in excessive orderliness or sloppiness in the adult
Phallic or Oedipal stage
Third stage of psychosexual development. 3-5 yrs. Centers on the resolution of Oedipal/Electra conflict. Boys take after their fathers during this stage because of their castration fears and girls take after their mothers because they have penis envy (making them exhibit less stereotypically female behavior and less morally developed). The child de-eroticizes (sublimates) his libidinal energy by collecting objects or focusing on schoolwork
Latency
Fourth stage of psychosexual development. Starts when the libido is completely sublimated and ends when puberty is reached.
Genital stage
Beginning in puberty and lasting through adulthood. If prior development has proceeded correctly, the person should enter into healthy heterosexual relationships. If sexual traumas of childhood have not been resolved, such behaviors as homosexuality, asexuality, or fetishism may result
Trust vs. mistrust
First conflict of psychosocial development. 0-1 yr. If resolved successfully the child will come to trust his environment, if unresolved the child will often be suspicious of the world, possibly throughout their life
Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
Second conflict of psychosocial development. 1-3 yrs. Resolution is feeling able to exert control over the world and exercise choice as well as self-restraint. Unfavorable outcome is a sense of doubt and a persistent external locus of control
Initiative vs. guilt
Third conflict of psychosocial development. 3-6 yrs. Favorable outcome is a sense of purpose, the ability to enjoy accomplishment, and the ability to initiate activities. Unfavorable outcome is the child is so overcome by fear of punishment that they may either unduly restrict themselves, or overcompensating by showing off.
Industry vs. inferiority
Fourth conflict of psychosocial development. 6-12 yrs. The favorable outcome is the child feeling competent, with the ability to exercise his or her abilities and intelligence in the world, and the ability affect the world in any way they desire. Unfavorable outcome is a sense of inability to act in a competent manner and low self-esteem
Identity vs. role confusion
Fifth conflict of psychosocial development. 12-20 yrs. Encompasses a physiological revolution. Favorable outcome is fidelity, the ability to see oneself as a unique and integrated person with sustained loyalties. Unfavorable outcome is confusion about one’s identity and an amorphous personality that shifts form day to day
Intimacy vs. loneliness
Sixth conflict of psychosocial development. 20-40 yrs. Favorable outcomes are love, the ability to have intimate relationships, and the ability to commit oneself to another person and to one’s own goals. Unfavorable outcome is an avoidance of commitment, alienation, distancing of oneself from others and one’s ideals. Isolated individuals are either withdrawn or capable of only superficial relationships with others.
Generativity vs. stagnation
Seventh conflict of psychosocial development. 40-65 yrs. Favorable outcome is the individual being capable of being a productive, caring, and contributing member of society. Unfavorable outcome is that the individual acquires a sense of stagnation and may become self-indulgent, bored, and self-centered with little care to others.
Integrity vs. despair
Final conflict of psychosocial development. 65+. Favorable outcome is wisdom (a detached concern from life itself), assurance in the meaning of life, dignity, and an acceptance of the fact that one’s life has been worthwhile along with a readiness to face death. Unfavorable outcome is bitterness about one’s life, a feeling that life has been worthless, and fear over one’s impending death
Preconventional morality
The first stage of moral development. Typical of preadolescents. Places an emphasis on the consequence of the moral choice.
Stage 1 of moral development
Obedience. Concerned with avoiding punishment.
Stage 2 of moral development
Self-interest. Concerned with gaining rewards. Aka instrumental relativist stage because it’s based on the concepts of reciprocity and sharing
Conventional morality
Second phase of moral development. Begins to develop in early adolescence, when individual begin to see themselves in terms of their relationships to others.
Stage 3 of moral development
Conformity. Places emphases on the “good boy, nice girl” orientation in which person seeks the approval of others
Stage 4 of moral development
Law and order. Maintains the social order in the highest regard
Postconventional morality
Describes a level of morality that not everyone is capable of and is baed on social mores which may conflict with laws
Stage 5 of moral development
Social context. Views moral rules as conventions that are designed to ensure the greater good, with reasoning focused on individual rights
Stage 6 of moral development
Universal human rights. Reasons that decisions should be made in consideration of abstract principles
Zone of proximal development
Vygotsky’s concept which refers to those skills and abilities that have not yet fully developed but are in the process of being developed. Gaining skills requires the help of a “More knowledgable other”
Role-taking
When growing children experiment with other identities by taking on the roles of others, such as when playing house or school.
Theory of mind
The ability to sense how another’s mind works (e.g. how a friend is interpreting a story as you tell it)
Looking-glass self
The construct which relies on others reflecting our selves back to our ourselves. Our reactions to how others perceive us can be varied-maintaining, modifying, downplaying, or accentuating different aspects of ourselves.
Reference group
The group to whom we are comparing ourselves, which often plays a role in our self-concept
Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic theories of personality
These theories all have in common the assumption of unconscious internal states that motivate the overt actions of individuals and determine personality
Id
The primal, inborn urge to survive and reproduce. Functions under pleasure principle in which the aim is to achieve immediate gratification to receive any pent-up tension
Primary process
The id’s response to frustration: achieve satisfaction now, not later
Wish fulfillment
Mental imagery, such as dreaming that fulfills the need for satisfaction
Ego
Operates under the reality principle, taking into account objective reality as it guides or inhibits the activity of the id and the id’s pleasure principle.
Secondary process
The ego’s guidance and inhibition of the activity of the id
Superego
The personality’s perfectionist. Judging our actions and responding with pride at our accomplishments and guilt at our failure
Ego-ideal
Consists of the proper actions for which a child is rewarded. Along with conscience (a collection of improper actions for which a child is punished) comprises the superego
Defense mechanism
The ego’s recourse for receiving anxiety caused by the clash of the id and superego
Repression
The ego’s way of forcing undesired thoughts and urges to the unconscious, and underlies many of the other defense mechanisms
Suppression
A deliberate, conscious form of forgetting (e.g. “I’m not going to think about that right now.”)
Regression
A reversion to an earlier developmental state
Reaction formation
When an individual suppresses urged by unconsciously converting them into their exact opposites
Projection
The defense mechanism in which individuals attribute their undesired feelings to others
Rorschach inkblot test
Takes advantage of this principle, assuming that the client projects his or her unconscious feelings onto the shape.
Thematic apperception test
Consists of a series of pictures, for which the client has to make up stories. The stories will presumably elucidate the client’s own unconscious thoughts and feelings
Rationalization
The justification of behaviors in a manner that is acceptable to the self and society
Displacement
Describes transference of an undesired urge from one person to another
Sublimation
The transformation of unacceptable urges into socially acceptable behaviors
Personal unconscious
Similar to Freud’s notion of an unconscious
Collective unconscious
A powerful system that is shared among all humans and considered to be a residue of the experiences of early ancestors. It’s building blocks are images of common experiences such as having a mother and a father
Persona
A Jungian archetype which is likened to a mask that we were in public. It’s the part of our personality that we show to the world
Anima
A man’s inner woman
Animus
A woman’s inner man
Shadow
The archetype that is responsible for the appearance of unpleasant and socially reprehensible thoughts, feelings, and actions in our consciences
Self
The point of intersection between the collective unconscious, the personal unconscious, and the conscious mind
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI0
Based on the Jung’s three dichotomies of personality: extraversion vs. introversion, sensing vs. intuiting, and thinking vs. feeling. They also added judging vs. perceiving
Inferiority complex
Originated by Adler, this is an individual’s sense of incompleteness, imperfection, and inferiority both physically and socially
Creative self
Originated by Adler, this is the force by which each individual shapes his or her uniqueness and establishes his or her personality
Style of life
Originated by Adler, this is a manifestation of the creative self that describes a person’s unique way of achieving superiority
Fictional finalism
Originated by Adler, this is the notion that an individual is motivated more by his expectations of the future than by past experience
Neurotic needs
Horney postulates that individuals with neurotic needs are governed by one of these. Each is directed toward making life and interactions bearable.
Basic anxiety
Horney’s term for inadequate vulnerability and helplessness that results from inadequate parenting
Basic hostility
Horney’s term for the anger caused by neglect and rejection
Object relations theory
A psychodynamic theory. Refers to the representation of parents or other caregivers based on the subjective experience during early infancy. These objects then persist into adulthood and impact our interactions with others, including the social bonds we create and our predictions of others’ behaviors
Humanistic or phenomenological theorists
Focus on the value of individuals and take a more person-centered approach, describing the ways in which healthy people strive toward self-realization
Gestalt therapy
Therapy in which practitioners tend to take a holistic view of the self, seeking each individual as a complete person, rather than reducing him to individual behaviors or drives
Force field theory
Kurt Lewin’s idea based on a field which he defined as one’s current state of mind, the sum of the forces (influences) on the individual at the time. These forces could be divided into two large groups: those assisting in the attainment of goals and those blocking the path to them
Peak experiences
Profound and deeply moving experiences in a person’s life that have important and lasting effects on the individual. Self-actualized people are more likely to have these.
Extirpation
Surgical removal or destruction of parts of brains
Functionalism
A system of thought in psychology that studies how mental processes help individuals adapt to their environments
Sensory neurons aka afferent neurons
Transmit sensory information from receptors to the spinal cord and brain
Motor neurons aka efferent neurons
Transmit motor inform from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands
Personal construct psychology
George Kelly’s theory that the individual is a scientist, a person who devises and tests predictions about the behavior of significant people in his or her life. The individual constructs a scheme of anticipation of what others will do based on his or her knowledge, perception, and relationships with these other people
Client-centered/person-centered/non-directive therapy
Rogerian therapy: the therapist’s role is to help the client reflect on problems, make choices, generate solutions, take positive actions, and determine his or her destiny
Unconditional positive regard
Roger’s idea. A therapeutic technique in which the therapist accepts the client completely and expresses empathy in order to promote a positive therapeutic environment
Type theorist
Try to create a taxonomy of personality traits
Trait theorists
Describe individual personality as the sum of a person’s characteristic behaviors
Somatotypes
Personality based on body type. People of the same body type have the same personality
Type A
This personality is characterized by behavior that tends to be competitive and compulsive
Type B
This personality is laid back and relaxed
Trait theorists
Use clusters of behaviors to describe individauls
PEN model
Psychoticism, Extraversion, and Neuroticism
Psychoticism (from PEN model)
A measure of non-conformity or social deviance
Extraversion (from PEN model)
A measure of tolerance for social interaction and stimulation
Neuroticism (from PEN model)
A measure of emotional arousal in stressful situations
Big Five Personality Traits
OCEAN: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism
Cardinal traits
(Allport’s traits) Traits under which a person organizes his or her life (not everyone has one)
Central traits
(Allport’s traits) Represent major characteristics of the personality that are easy to infer, such as honesty and charisma (everyone has them)
Secondary traits
Represent other personal characteristics that are more limited in occurrence, aspects of one’s personality that only appears in close groups or specific social situations
Functional autonomy
A major part of Allport’s idea. The idea that a behavior continues despite satisfaction of the drive that originally created the behavior
Behaviorist perspective
Based on the concepts of operant conditions
Token economies
In which positive behaviors are rewarded with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges, treats, or other reinforcers. Often used in inpatient therapeutic settings.
Social-cognitive perspective
Focuses not just on how our environment influences our behavior, but also how we interact with that environment
Reciprocal determinism
Refers to the idea that our thoughts, feelings, and environment all interact with each other to determine our actions in a given situation
Biological perspective
<p>Predicts that personality can be explained as a result of genetic expression in the brain</p>
Dispositional approach
<p>The assumption that behavior is determined by personality</p>
Situational approach
<p>The assumption that behavior is determined by environment and context</p>
