Introduction to personality psychology Flashcards
What is Aristotle’s view on humor in The Nicomachean Ethics?
He argued that excessive humor is vulgar, a lack of humor is boorish, and tasteful joking shows tact and wit—qualities of a well-bred person.
How is Aristotle similar to a personality psychologist?
He observed and analyzed personality traits (like humor, courage, truthfulness), and categorized extremes vs. moderation.
What are trait-descriptive adjectives?
Adjectives used to describe personality traits, e.g., “optimistic,” “shy,” or “ambitious.”
What is the formal definition of personality?
The set of psychological traits and mechanisms within the individual that are organized and relatively enduring and that influence their interactions with, and adaptations to, the intrapsychic, physical, and social environments.
What are psychological traits?
Enduring characteristics that describe how people differ or are similar to each other (e.g., shyness, talkativeness).
What are psychological mechanisms?
Processes of personality involving inputs, decision rules, and outputs (e.g., extraverted people notice and act on social cues).
What does ‘within the individual’ mean in personality psychology?
Traits and mechanisms are carried across time and situations and are relatively stable.
What does ‘organized and relatively enduring’ mean?
Traits and mechanisms are structured and consistent over time and across situations.
How does personality influence behavior?
It affects how we think, feel, select environments, pursue goals, and adapt to life events.
What are the four types of person-environment interactions?
Perceptions, selections, evocations, and manipulations.
What is the ‘intrapsychic environment’?
The internal world of thoughts, memories, desires, and fantasies influencing behavior.
What are the three levels of personality analysis?
- Like all others (human nature), 2. Like some others (individual/group differences), 3. Like no others (uniqueness).
What’s the difference between nomothetic and idiographic research?
Nomothetic focuses on group trends and comparisons; idiographic focuses on the unique individual.
What is the main ‘fissure’ in personality psychology?
The gap between grand theories (focused on human nature) and research on individual/group differences.
Why might a ‘grab-bag’ approach to studying personality be inadequate?
It lacks integration and fails to capture the whole person (like the blind men and the elephant parable).
What are the six domains of knowledge in personality psychology?
Dispositional, Biological, Intrapsychic, Cognitive-Experiential, Social and Cultural, and Adjustment.
What is the focus of the dispositional domain?
Identifying and measuring how people differ psychologically and understanding trait origins.
What is the biological domain concerned with?
Genetics, brain systems (psychophysiology), and evolution.
What does the intrapsychic domain include?
Unconscious processes, motives (e.g., Freud’s id/ego/superego), and defense mechanisms.
What is studied in the cognitive-experiential domain?
Thoughts, feelings, self-concept, goals, and emotions.
What does the social and cultural domain emphasize?
How culture and social interactions shape personality.
What is the focus of the adjustment domain?
How personality influences coping, adaptation, health, and disorders.
What are the three roles of a scientific theory?
Guide research, explain known findings, and make predictions.
What’s the difference between a scientific theory and a belief?
A theory is testable and based on evidence; a belief is based on faith and not empirically verified.
