Midterm Flashcards
(66 cards)
1
Q
What is attitude?
A
a way of thinking or feeling with regards to someone or something
2
Q
A
3
Q
What is a belief?
A
An idea that is accepted as true without any facts
It is important to question one’s beliefs.
4
Q
Define values in the context of personality.
A
A person’s own set of principles which they consider of great importance
Values are deeply ingrained and can be changed.
5
Q
What is Critical Theory?
A
A framework that focuses on social justice, agency, power, and privilege.
6
Q
What are the two main attributes of personality in psychology?
A
- Dispositions
- Inner Mental Life
7
Q
What do personality psychologists study?
A
The beliefs, emotions, and motivations that make up inner mental life.
8
Q
How can personality be viewed?
A
As a system where distinct psychological qualities influence one another.
9
Q
List the three goals of personality theorists.
A
- Scientific Observation
- Ensure observations are objective
- Use specialized tools to study thinking, emotions, and neurobiological systems
10
Q
What is a systematic theory?
A
- Testable
- Systematic
- Comprehensive
11
Q
What are the common units of analysis in personality theory?
A
Traits and types.
12
Q
What does the process of personality entail?
A
Psychological reactions that change dynamically and briefly.
13
Q
What are the two challenges in personality theory?
A
- Characterizing patterns of development for most
- Understanding how developmental factors contribute to individual differences
14
Q
What factors strongly contribute to individual differences in personality?
A
Genetic factors.
15
Q
Who is Stephen Pinker?
A
A psychologist who views the evolutionary brain as difficult to change.
16
Q
What are environmental determinants of personality growth?
A
- Class
- Culture
- Environment
- Peers
- Family
17
Q
What is the bottom line for evaluating a theoretical approach?
A
Are the ideas of practical benefit to individuals and society?
18
Q
What influences theories of personality?
A
- Personal factors
- Spirit of the time
- Philosophical assumptions of the culture
19
Q
True or False: Personality is consistent across situations.
A
False
There can be disagreement about what factors cause personality consistency.
20
Q
What are the three key functions of personality?
A
- Organize existing information
- Generate new knowledge about important new issues
- Identify important new issues
21
Q
What is a generative theory?
A
A theory that prompts valuable investigation into human nature.
22
Q
What is psychodynamic theory?
A
Developed by Freud, it views the mind as an energy system.
23
Q
What is the conflict in behavior according to psychodynamic theory?
A
The conflict between biological desires and societal constraints.
24
Q
What are the three core components of the mind in Freud’s theory?
A
- Id
- Ego
- Superego
25
What is the Id?
The drive of all energy, seeking immediate gratification without regard for social norms.
26
What is the role of the Superego?
It involves moral aspects of social behavior and controls behavior according to ethical standards.
27
What does the Ego seek?
Reality, expressing and identifying desires of the Id.
28
What is libido?
The life instinct associated with sexual instincts and reproduction.
29
What is the Death Instinct in Freud's theory?
The aim of the organism to die, often directed towards others in acts of aggression.
30
What is anxiety in the context of psychodynamic theory?
A painful experience or emotion representing threat or danger.
31
What are defense mechanisms?
Coping strategies employed by the ego to manage impulses of the Id.
32
What is denial as a defense mechanism?
Refusing to accept the reality of a fact that is too painful to acknowledge.
33
Define projection in psychological terms.
Dwell on features they don’t like about themselves and project those traits onto others.
34
What is rationalization?
A mature defense where behavior is reinterpreted to be reasonable.
35
What is sublimation?
Redirecting instinctual drives into socially acceptable activities.
36
What is repression?
A major defense mechanism where trauma is buried in the unconscious.
37
What is the significance of the 'Case of Anna O'?
It demonstrated the connection between unconscious memories and psychological symptoms.
38
What is the purpose of personality assessment?
To measure differences in personality among populations.
39
What are the four targets of personality assessment?
* Average Behavior
* Variable in Behavior
* Conscious Thought
* Unconscious Mental Events
40
What is the correlation coefficient?
A statistic used to gauge the degree to which two variables are related.
41
What is the Nun Study 2001 about?
Examining the correlation between the tendency to experience positive emotions and longevity.
42
What was Claude Steele's 1997 study on Stereotype Threat?
Demonstrated that stereotype fear may interfere with performance.
43
What is the role of ethics in personality research?
To ensure the treatment of participants and the interpretation of results are conducted ethically.
44
What is the difference between nomothetic and idiographic approaches?
* Nomothetic: Fixed, general laws
* Idiographic: Flexible, personal, distinct assessments
45
What is sublimation in psychoanalytic theory?
Sublimation is the process where instinct is turned into a new channel, replacing the object of gratification with a higher cultural goal.
## Footnote
This mechanism allows individuals to redirect their impulses into socially acceptable activities.
46
Define repression as per psychoanalytic theory.
Repression is a major defense mechanism where trauma is buried in the unconscious, requiring constant expenditure of energy.
## Footnote
It plays a significant role in defense mechanisms.
47
What did Rosenweiz (1941) conclude about personal involvement in tasks?
Rosenweiz found that greater personal involvement in a task led to better memory of that task, likely due to repressed failure experiences.
## Footnote
This suggests a connection between personal engagement and memory retention.
48
What was Morokoff's (1985) finding regarding sexual guilt and arousal?
Morokoff found that women with high sexual guilt reported less arousal when shown sexual material, indicating that guilt may lead to repression.
## Footnote
This highlights the impact of guilt on sexual response.
49
How can repressors be identified according to Weinberger, Schwartz, and Davidson (1979)?
Repressors can be identified using the social desirability scale and self-report anxiety levels; those reporting low anxiety and high social desirability are likely repressing feelings.
## Footnote
Physiological measures can also indicate anxious arousal.
50
What is the significance of recovered/false memories in psychoanalysis?
Recovered memories refer to the unconscious burial of traumatic childhood experiences, which individuals can later recall during psychoanalysis.
## Footnote
The accuracy of adult recall of childhood experiences is often questioned.
51
What did Mazzoni and Memon (2003) discover about false memories?
They discovered that participants were more likely to believe an event occurred if they had been asked to imagine it previously, even if it never happened.
## Footnote
This demonstrates how suggestion can create false memories.
52
What is Freud's theory of psychosexual development?
Freud's theory posits that significant aspects of personality develop within the first five years of life, with each stage focusing on a specific erogenous zone.
## Footnote
The stages include oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages.
53
Describe the oral stage of psychosexual development.
The oral stage involves sensual gratification through the mouth, with behaviors like feeding and sucking leading to adult behaviors such as kissing and smoking.
## Footnote
This stage is characterized by passivity and receptiveness in early life.
54
What is the conflict associated with the anal stage?
The anal stage involves pleasure from the anus and feces movement, where conflicts arise between individual needs and societal expectations regarding toilet training.
## Footnote
Outcomes can lead to feelings of pride or depression depending on the child's experiences.
55
What characterizes the phallic stage of development?
The phallic stage is marked by excitation focused on the genitals, with boys experiencing castration anxiety and girls developing penis envy.
## Footnote
This stage includes the Oedipus complex and identification with parents.
56
What did Erikson identify as the first stage of psychosocial development?
Erikson identified the first stage as trust versus distrust, which is influenced by the relationship with the mother.
## Footnote
This stage sets the foundation for future psychological development.
57
List Marcia's four statuses of identity formation.
* Identity Achievement
* Identity Moratorium
* Identity Foreclosure
* Identity Diffusion
## Footnote
Each status reflects different levels of identity exploration and commitment.
58
What is primary process thinking?
Primary process thinking is the language of the unconscious, characterized by illogical and irrational thought where reality and fantasy are indistinguishable.
## Footnote
It contrasts with secondary process thinking, which involves logical and rational thought.
59
What is the purpose of projective tests in psychoanalysis?
Projective tests are designed to reveal unconscious psychodynamics by having individuals interpret ambiguous items, projecting aspects of the self onto the responses.
## Footnote
Examples include the Rorschach Inkblot Test and the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).
60
What are the main personality types according to Freud?
* Oral - narcissistic, sees others for what they can provide
* Anal - associated with power and control, exhibits orderliness
* Phallic - linked to castration anxiety and gender identification
## Footnote
Each type reflects fixations from early psychosexual stages.
61
Define transference in psychoanalysis.
Transference is when a patient's attitude towards the analyst is based on their attitudes towards significant others, often reenacting past conflicts in therapy.
## Footnote
It highlights the dynamics between past relationships and therapeutic interactions.
62
What are the characteristics of secure attachment in Ainsworth's Strange Situation?
Secure attachment is characterized by sensitivity to the mother's departure, ease of being comforted upon return, and a willingness to explore.
## Footnote
This attachment style is associated with positive adult relationships.
63
What is the primary function of Bowlby's attachment behavioral system?
The primary function is to motivate infants to seek closeness to caregivers, especially in times of threat, providing a secure base for exploration.
## Footnote
This system is crucial for emotional and social development.
64
What does the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) measure?
The NPI measures levels of narcissism, where higher scores indicate greater narcissistic traits and reactions to failure with increased anger.
## Footnote
It assesses self-importance and vulnerability to self-esteem threats.
65
What is neuropsychoanalysis?
Neuropsychoanalysis explores the connection between animalistic drives in human emotion and the workings of the brain.
## Footnote
It seeks to integrate psychoanalytic concepts with neuroscience.
66
What is deep brain stimulation (DBS)?
DBS is a surgical procedure that implants a device in the brain to send signals influencing activity in specific regions, often used to treat depression.
## Footnote
It has shown effectiveness in reducing negative emotional patterns.
