Personality Flashcards
In order for one’s “general style of dealing with others and the environment” to be considered their “personality,” what must it be?
enduring
What are the four broad theories of personality?
1) psychoanalytic
2) humanistic
3) social-cognitive
4) trait theories
Who is credited as being the “leader” of the psychoanalytic school of thought?
Sigmund Freud
What is psychodynamic theory?
a psychological approach based on a marriage of Freudian concepts (i.e. the subconscious) with more modern ideas
According to Freud, what two parts could the mind be divided into?
the conscious
the subconscious
Freud referred to mental energy as __________.
libido
Although Freud contended that the subconscious plays a major role in behavior, its contents are not accessible. They become accessible through __________ or revealing the __________ of dreams.
freudian slips; latent content
This level, just below the level of conscious awareness, contains thoughts, memories, feelings, and images that are easily recalled.
preconscious
According to Freud, what two factors lie within the subconscious?
motivations
source of one’s problems
What is free association?
the patient reports whatever comes to mind, while the therapist analyzes the responses and looks for themes that may reveal the subconscious
Freud believed in dream analysis; he composed a list of __________, items or events that appeared in dreams but in reality represent other items or events in the subconscious.
Freudian symbols
What three distinct components comprise the mind, according to Freud?
1) id
2) ego
3) superego
Name two things that the id is the ‘source’ of?
mental energy
drive
On which principle does the id operate?
the pleasure principle
The pleasure principle is the desire to __________ while __________.
maximize pleasure; minimizing pain
The superego, the acknowledged opposite of the __________, is an internal representation of society’s rules, morals, and obligations.
id
Name two things that the ego allows us to accomplish in everyday life?
1) functioning in the environment
2) acting logically
On which principle does the ego operate?
the reality principle
What is the reality principle?
the set of desires that can be satisfied only if the means to satisfy them exists and is available
What kind of thought is the ego most involved in?
conscious thought
What two things does the ego attempt to balance?
1) the interaction with the environment
2) the opposing forces of the id and superego
According to Freud, we use defense mechanisms to deal with what?
anxiety produced by the id-superego conflict
Repression, a type of defense mechanism, describes the process by which anxiety-provoking memories or desires are moved to the __________.
subconscious
If, after an argument, a child shows anger not towards his friend, with whom he is angry, but to a stuffed animal, what defense mechanism is he exhibiting?
displacement
In __________, the ego completely reverses a desire to make it safer or more socially acceptable.
reaction formation
If I make up for a failure to understand math by excelling in critical reading, what defense mechanism am I exhibiting?
compensation
What defense mechanism uses logic to excuse emotional or irrational behavior?
rationalization
Regression involves reverting to what kind of behaviors?
childish behaviors
What is denial?
refusal to acknowledge or accept unwanted beliefs or actions
Which defense mechanism involves the channelling or redirecting of sexual or aggressive feelings into a more socially acceptable outlet?
sublimation
What describes man’s inherent envy towards woman’s ability to nurture and sustain life?
womb envy
What are the five stages of psychoanalytic development?
1) oral stage
2) anal stage
3) phallic stage
4) latency period
5) genital stage
In Karen Horney’s theory of personality, what is important in forming the basis of the adult personality?
interactions between the child and the parent as the child deals with basic anxiety
What characterizes basic anxiety, a main tenet in Karen Horney’s theory of personality?
the feeling of being alone in an unfamiliar or hostile world
Carl Jung’s theory of personality is based on the idea that the mind comprises pairs of __________.
opposing forces
What, according to Carl Jung’s theory, is the persona?
the mask that each person presents to the outside world
Carl Jung would describe the deep, passionate, inner person as that person’s __________.
shadow
According to Jung, each person contains a female and a male side to our personality, or an __________ and __________.
anima; animus
According to Jung’s theory, what is the purpose of the self?
to balance the opposing forces and the desires of the mind
What are the two divisions of unconsciousness in Jung’s theory?
1) personal unconsciousness
2) collective unconscious
What comprises the personal unconsciousness?
repressed memories and clusters of thought
What can be found in the collective unconscious?
behavior and memory common to all humans and passed down from our ancient and common ancestors
Archetypes, found in the collective unconscious, are characterized as what?
the behaviors and memories in the collective unconscious