Personality Flashcards
an individual’s unique set of consistent behavioral traits
personality
a durable disposition to behave in a particular way in a variety of situations
personality trait
correlations among many variable are analyzed to identify closely related clusters of variables
factor analysis
the primitive, instinctive component of personality that operates according to the pleasure principle
the id
demanding immediate gratification of its urges
pleasure principle
decision-making component of personality that operates according to the reality principle
the ego
the moral component of personality that incorporates social standards about what represents right and wrong
the superego
whatever one is aware of at a particular point in time
the conscious
material just beneath the surface of awareness that can easily be retrieved
the preconscious
contains thoughts, memories, and desires that are well below the surface of conscious awareness, but that nonetheless exert great influence on behavior
the unconscious
largely unconscious reactions that protect a person from unpleasant emotions
defense mechanism
creating false but plausible excuses to justify unacceptable behavior
rationalization
keeping distressing thoughts and feelings buried in the unconscious
repression
attributing one’s own thoughts, feelings, or motives to another
projection
diverting emotional feelings (usually anger) from their original source to a substitute target
displacement
behaving in a way that’s exactly the opposite of one’s true feelings
reaction formation
reversion to immature patterns of behavior
regression
bolstering self-esteem by forming an imaginary or real alliance with some person or group
identification
developmental periods with a characteristic sexual focus that leave their mark on adult personality
psychosexual stages
involves a failure to move forward from one stage to another
fixation
Psychosexual stage: the main source of erootic stimulation is the mouth; year 0-1
oral stage
psychosexual stage: children get their erotic pleasure from their bowel movements, through either the expulsion or retention of feces; significant event at this time is toilet training; year 2-3
anal stage
the genitals become the focus for the child’s erotic energy, through self-stimulation; oedipus complex emerges; year 4-5
phallic stage
no erotic focus; main task is expanding social contacts; year 6-12
latency
erotic focus is being sexually intimate; establishing intimate relationships; contributing to society through working; puberty onward
genital stage
storehouse of latent memory traces inherited from people’s ancestral past
collective unconscious
emotionally charged images and thought forms that have universal meaning
archetypes
efforts to overcome imagined or real inferiorities by developing one’s abilities
compensation
a person whose behavior is observed by another
model
one’s belief about one’s ability to perform behaviors that should lead to expected outcomes
self-efficacy
the degree of disparity between one’s self-concept and one’s actual experience
incongruence
personality trait marked by an inflated sense of importance, a need for attention and admiration, a sense of entitlement, and a tendency to exploit others
narcissism
the degree to which subjects’ mortality is prominent in their minds
morality salience
