Personality Flashcards
the pattern of psychological and behavioral characteristics by which each person can be compared and contrasted with other people
personality
Freud’s view that human behavior and personality are determined largely by psychological factors, many of which are unconscious
psychoanalytic theory
a view developed by Freud that emphasizes unconscious mental processes in explaining human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
psychodynamic approach
according to Freud, a personality component containing basic instincts, desires, and impulses with which all people are born
id
the operating principle of the id which guides people toward whatever feels good
pleasure principle
according to Freud, the part of the personality that makes compromises and mediates conflicts between and among the demands of the id, the superego, and the real world
ego
the operating principle of the ego, which takes into account the constraints of the real world
reality principle
according to Freud, the component of personality that tells people what they should and should not do
superego
unconscious tactics that either prevent threatening material from surfacing or disguise it when it does
defense mechanisms
periods of personality development in which, according to Freud, internal and external conflicts focus on particular issues
psychosexual development
the first of Freud’s psychosexual stages in which the mouth is the center of pleasure
oral stage
the second of Freud’s psychosexual stages in which the focus of pleasure shifts from the mouth to the anus
anal stage
the third of Freud’s psychosexual stages in which the focus of pleasure shifts to the genital area
phallic stage
the notion that young boys’ impulses involve sexual feelings for the mother and the desire to eliminate the father
Oedipal complex
the notion that young girls develop and attachment to the father and compete with the mother for the father’s attention
Electra complex
the fourth of Freud’s psychosexual stages in which sexual impulses become dormant and the child focuses on education and other matters
latency period
the fifth and last of Freud’s psychosexual stages when sexual impulses reappear at the conscious level during adolescence
genital stage
a set of stable characteristics that people display over time and across situations
personality traits
a perspective on personality that views it as the combination of stable characteristics that people display over time and across situations
trait approach
a view based on studies using factor analyses that suggests the existence of five basic components of human personality, openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism
Five factor personality model (Big Five model)
the view that personality reflects learned patterns of thinking and behavior
social-cognitive approach
the view that personality develops in accordance with each person’s unique perceptions of the world
humanistic psychology approach
the reaching of one’s fullest potential; the complete realization of a person’s talents, faculties, and abilities
self-actualization
an innate inclination toward growth and fulfillment that motivates all human behavior
actualizing tendency
the way one thinks of oneself
self-concept
according to Rogers, circumstances in which an individual experiences positive regard from others only when displaying certain behaviors or attitudes
conditions of worth
tests made up of relatively unstructured stimuli in which responses are seen as reflecting the individual’s unconscious needs, fantasies, conflicts, thought patterns, and other aspects of personality
projective personality measures
tests that list clear, specific questions, statements, or concepts to which people are asked to respond
nonprojective personality measures
