Personality Flashcards
usually regarded as categories that are distinct & discontinuous (introvert v. extrovert, male v. female)
Jung argued ppl are either one or the other
types
assume that ppl differ along continuous variables or dimensions
traits
traits exists in the same way in every person
nomothetic view of persoanlity
each person is unique, traits are individualized
idiographic view of personality
The 5 Factor Model (“big 5”)
extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism/emotionality, & openness (to experience)
16 Personality Factory inventory
Catell believed that personality could be captured in a set of 16 dimensions (reserved v. warm, concrete v. abstract, reactive v. emotionally stable, serious v. lively)
Personality Questionarie (EPQ)
2 supertraits-introversion-extroversion and emotionality-stabilty
Situationsm
the idea that situational variables determine behavior, not personality
interactionsim
the idea that traits & situations interact to influence behavior
primary needs
food, water, air, sex, & pain avoidance
needs
an internal state that is less then satisfacry, a lack of something that is necessary for well-being
secondary needs
need for power, need for achievement
motives
take the underlying need & move it a step closer to behavior, motives are eventually reflected in actions
press
an external condition that creates a desire to obtain or avoid something
manifest needs
can be seen in overt action
latent needs
those that are not being displayed
appercpetion
process of projecting imagery onto an outside stimulus
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
way of measuring motives, view a set of pictures asked to create a story
personology
the study of individual lives & the factors that influence their course
behavioral genetics
mix of psychology & genetics, the study of genetic influences on behavior
twin studies
many studies were conducted using monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins
heritablity (estimate)
the index of genetic influence on personality
temperaments
activity lvl, sociability, & emotionality
sociobiology
the study of biological basis of social behavior
genetic similarity theory
the idea that people work toward reproduction of genes similar to their own
reciprocal altruism
helping others w/ the expectation that help will be returned
ascending reticular activating system (ARAS)
activates & deactivates cerebral cortex, Eysnck argued that the diff. b/w introverts & extroverts were caused by the ARAS
behavioral approach system
people move towards what they want
neurotransmitter
chemical involved in sending messages along nerve pathways
dopamine
a neurotransmitter involved in sending messages along nerve pathways
behavioral inhibition systems (BIS)
an avoidance system, causes people to inhibit movement, responsive to cues of punishment or danger
testosterone
many studies on lvls of ___ & how it is involved in regulating important qualities of human behavior
id
unconscious “pleasure princicple”
ego
“reality principle”, takes risks into consideration
superego
tries to inhibit id impulses that would be frowned upon
conscious
what we are aware of
preconscious
ordinary memory (last movie you saw, phone #, etc)
unconscious
not accessible to awareness
Oedipus complex
phallic stage, boys desire to possess their mother & replace father
Electra complex
phallic stage, girls desire to possess their father & replace mother
anxiety
aversive inner state that people seek to avoid or escape
resistance
actively fighting against becoming aware of repressed conflict & impulses
transference
a set of displacements
insight
is the goal of psychotherapy, experiencing previously unconsciousness
repression
person tries to force something out of consciousness
denial
refusal to believe an event took place
projection
ascribing your own unacceptable impulses, desires, or qualities on someone else
rationalization
finding a rational explanation or excuse for behavior
intellectualization
thinking about threats in cold, analytic, & detached terms
reaction formation
doing the opposite of an impulse
regression
using coping strategies from past states of development
displacment
shifting an impulse from one target to another (seen as more adaptive)
sublimation
transforming the impulse to a more acceptable one (seen as more adaptive)
object relations theories
theories that focus on people’s relations w/ others
basic anxiety
feeling of abandonment, of being isolated/helpless in a hostile world
(minimized by being raised in a home w/ trust, love, security, warmth, etc.)
vicious cycle
patterns that occur b/c of basic anxiety
ego identity
consciously experienced sense of self
classical conditioning
responses can be acquired by associating one stimulus w/ another (Pavlov)
unconditional stimulus (US)
stimulus causing the automatic response
unconditional response (UR)
the response the US causes
conditioned stimulus (CS)
this is the stimulus that is becoming conditioned
conditioned response (CR)
CS can produce response on its own
(+) reinforcement
adding something good to increase behavior
(-) reinforcement
removing something bad to increase behavior
social reinforcers
acceptance, smiles, hugs, praise, approval, etc.
locus of control
the way people see reinforcers as controlled from w/in (internal LOC) or from something outside themselves (external LOC)
self-efficacy
the perceived ability to carry out a desired action
learned helplessness
conviction that success won’t come, low motivation & reduced effort
humanistic psychology
everyone has potential for growth & development
actualization
tendency to develop capabilities in ways that maintain or enhance
self-acutualization
moves you toward greater autonomy & sufficiency, expands & enriches life
congruence
wholeness or integration w/in a person
fully fxning person
someone who is self-actualizing
(+) regard
accpetance of a significant other
unconditional (+) regard
affection given w/out special conditions
conditional (+) regard
i’ll accept you, but only if you act in a particular way
self-determination
3 needs: autonomy, competence, & relatedness
ideal self
image of the kind of person you want to be
actual self
what you think you’re really like as a person
existential psychology
existence is all anyone has, each person is alone in an unfathomable universe, each person must take responsibility for own choices, life has no meaning unless you create it
personal construct
people’s behavior, thoughts, & feelings are determined by the constructs they use to anticipate or predict events
constructs
consist of a pair of opposite characteristics (friendly v. unfriendly, stable v. changeable)
schemas
mental organization of info, categories
prototype
a categories best member
semantic memory
organized by meaning
episodic memory
memory for events
script
enough episodes of a given type form a script
personality disorder
identified by a pervasive pattern of experience & behavior that is abnormal w/ respect to any 2 o the following: thinking, mood, personal relations, & the control of impulses
