Personality Flashcards
What is personality?
An enduring set of internally based characteristics that produce uniqueness and consistency in the expression of thoughts and behaviors of a person.
What are personality traits?
Internally based characteristics that are distinct elements of personality, providing uniqueness and consistency.
What is Freud’s psychoanalytic perspective?
Understanding the mind by focusing on the unconscious mind, as it connects to emotional bases of problems.
What is the iceberg model of the mind?
A model where the conscious mind is the tip, the preconscious is just below the surface, and the unconscious is the large base that is not seen.
conscious mind
preconsious
mental activity the indv is consciously aware of at any given moment
vs
not currently thinking about at any given moment but can be easily accessed and removed from awareness, as needed
What does the unconscious mind contain?
Thoughts, feelings, memories, needs, desires, wishes, and hidden past experiences.
to understand personality = expose this part.
What happens if hidden content is not exposed?
It can lead to a buildup of psychological pressure, potentially resulting in hysteria.
What are Freud’s methods for exploring the unconscious?
Hypnosis = relax and weaken the mind
Free association= say whatever comes to mind
Dream analysis
Manifest content = what the dreamer remembers, w/o any interpretation
Latent content = expression of the unconscious mind, reflects true feelings, needs, desires
What is the difference between manifest and latent content in dreams?
Manifest content is what the dreamer remembers, while latent content reflects the true feelings and desires of the unconscious mind.
What is the Id?
The core component of personality that is completely unconscious and operates on the pleasure principle = basic human needs + primal urges + sexual/aggressive impulses
present at birth
primary driver of personality
What is the Ego?
calm the ids impulses
“Right time and place” type of mindset
Operates on all 3 levels of consciousness
Need the needs of the ID w/in reason
= Reality principle
What is the Superego?
The sense of right and wrong that incorporates family values, laws, and moral codes.
What are the psychosexual stages?
Stages of development where fixation can occur if not successfully transitioned, leading to regression in adulthood.
What is the oral stage?
Mouth associated,
Breast feeding
Healthy = even if when distressed, needs are not met immediately, will eventually,
**develop a willingness to delay gratification
Unhealthy = overindulge, over eating, over drink, yelling at others, to deal with problems and frustration in childhood
What is the anal stage?
Anus conflict assoc w potty training
Healthy = pleasure assoc w release of body tension restricted to specific locations
** right time and place to seek pleasure*
Unhealthy = tendency to behave inaprop, making a mess, saying inappropriate things, being OCD, when dealing w problems
What is the phallic stage?
Genital conflicts, competition w same sex parent for the opp sex parent
Healty = identifying w samesex parent = understand approp sex-role behaviour patterns,
Superego incorporates values of society as seen in parents
**go along to get along w those more powerful than you*
Unhealthy = problems w dealing w indv in a position of power, hostility w the higher ups, feelings of powerless as an adult
What is the latency period?
Practising emerging sex-role behaviour during interaction w same sex peers
Healthy = practicing the knowledge and skills needed to execute compel sex role behaviours is easier w those similar to us
**good to know you are not alone in time of transition
Unhealthy = excessive comfort of being around those who are similar to you, don’t consider the values of those different from you
Sexism, racism
Fear of being rejected during adulthood
What is the genital stage?
Expression of emotions establishing relationship w members of opp sex
Healthy = engaging in expressions of affection, to receive same thing back,
To get pleasure, you must give pleasure
Unhealthy = unable to form loving relationship
Cant provide comfort or support to others,
selfishness
What is Horney’s focus in personality?
Intrapersonal relationships and the strategies to reduce feelings of basic anxiety.
Social Security
Sense of feeling safe in loved w others = force underlying expression of personality
If unsafe, unloved, powerless in rltn ships = basic anxiety + hositility
What are the three strategies to reduce basic anxiety?
Moving toward people = speak and behave in certain ways that will attract others to like and take care fo them. Ex. peer pressure and conforming
Moving away from people = emotionally withdraw yourself away so you will not be harmed by others
Move against people = indv harms people first to prevent them from doing it to them first.
Horney’s theory overall
irt uniques and consistency
Uniqueness = which strat + what combination of strats
Consistency = extent to which strate is used in a sim manner over time and situations
Humanistic perspectives
Motivated by internal desire for self improvement and enhancement
What is Rogers’ self theory?
A theory where self-concept is the core element of personality, influenced by self-esteem and the actual vs ideal self.
