Personality Flashcards
What is Personality defined as?
A unique and stable pattern of thoughts, feelings and actions.
The interaction between biology and environment.
Distinctive ways of thinking, feeling and acting.
What are the four theories of personality?
Trait Theory
PsychoAnalytical
Humanistic
Socio-Cultural
What is the Trait Theory?
hint - four psychologists
Personal Characteristics
- Allcott suggested 3500 traits
- Cattell’s Factor Analysis - 35 traits
- Eysenck’s three traits - neuroticism, psychoticism, extraversion
McCrea and Costa (1984, 1990)’s Big 5
- Neuroticism
- Extraversion
- Openness to experience
- Conscientiousness
- Agreeableness
What are the advantages and disadvantaged of the Trait Theory?
Advantages;
- we are able to define personality
- there is cross-cultural support
- there is a high correlation across ages
- there is cross-species generability
Disadvantages;
- doesn’t tell us how or why personality occurs
- transient Vs long-term traits aren’t explained
How can we measure traits?
The Minnesota Multiplasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
This is also used to identify emotional disorders.
What is the Situation Approach
The suggestion that Circumstance and Environment also explain behaviour and personality.
It shows the extent to which behaviour comes from both the dynamics of the situation and the characteristics of the person.
Mischel (1968)
- students were tested and then given both negative and positive information about themselves on their first test
- they were then invited back to take another test
- those with more positive feedback about themselves were more likely to attend 10 minutes on their information than others
What is Interactionism?
Behaviour = personality x interpretation of the situation
Interactionism states that personality is shown in most situations
- only some situations are hard to predict personality and behaviours
Traits are displayed by the behaviours and actions they do in that situation
What did Sigmund Freud believe when it came to PsychoAnalytic Theory of personality?
Psychic Determination
- personality is determined by psychological factors, not biological factors
- people are partly controlled by the unconscious
- this is the basis for the psychodynamic approach
There are three sections;
- conscious (what we are aware of)
- pre-conscious (memory space)
- unconscious (our drives/motivations/instincts)
What was Freud’s proposed Psyche?
Id, Ego, Superego
The Id is our basic needs drive
The ego is our reality principle
The superego is our morals
Id only found in Unconscious
Both Ego, Superego found in all Unconscious, conscious, Pre-conscious
Conscious/Ego produces desires for Id through feelings e.g. guilt
Ego Defense Mechanisms are created
Dynamic Equilibrium created (balance across Id, Ego, Superego)
What are Freud’s Ego Defense Mechanisms?
Defense Mechanisms;
- repression
- reaction formation
- projection
- regression
- rationalisation
- denial
- displacement
What are Freud’s Developmental Stages?
ORAL = 0-2 ANAL = 2-3 PHALIC = 3-5 LANTENCY = 5-12 GENITAL = 12+ (adolescence)
What is the Humanistic Theory?
The theory suggests that every person looks for self-fulfilment.
It suggests that every person is good and our goal is to promote and find a positive self concept
What did Carl Rogers say we have needs for?
Self Consistency - acceptance, genuineness, empathy
Congruence (self-perception and experience consistency OR ideal-self and perceived-self/self-image)
What is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?
It aims towards self-actualisation. From bottom to top (SA); - physiological needs - safety needs - belonging needs - esteem needs
Also - self-transcendence (finding place in world)
What is the Socio/Cognitive Theory?
It suggests that every person is unique, and their history and interactions form personality.
Individual interpretation important.
