Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Psychology exam > Personality > Flashcards

Personality Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Psychology 101 flashcards GRE® Psychology flashcards AP® Psychology flashcards
1
Q

What is personality ?

A

oPersonality refers to the complex network of emotions, cognitions and behaviours that provide coherence and direction to a person’s life.

o Our personality affects our goals, how we feel, how we act and how we see ourselves and other people.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Personality - socially and culturally

A

oPersonality is a socially and culturally constructed concept, how we view and understand personality is influence by the social norms of a time and the culture we are raised in.

oHow we assess personality differs according to our beliefs and the theories of personality we support.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Who was the theorist for psychodynamic conception

A

Sigmund Freud

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Iceberg analogy explanation

A

Freud believes that our personalities are influenced on three levels (The conscious, the preconscious and the unconscious level).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

The Conscious level

A
  • The Conscious Level contains the mental processes that we are aware off and only make up a small part of the mind. Examples of this level include what we are currently reading.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

The Preconscious level

A
  • The Preconscious Level contains the things that we are currently aware of but can bring to the conscious level easily. Just below the surface. For example, a friend’s birthday, passwords.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

The Unconscious level

A
  • The Unconscious Level contains underlying emotions, feelings and memories hidden from view. Cannot bring to the conscious level. They are repressed as they can be upsetting (the id and superego are conflicting too strongly). Phobias.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is a freudian slip

A
  • Freud considered this as proof that our behaviour and personality is formed in our unconscious.
  • When someone accidently says something that is revealing about their thoughts.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

what are Mental forces

A
  • The Id, the Ego and the Superego

- The three forces that drive the personality.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the id

A

The Id is innate, present from birth and completely contained in the unconscious. It is based on the pleasure principle and demands immediate gratification of raw biological urges such as eating, sleeping and mating. People with a dominant Id will have poor impulse control.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is the ego

A

The Ego emerges in the first years of life and deals with the demands of the realities of life in a rational way, focuses on avoiding negative consequences. It deals with social norms and the reality principle. It wants to satisfy the Id while placating the superego while at the same time avoiding consequences. If it can’t do this, it causes c and a person will employ defence mechanisms.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

The Superego

A

The Superego develops but the age of 5 because of moral restraints taught by caregivers. It is a person’s morality and belief in right and wrong. The superego forces us to consider ideal behaviours and judges our own actions resulting in guilt or pride. Religious fundamentalist has a dominant superego.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Internal conflict

A

According to Freud, behaviour is the outcome of on-going internal conflict between the id, ego and superego. In a healthy person, the ego would be the strongest mental force – the ego can satisfy the needs of the id, without upsetting the superego and still consider life’s realities.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Defence mechanisms

A
  • Defence mechanisms are normal but over-using them is harmful.
  • If the ego constrains the desires of the id, or if the superego is disobeyed anxiety may be felt. Defence mechanisms solve this conflict unconsciously.
  • They protect people from feeling unpleasant emotions.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Repression

A

Keeping distressing thoughts and feelings buried in the unconscious

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Projection

A

attributing one’s own thoughts, feelings or motives to another

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Displacement

A

diverting emotions from the original source to a substitute target

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Reaction Formation

A

Behaving in a way that is the opposite of how a person feels.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Regression

A

A reversion to immature behaviour patterns

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Rationalisation

A

creating false but plausible excuses to justify unacceptable behaviour.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Identification

A

Bolstering self-esteem by forcing an imaginary or real alliance with some group. Trying to add a sense of self.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Denial

A

refusing to accept reality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Sublimation

A

socially unacceptable impulses are unconsciously transformed into socially acceptable actions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Freud’s psychosexual stags of development

A
  • Freud believed that humans have sexual energy that develops through 5 psychosexual stages, each based on a erogenous zone. If frustration is experienced at a stage due to too much or too little gratification, the person will feel anxious and become fixated (Stuck) at this stage and it will affect their personality and mental health.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Oral stage (0-18 months)

A

-The infant at this time is breast or bottle feed and receives stimulation via the mouth as it sucks, bites and chews (teething). A person fixed at this stage will either develop an orally dependant personality or orally aggressive personality.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Orally fixated personalities

A
  • Orally dependant people will develop traits such as being gullible, optimistic or compliant.
  • Orally aggressive people will develop traits such as sarcasm, distrustfulness or manipulative.
  • Usually smokers, talkative, develop eating disorders.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Anal Stage (18 months to 3 years)

A
  • Child is usually being toilet trained and take pleasure in control of bowel movements. An adult fixated in this stage can develop either an anal-retentive personality or anal expulsive.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Anal personalities

A
  • An anally retentive personality will ‘hoard’ the love of others while withholding their own love. They are obsessive and organised.
  • An anally expulsive personality will be emotionally disorganised, artistic, defiant and careless.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Phallic stage (3-6 years)

A
  • Focus is on the sex organs and a child becomes curious about gentials and discovers sex differences. A child will develop an unconscious desire for the parent of the opposite sex and a wish to eliminate the same sexed parent as they view them as competition for their parent’s love. Two types of complexes result from fixation in the stage.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Phallic personalities

A
  • The Oedipus Complex is when a boy falls in love with his mother and sees his father as a hated rival. They will feel an unconscious guilt about this, and may develop castration anxiety.
  • The Electra Complex is when a girl falls in love with her father, and develops penis envy, blaming her mother for her anatomical ‘deficiency’. A girl will make up for this deficiency by portraying more ‘masculine’ traits.
  • Fixation in this stage may result in an overly-sexual person, narcissism, egotistical people or, according to Freud, Homosexuals.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Latency stage (6 years to puberty)

A
  • The child’s sexuality is suppressed and becomes latent.
  • No erotic focus.
  • Child begins to play mainly with same sex friends.
  • If people become fixated in this stage they may become asexual (Freud)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Genital stage (puberty onwards)

A

-There is a focus on the genitals and sexual relationships develop. Freud saw that problems at this stage were a result of conflicts in earlier stages.

Personality traits include the capability to maintain a monogamous relationship and they have the most normal personalities.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

Positive of Freud’s theory

A
  • The first comprehensive theory of personality development which lead to further theories.
  • Many of his ideas have persisted in our society through Neo-Freud’s such as Erik Erikson.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

Negatives of Freud’s theory

A
  • There was no real empirical evidence for his theory. It was based on his opinions, with his only ‘proof’ being dream analysis and Freudian slips.
  • It was difficult to test as one cannot look into the Unconscious.
  • Narrow focus on sex.
  • Pessimistic about human nature, he believed that we would inevitably become stuck at a stage and that our personalities were out of our control.
  • Biased against women (Contributed their personality to not having a penis).
35
Q

Projective tests

A

These tests are designed to access mental processes from the unconscious part of the mind. They project the inner self onto the stimulus.

(Word association, Rorschach inkblot, thematic apperception test)

36
Q

Word association tests

A

where the person responses to a word. The idea is that these responses will tell the psychologist about what they are unconsciously thinking. The weakness hear is that it is subjective (Not standardised) and open to researcher bias.

37
Q

Rorschach Inkblot

A

where the person is asked to say what a series of inkblot shapes look like, the psychologist then interprets their answers. Again, this is subjective and open to researcher bias. The inkblots are also black and white forming a negative connotation.

38
Q

Thematic apperception test

A
  • is where the client is shown vague pictures and asked to make up stories about the pictures. The psychologist then interprets these stories.
39
Q

Projective tests and usefulness

A

These assessments lack validity due to the subjective nature in which the data is collected; it relies on interpretation from both the client and the psychologist. Responses can be misconstrued based on the psychologist’s past experiences or culture and are therefore inaccurate.

40
Q

What is humanistic conceptions of personality

A

The humanistic perspective is more optimistic about human nature than the psychodynamic approach. Conflict and repression are not seen as inevitable, and there is the belief that humans have unique qualities such as the freedom to exercise choice and grow. It focuses on psychological health rather than abnormality.

The humanistic perception of personality is based on the idea that people’s view of the world is subjective rather than objective and that our environments and perceptions change our personality development.

41
Q

Who was the theorist for humanistic conception

A

Abraham Maslow (Maslow’s hierarchy)

42
Q

Biological needs

A

food, drink, shelter, sleep

43
Q

Safety needs

A

protection, security, law, order

44
Q

belonging need

A

family, affection, relationships

45
Q

Esteem needs

A

achievement, status, responsibility, reputation

46
Q

Cognitive needs

A

knowledge, meaning, self-awareness

47
Q

Aesthetic needs

A

beauty, balance, form

48
Q

Self-actualisation need

A

personal growth, self-fulfillment

Peak experiences

49
Q

Transcendence

A

Helping others achieve self actualisation

50
Q

Peak experiences

A
  • Profound, joyous, ecstatic moments are important in achieving self-actualisation
51
Q

Traits of self-actualised people

A
  • Truth & uniqueness
  • Value justice and order & Playfulness
  • Self-sufficient & Completion
52
Q

Strengths of Maslow’s theory

A
  • Optimistic
  • Broad approach to personality
  • Suggests that we can actively change our circumstance and growth
53
Q

Weaknesses of Maslow’s theory

A
  • Very westernised

- Elitist (only the elite may reach self-actualisation)

54
Q

Trait conceptions

A

Suggests that personality is based on a number of relatively stable characteristics or traits. However, this conception does not try and explain people’s behaviour.

This approach can describe people’s behaviour and predict how they will behaviour in certain situations.

  • It can therefore be tested to see how accurate it is.
  • Traits in themselves do not provide a theory to explain people’s behaviour
55
Q

What is a trait

A
  • A trait is a psychological characteristic of a person that influence their behaviour in various circumstances over time’
56
Q

Who was the theorist for trait conception

A

Hans eysenck

In the 1960s Eysenck used factor analysis to arrive at 3 main personality dimensions, less than the original 16 proposed by Raymond Cattell. He believed that we are born with certain temperaments, and that traits are genetically based.

57
Q

Neuroticism - Emotional Stability

A
  • People who rank high on the neuroticism scale have a more responsive sympathetic nervous system. This means that they feel fear even in minor emergencies whereas less neurotic people stay calm. Neurotic people are more likely to develop mental disorders.
  • People with high neuroticism have exaggerate fears, impulsive and obsessive behaviour, low self-esteem, are tense, and experience feelings of guilt.
  • People with low neuroticism are generally calm, even-tempered and less likely to be tense.
58
Q

Extroversion - introversion

A
  • People who rank high on the extroversion scale have a cerebral cortex that is under aroused, while introverted people have a higher natural arousal.
  • People with high extroversion are sociable, impulsive, assertive, dominant and active.
  • People with low extroversion are less sociable, quiet, introspective, and like to live well ordered lives.
59
Q

Psychoticism - impulse control

A
  • High Psychoticism can be compared to the Id, while low psychoticism can be compared to the ego.
  • People with high extroversion are non-conformists, tough-minded, willing to take risks and are unconcerned with the feelings of others.
  • People with low extroversion are warm, sensitive and concerned about others.
60
Q

Personality assessment

A
  • Standardised – means they are designed to be administered and scored in a specified, uniform manner to ensure comparability of scores. (Objective)
  • Self-report – means people complete the test themselves
  • Inventory – means a series of questions (Objective measure)
  • These tests have norms (the results collected from a large number of people) to allow an individual’s score to be compared with the population.
61
Q

Problems with personality assessment

A
  • People may not know themselves very well
  • The ‘social desirability effect’ may be a problem (the tendency of people to answer in a way that will be seen favourably by others)
  • the person may not understand the questions very well.
62
Q

Behavioural observation

A

The first step is to identify the trait you wish to assess, the specific behaviours that make up the trait are listed on a checklist. The observers then do a behaviour count. Checklists are usually less carefully constructed than inventories and have lower levels of validity and reliability.
This observation can be quite subjective.

63
Q

Clinical interviews

A

A clinical interview is conducted by a qualified professional often to assess the client’s psychological profile. A structured clinical interview asks specific questions in a standardised way so that the client can be assessed more objectively and allow comparisons with other.

Interviews are usually used in combination with other sources of information. A disadvantage is that the data depends on the interpretation of the clinician.

64
Q

Ethics of personality assessment

A
  • Only registered psychologists are allowed to administer tests
  • Informed consent of the individual must be given before administering the test.
  • Privacy must be protected due to the deeply personal nature of results
  • As the results can be used to make important decisions such as job suitability, eligibility for hospital treatment or going to prison), accurate reporting is essential.
  • Protection of vulnerable groups as some personality tests may be biased against a particular gender, social class or racial group.
65
Q

Interviewer bias

A

The Halo effect – one positive characteristic results in the assumption of other positive traits

66
Q

Strengths of trait conception

A
  • Theories can be tested scientifically
  • Conveniently describe the structure of personality
  • Led to considerable research into the biology of personality
67
Q

Weaknesses of trait conception

A
  • There is no agreement about how many traits exist or are necessary
  • People behave differently in different situations, but trait theory suggests that their personality traits should be consistent
  • It also suggests that trait should be stable over time
  • Over-emphasis on genetic rather than socio-cultural influences
  • Describes rather than explains.
68
Q

Assertiveness training

A

Being aggressive – being demanding and hostile, being insensitive to the rights of others.
Being passive – being submissive and not expressing your own wants, needs and feelings.
Being assertive – asking for what you want, firmly standing up for your rights.

  • Assertiveness training involves helping people to learn how to
  • Stand up for their rights without violating the rights of others
  • Change unhelpful thinking.
  • use assertive thinking.
  • Change unhelpful verbal behaviour
  • Use assertive verbal behaviour
  • Change unhelpful non-verbal behaviour
  • Use assertive non-verbal behaviour.
  • Practice appropriate verbal and non-verbal
  • hold a fair position on the issue and not submit passive or become domineering.
69
Q

Passive communication

A
  • Verbal - Rambling sentences, hesitant, apologies, soft tone, self-dismissals (‘it’s not important’), self-put-downs (I’m useless’).
  • Non-verbal – averting gaze, slouching, laughing when expressing anger, raising eye browns, crossing arms.

Pay offs for passive behaviour

  • Being praised as selfless
  • Rarely blamed
  • Others will protect you
  • Avoid conflict

Costs of passive behaviour

  • Prone to stress
  • Unreasonable demands of you
  • Loss of self-esteem
  • Repressed anger.
70
Q

Aggressive communication

A
  • Verbal – sarcastic/condescending voice, fluent, fast-paced, threatening questions, opinions stated as fact.
  • Non-Verbal – intruding other people’s space, staring the other person out, gestures such as pointing, leaning forward, jaw set firm.

Payoffs for aggressive behaviour

  • Get your way
  • feeling of being in control
  • Release of tension
  • Less vulnerable

Price of aggressive behaviour

  • Your behaviour will create resentment
  • paranoia and fear
  • difficult to relax
  • Feelings of guilt and shame
71
Q

Assertive communication

A
  • Verbal – firm and relaxed voice, steady pace, sincere and clear, not overly loud, ‘I’ statements, co-operative phrases, emphatic statements, suggestions without ‘should’.
  • Non-Verbal – Receptive listening, direct eye-contact, open hand movements, frowning when angry, jaw relaxed, smiling when pleased.

Payoffs for assertive behaviour

  • higher self-esteem
  • Chances of getting your way improve
  • Resentment doesn’t build

Price of assertive behaviour

  • People that may have benefited from you being passive may be resentful
  • No guarantee of outcome
  • Often pain involved in being assertive.
72
Q

ROR

A

-Rehearse
Prepare for specific scenarios using role-play. Can be used when you expect a possible confrontation with someone. Use ‘I’ statements.

  • Over learn
    Individual needs to rehearse or role play assertive behaviour, repeatedly. Over-learning anything helps a person to perform well, even under stress.

-Repeat
Individual would simply restate their request as many times and in as many ways as necessary, this helps to prevent assertion from becoming aggression.

73
Q

What is a personality disorder

A

‘An enduring pattern of inner experiences and behaviour that deviates markedly from the expectation of the individual’s culture is pervasive and inflexible has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to distress or impairment.’

74
Q

Where are personalities disorder identified

A

-The diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), identifies 10 Personality disorders.

75
Q

Paranoid personality disorder

A

Paranoid personality disorder (Distrust and suspiciousness of others and their motives)

76
Q

Avoidant personality disorder

A

Avoidant personality disorder (Avoidance of social situation and feelings of inadequacy)

77
Q

Dependent personality disorder

A

Dependant personality disorder (Excessive need to be taken care of)

78
Q

Narcissistic personality disorder

A
  • A personality disorder in which a person has an inflated sense of their own importance, a need for admiration and a lack of empathy. Possesses fragile self-esteem, vulnerable to even small criticisms.
  • Can cause problems in relationships, work/school and finances.
  • Treatment is centred around talk therapy.

Requires constant admiration, possess a sense of entitlement, take advantage of others, arrogant behaviour, need to be recognised as superior.

79
Q

Anti-social personality disorder

A
  • a mental condition in which a person consistently shows no regard for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others. People with antisocial personality disorder tend to antagonize, manipulate or treat others harshly or with callous indifference. They show no guilt or remorse for their behaviour.

A disregard for right and wrong, persistent lying, callousness, disrespectful, poor relationships, impulsive.

80
Q

Extroverts and learning style

A
  • Love to talk, participate and organise
  • Prefer to figure things out with discussion
  • Find it difficult to sit and listen
  • Prefer physical activity.
81
Q

Introverts and learning style

A
  • Prefer to reflect on their thoughts
  • Figure things out before they talk about them
  • Prefer to work independently
  • Enjoy reading and writing over oral work.
82
Q

Culture and personality

A
  • Aspects of personality differ across social groups.
  • Many Asian cultures promote a view of self as interdependent.
  • In places with plentiful resources, men are not socialised to be aggressive.
  • Personality and perception of self are culturally and socially constructed concepts.
83
Q

Ethics and personality

A
  • Results disclosed to subject, must not be used in further research w/o permission
  • Personality test topics may be offensive (sex, religion)
  • Tests may contain gender or cultural bias
  • Validity and reliability is questionable, therefore decisions made based on the test may not be ethical (Employment, criminal behaviour, diagnosis).

Psychology exam (6 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions