Personality Flashcards
To understand the different theories of what personality is, where it comes from, and how it develops
How did allport divide traits?
- Cardinal Traits 2. Central Traits 3. Secondary traits
He saw traits as subparts of our personality, and identified tens of thousands of them
How did Cattle divide traits?
He lowered the number to 16 factors, and 171 trait adjectives
How did Eysenck divide traits?
2 main traits, and 1 optional.
- Extraversion-introversion
- Neuroticism-emotionally stable
- Psychoticism
He viewed them as part of every personality .
How are traits divided today?
The big 5
- Openness
- Conscientiousness
- Extraversion
- Agreeableness
- Neuroticism
What are the benefits to defining personalities by big 5
- believed to be universal
- prevents overlap
- multiple observer agreeability
- variable
What did Eysenck view as the cause of extraversion?
Extraversion = low sensitivity to stimulus (weak reticular formation) Introversion = high sensitivity to stimulus (strong reticular formation)
How did Jeffrey Gray expand on Eysenck’s view on extraversion?
Gray viewed extraversion being based on 2 brain systems: Behavioral activation system, and Behavioral inhibition system
How can self-concept be organised?
Self-Narrative & Self-Schema
How might the organisation of self-concept be related to memory?
episodic memory vs semantic memory
How might a cognitive theorist view personality as opposed to a biologist?
A social-cognitive theorist would believe personality is a result of learning, and perception of the environment.
A biologist would believe it being caused by genetics and biological differences in the brain
Which phenomenon might occur that causes us to be less sensitive to people’s opinions of us?
To view oneself through the eyes of a “generalized other” to maintain stability of oneself
Which theorists may agree that the stable sense of self gives us comfort?
Existential theorists and psychoanalysts would see it this way
What might we engage in to confirm the self-concept, and maintain stability?
Self-verification is the act of finding evidence to confirm self-concept. It’s a form of confirmation bias
Which questionnaire is used to evaluate self-esteem?
Rosenburg Self-Esteem questionnaire
What are 3 main benefits to self-esteem? Which theories support these benefits?
- Social Status
- Belonging
- supported by evolutionary theory - Security
- supported by existentialists and psychoanalysts
How are personality differences explained?
Through 1. self-narrative 2. self-concept
What is an example of implicit egotism
name-letter theory
How are personality differences explained?
Through 1. Past experiences 2. Anticipated experiences
What is a method used within the projective techniques?
Rorschach Inkblot Test
Which theorists may used personality inventories to measure personality?
Trait-biologists used traits to define personality
What are the 4 stages of psychosexual development?
*OAPLG* The idea that personality is determined during life's sensitive periods 1. Oral Stage (0-1) 2. Anal Stage (1-3) 3. Phallic Stage (3-6) 4. Latent Stage (6-12) 5. Genital stage (12+)
Conflicts at any psychosexual stage results in _______. What are the different focuses of each stage?
Personality problems may occur from fixation
At Oral stage: addiction
Anal stage: conscientiousness/cleanliness Phallic Stage: Hostility towards same-sex parent (Oedipus and Electra complex)
Latency: communication development
Genital Stage: Furthering sexual maturity
What are the different proposed causes for the male and female personality differences?
- Biological
- Social role theory (cultural standards reinforce expectations)
- Bem Sex Role Inventory: androgynous psyche can actually be beneficial
Who are the 4 main psychoanalysts who viewed personalities as a result of unconscious factors?
- Sigmund Freud
- Carl Jung
- Alfred Adler
- Karen Horney
