Personality

Question 0

Briefly describe some aspects of the psychodynamic theory of personality. What drives behavior?

Answer 0

Focus on unconscious and early childhood experiences.

Behavior driven by “ego defense mechanisms” (protection from anxiety, guilt, unacceptable impulses etc.)

Question 1

What are 4 theoretical lenses through which personality can be conceptualized?

Answer 1

Psychoanalytic
Humanistic
Social Cognitive
Traits

Question 2

2 main forms of ego defense mechanisms?

Answer 2

Repression - push out of consciousness

Displacement - impulses directed to substitute object/person

Question 3

What’s the central focus of the Humanistic theory of personality?

Answer 3

Maintaining sense of self. - i.e. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
Becoming a “fully-functional, actualized person”
etc. etc.

Question 4

What does the Social Cognitive theory of personality emphasize?

Answer 4

“sense of self” varies with the pressures face.

Belief in self-efficacy.

Question 5

Two main types of traits in the Trait theory of personality?

Answer 5

Surface traits - can be obviously inferred

Source traits - deep stuff that underlies many surface traits

Question 6

What are Eysenck’s three dimensions of personality?

Answer 6

Introversion-extroversion
Neuroticism-stablity
Psychoticism (but really should be called “aloofness”)

Question 7

What are the “Big 5” factors of personality?

Answer 7

Extroversion
Neuroticism
Conscientiousness
Agreeableness
Openness

Question 8

Which traits seem to be most genetically controlled?

Answer 8

Extroversion and neuroticism.

Question 9

What are the 3 axes in the Biosocial theory of personality? Which neurotransmitters are thought to drive each?

Answer 9

Behavioral activation (novelty seeking) - dopamine
Behavioral inhibition (harm avoidance) - serotonin
Behavioral maintenance (reward dependence) - norepinephrine