Personality & Abnormal Psychology Flashcards
psychodynamic / psychoanalytic theory
existence of unconscious internal states that motivate overt actions of individuals & determine personality
id
reservoir of all psychic energy; everything psychological is present at birth
ego
mode of functioning; operates according to reality principle
objective: takes into account objective reality as it guides or inhibits activity of id
superego
strives for ideal rather than real; moral branch
2 subsystems of the superego
- conscience
2. ego-ideal
conscience
where what child is punished for goes
ego-ideal
incorporates what child gets rewarded for
punishment/reward –> right/wrong
pleasure principle
aim to immediately discharge any energy build up
primary process
id’s response to frustration; satisfaction now, not later
wish-fulfillement
mental image of the object
instinct
innate psychological representation of bodily excitation
eros
life, instinct, purpose
libido
form of energy by which life instincts perform their work
thanatos
death instinct; unconscious wish for ultimate absolute state of quiescence
defense mechanisms
ego’s recourse to releasing excessive pressures due to anxiety
8 defense mechanisms
- repression
- suppression
- projection
- reaction formation
- rationalization
- regression
- sublimation
- displacement
repression
unconscious forgetting of anxiety-producing memories
suppression
deliberate, conscious form of forgetting
projection
person attributes forbidden urges to others
I hate my uncle –> anxiety –> my uncle hates me
reaction formation
repressed wish warded off by its diametrical opposite
boy hates brother –> punished for hostile acts –> now shows affection
rationalization
process of developing socially acceptable explanation for inappropriate behavior or thoughts
regression
reverting to earlier stage of development in response to trauma
sublimation
transforming unacceptable urges into socially acceptable behaviors
displacement
pent-up feelings discharged on objects & people less dangerous than those objects or people causing the feelings
Carl Jung
behavior motivated by inborn archetypes
libido according to Carl Jung
psychic energy in general (not just rooted into sexuality)
collective unconscious
system shared among all humans; residue of ancestral experiences
archetypes
thought or image w/ an emotional element
5 archetypes
- persona
- anima
- animus
- shadow
- self
anima
archetype: feminine behavior in males
animus
archetype: feminine behavior in females
shadow
animal instincts that humans inherited in evolution from lower forms of life
Jung’s 2 personality orientations
- extroversion
2. introversion
inferiority complex
individual’s sense of incompleteness, sense of imperfection, physical inferiorities, & social disabilities
fictional finalism
individual motivated more by his or her expectations of the future than by past experiences
object-relations theory
looks at creation & development of internalized objects in young children
psychoanalysis
type of psychotherapy developed by Freud; long-term treatment for uncovering repressed memories
free association
client says whatever comes to his or her conscious mind
dream interpretation
helped understand unconscious conflicts
resistance
unwillingness or inability to relate to certain thoughts, motives, or experiences
transference
attributing to therapist attitudes & feelings that developed in patient’s relations w/ significant others in the past
countertransference
therapist feeling emotions toward patient
neo-Freudian approach
more emphasis on current interpersonal relationships than childhood experiences & psychosexual development
behaviorism
look at behavior instead of unconscious instincts
social learning theory
modeling observed behavior; learning occurs by having one’s own behavior reinforced & by observing other people’s behaviors being reinforced
behaviorists vs. psychoanalystics
psychoanalysts: symptoms are manifestations of some disorder
behaviorists: symptoms are the disorder
cognitive-behavior therapy
tries to restructure patient’s distorted & irrational thoughts
Albert Ellis rational-emotive therapy (RET)
therapist challenges irrationl belief
symptom substitution
underlying cause still there; new symptoms will develop
psychanalysts do not believe symptom relief is adequate therapy. new symptoms will develop
phenomenological theorists
emphasize internal processes rather than overt behavior
focus on what distinguishes us from animals
Kurt Lewin’s field theory
personality = dynamic, constantly changing
Maslow’s hierarchy
needs organized ascending from basic to complex
self-actualization
highest need on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: profound experiences in person’s life that have important & lasting effects
human-existential therapy
emphasizes process of finding meaning in one’s life by making own choices
(mental illness is due to lack of meaningful existence)
client-centered therapy
(person-centered, nondirective)
- people have freedom to control behavior
type theorist
characterize people according to specific types of personality
trait theorist
attempt to ascertain fundamental dimensions of personality
Type A
competitive, compulsive
Type B
laid-back, relaxed
Gordon Allport’s 3 traits
- cardinal
- central
- secondary
cardinal
trait around which person organizes life (Mother Teresa)
central
major characteristics of personality that are easy to infer
honesty
secondary
more personal characteristics
functional autonomy
given activity or form of behavior may become end or goal in itself
idiographic
study personality by focusing on individual case studies
nomothetic
study personality by focusing on groups & finding commonalities between individuals
nAch (need for achievement)
if you’re rated high in this, you avoid high risks & set realistic goals
internal locus of control
believe they can control own destiny
external locus of control
outside events & chance control destiny
machiavellian
personality trait; someone manipulative & deceitful
androgyny
stage of being simultaneously masculine & feminine
diathesis-stress model
framework used to examine causes of mental disorders
diathesis: predisposition toward developing specific mental disorder
primary prevention
efforts to seek out & eradicate conditions that foster mental illness & establish conditions that foster mental health
