Personality and Abnormal Psychology Flashcards
1
Q
- William Sheldon’s early theory of personality defined __/__ that he related to human behaviour. He characterized people by…
- What terms did he use to describe body types?
A
- physical/biological; body type, relating somatotypes (i.e., body types) to personality types.
- Endomorphy (soft and spherical); mesomorph (hard, muscular, rectangular); ectomorph (thin, fragile, lightly muscled)
2
Q
- E.G. Boring suggested that the development of psychology was due to…
A
- Zeitgeist, or the changing spirit of the times, and not due to the efforts of great people
3
Q
- Humanism developed as a system in the mid _ century
- It arose in opposition of __ and __
- Humanistic psychology opposed the __ of the psychoanalytic perspective and the __ __ of behaviourism
- Humanists believe in the notion of __ __ and the idea that…
- Two important humanists are…
A
- 20th
- psychoanalysis and behaviourism
- pessimistic, robotic concepts
- free will; people should be considered as wholes rather than in terms of stimuli and responses (behaviourism) or instincts (psychoanalysis)
- CArl Rogers, Abraham Maslow
4
Q
- In 1972, __ __ was placed in charge of an asylum in Paris that was marked by horrible conditions
- What did he believe about people with mental illness?
- How did he improve the lives of his patients?
A
- Philippe Pinel
- that they should be treated with kindness and consideration
- Removed their shackles, allowed them to go outside on hospital grounds, gave them beds to sleep on, and made sure they were treated humanely. These reforms spread to other asylums
5
Q
- Another important reformer was __ __, from 1841 to 1881, she advocated for the human treatment of the mentally ill. Her campaign was instrumental in improving the lives of mentally ill in the US.
A
- Dorthea Dix
6
Q
- In 1883, Emil Kraepelin published a textbook in which he noted that….
- After noticing this, he then went on to…
A
- some symptoms of mental disorders occurred together regularly enough that the symptom patterns could be considered specific types of mental disorders.
- describe the disorders and worked out a scheme of classifying disorders by integrating their clinical data . This classification was a pre-cursor to the DSM
7
Q
- Advances were made in the later part of the 19th century in the biomedical understanding of physical and mental disorders. An important development was the discovery of the etiology of __ __, which was a disorder characterized by..
- It was eventually discovered that the condition above was due to…and that the mental disorder seen in the syndrome was caused by…
A
- general paresis;delusions of grandeur, mental deterioration, eventual paralysis and death.
- brain deterioration caused by syphilis (which was untreatable until 1909); organic brain patholog
8
Q
- In 1938, Cerletti and Bini introduced the use of…
- They did this because they believed that…
A
- electroshock for the artificial production of convulsive seizures in psychiatric patients
- epileptic-like convulsions could cure schizophrenia. The convulsions were so violent that patents were in danger of fracturing vertebrae and other bones
9
Q
- Between 1935-1955, tens of thousands of patients were subjected to __ __ to treat schizophrenia
- What was the result?
A
- prefrontal lobotomies
- the lobotomies didn’t cure anything, they just made the patients easier to handle, since, in many cases, the patient became tranquil and showed an absence of feeling
10
Q
- What changed the atmosphere in psychiatric hospitals in the 1950s?
A
- the introduction of antipsychotic drugs to treat schizophrenia. Many formerly ‘hopeless’ patients were released completely
11
Q
What are the 4 categories of personality theories?
A
- psychodynamic (psychoanalysis), behaviourist, phenomenological, and type and trait
12
Q
- Freud’s id is the…
- The id functions according to which principle?
- What is the primary process?
- What is wish fulfillment?
A
- reservoir of all psychic energy, and consists of everything psychological that is present at birth.
- the pleasure principle - whose aim is to immediately discharge any energy buildup (i.e., relieve tension)
- The id’s response to frustration operating under the dictum of “obtain satisfaction now, not later”. For example, if a person gets hungry and food is available, it is through the use of the primary process that a memory image of food might alleviate the frustration experiences.
- The mental image of the object ^. However, since the person can’t eat his mental image, another system forms.
13
Q
- Since the mental image cannot effectively reduce tension on a permanent basis, what happens?
- the ego operates according to what principle?
A
- the ego and its mode of functioning, the secondary process, come into play.
- the reality principle, which takes into account objective reality as it guides or inhibits the activity of the id and the id’s pleasure principle
14
Q
- What is the aim of the reality principle?
- While the ego’s functioning suspends the workings of the primary process, it does so only in service of the id to pragmatically meet the demands of objective reality. The mutual give and take of ego and secondary process with reality promotes the…
- The ego can be understood to be the __ of the id…
A
- to postpone the pleasure principle until the actual object that will satisfy the need has been discovered or produced
- growth and elaboration of the psychological processes of perception, memory, problem solving, thinking and reality testing.
- organization; receieving its power from the id, it can never really be dependent of the id
15
Q
- How is the superego similar to the id?
- The superego represents the __ branch of personality, striving for…
- What are the two subsystems of the superego?
A
- it is also not directly in touch with reality and strives for the ideal rather than the real
- moral; perfection
- 1) the conscience - provides rules and norms about what constitutes bad behaviour. For a child, whatever the parents disapprove of will be incorporated into the child’s conscience.
2) ego-ideal -provides rules for good, appropriate behaviour. For a child, whatever the parents commend will be incorporated into the child’s conscience.
16
Q
- According to Freud, an instinct is…
- Instincts are the __ aspects of Freud’s dynamic theory of personality
- What are the two types of instincts Freud listed:
A
- an innate psychological representation (wish) of a bodily (biological) excitation (need).
- propelling
- 1) Life (eros) - serve the purpose of survival (hunger, thirst, sex)
2) Death (thanatos) - represent an unconscious wish for the ultimate, absolute state of acquiescence
17
Q
The form of energy by which the life instincts perform their work is called the __
A
- libido
18
Q
- What are defence mechanisms in Freud’s theory?
- What are the two common characteristics of all defence mechanisms?
A
- they are the ego’s recourse to releasing excessive pressures due to anxiety
- 1) they deny, falsify or distort reality and 2) they operate unconsciously
19
Q
- Name and describe the 8 main defence mechanisms
A
1) Repression - unconscious forgetting of anxiety provoking memories
2) Suppression - A more deliberate, conscious form of forgetting.
3) Projection - Occurs when a person attributes their forbidden urges to another.
4) Reaction Formation - A repressed wish is warded off by its opposite (e.g., kid who hates his brother and who is punished for his hostile acts may turn his his feelings into the exact opposite and shower his brother with affection.
5) Rationalization - Process of developing a socially acceptable explanation for inappropriate behaviour/thoughts
6) Regression - refers to a person reverting to an earlier stage of development in response to a traumatic event
7) Sublimation - transforming unacceptable urges into socially acceptable behaviours
8) Displacement - pent up feelings (often hostility) are discharged on objects and people less dangerous than those objects or people causing the feelings (e.g., man harassed by boss at work goes home and provokes an argument with his wife)
20
Q
- Carl Jung preferred to think of libido as…
- Jung identified the ego as the __ __, and he divided the unconscious into two parts:
A
- psychic energy in general (not just psychic energy rooted in sexuality)
- unconscious mind; 1) THE PERSONAL UNCONSCIOUS - similar to Freud’s unconscious and 2) THE COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS - which is a powerful system that is shared among all humans and considered to be a residue of the experiences of our early ancestors
21
Q
- The collective unconscious includes…
- These images are building blocks for the …, referred to in Jung’s theory as __
A
- images that are a record of common experiences, such as having a mother and father.
- …collective unconscious; archetypes
22
Q
- What is an archetype?
A
- A thought or image that has an emotional element
23
Q
- Name and describe the major Jungian archetypes:
A
1) Persona - a mask that is adopted by a person in response to the demands of social convention. This archetype originates from social interactions in which the assumption of a social role has served a useful purpose to humankind throughout history
2) Anima - (feminine)
3) Animus - (masculine) - both 2/3 help us to understand gender; the feminine behaviours in males and the masculine behaviours in females
4) Shadow - consists of the animal instincts that humans inherited in their evolution from lower forms of life.
5) Self - the person’s striving for unity, and is the point of intersection between the collective unconscious and the conscious.
24
Q
- What is the shadow archetype responsible for?
A
- the appearance in consciousness and behaviour of unpleasant and socially reprehensible thoughts, feelings and actions.
25
Q
- Jung symbolized the self as __, a Sanskrit word meaning __ __
A
- mandala; magic circle
26
Q
- Jung saw the mandala as the mythic expression of…
A
- the self, as the reconciler of opposites, and as the promoter of harmony.
27
Q
- Jung also had a typology of personality. He distinguished two major orientations of personality:
- According to Jung, these two orientations are both present in personality but…
A
1) ExtrOverson - an orientation towards the external, objective world.
2) Introversion - orientation toward the inner, subjective world.
- one is typically more dominant
28
Q
- Jung also described 4 psychological functions:
- What did he state about these four functions in terms of differentiation?
- Jung believed that these systems, attitudes and functions all interact in dynamic ways to form __
A
- thinking, feeling, sensing and intuiting
- typically, one is more differentiated than the other 3
- personality
29
Q
- Alfred Adler’s theory focused on…and their effects on…
- Adler was the originator of the concept of the __ __, which is the individual’s sense of…
- According to Adler, what drives the personality?
A
- immediate social imperatives of family and society (social variables); and their effects on unconscious factors
- inferiority complex; sense of incompleteness, sense of imperfection, both physically and socially
- striving toward superiority
30
Q
- According to Adler, striving toward superiority enhances personality when…
- When does striving become the root of personality disturbances?
A
- it is socially oriented, that is, when the striving leads to endeavours that benefit all people
- when the striving is selfish and not socially oriented
31
Q
- What is the creative self?
- What is style of life?
- What is crucial in molding a person’s style of life?
- What term did Adler coin?
A
- A notion developed by Adler, which is the force by which each individual shapes their uniqueness and makes their own personality
- Also Adlers notion, which represents the manifestation of the creative self and describes a person’s unique way of achieving superiority (opposed to inferiority).
- the family
- “lifestyle”
32
Q
- What is fictional finalism?
- According to Adler, human goals are based on…
A
- An important concept in Adler’s theory of personality. This is the notion that an individual is motivated more by their expectations about the future than by past experiences.
- A subjective or fictional estimate of life’s values rather than the objective data from the past
33
Q
- Notice the difference between Freud, Jung and Adler. Whereas Freud’s main assumption is that behaviour is motivated by __ __, and Jung’s main theory is that a person’s conduct is…, Adler assumes that people are primarily motivated by…
A
- inborn instincts; governed by inborn archetypes; striving for superiority
34
Q
- Karen Horney postulated that the __ personality is governed by…
A
- neurotic; one of ten needs
35
Q
- Karen Horney believed that each of the ten needs is directed toward…
- What are some examples of these neurotic needs?
- Horney emphasized that neurotic needs resemble….except in..
- What are the 4 differences?
A
- making life and interactions bearable
- the need for affection and approval, the need to exploit others, the need for self-sufficiency and independence
- health ones; four respects
- the four differences between neurotic and healthy needs are 1) they are disproportionate in intensity; 2)they are indiscriminate in application, 3) they partially disregard reality, and 4) they have a tendency to provoke intense anxiety. For example, someone with a neurotic need for self-sufficiency and independence would go to great lengths to avoid being obligated to someone else in any way. As the central focus of the person’s life, it would be a neurotic need, not a healthy one.
36
Q
- Horney’s primary concept is that of __ __
- What is Horney’s concept based on?
A
- basic anxiety
- the premise that a child’s early perception of the self is important
