personality ch 7 Flashcards
personality
characteristic ways of thinking, feeling and acting that make a person individual
psychodynamic theories of personality
all theories of psychology that see human functioning is based on the interaction of forces and drives within a person.
Mostly unconscious.
May be between different structures of the personality
psychoanalytic theory
a theory of personality invented by Sigmund Freud based on id, ego and super-ego structures.
Psychodynamic theories - inventors
Freud, Cal Jung, Alfred Adler, Erik Erikson, Anna Freud.
id
part of ourselves that is primitive and seeks pleasure.
It is irrational, impulsive and unconscious.
(not logical)
What biological urges are found in the id?
food, shelter and sexual gratification
ego
part of ourselves that regulates thoughts and behavior so it is realistic in the circumstances.
How does the ego develop?
Young children learn how to deal with the real world.
It mediates between what the id wants and what is practical and appropriate.
e.g. child learns not to cry when denied a lolly or toy.
What part of Freud’s structures of personality controls behavior directly?
ego
When does the superego start?
4-5 years
superego
conscience, focuses on how we should behave.
What positive and negative feelings does the superego produce?
pride guilt.
What part of the personality opposes the id?
superego
Which part of the personality mediates between the id and the superego?
ego
defense mechanisms
unconscious processes that deny, distort or falsify reality.
e.g. repression, denial
Why does the ego use defense mechanisms?
to protect itself from anxiety that results from psychological conflicts.
When are defense mechanisms considered abnormal?
when they are overused.
repression
def and example
preventing unacceptable thoughts from becoming conscious in order to prevent anxiety
e.g. forgetting the name of someone who bullied you at school.
reaction formation
def and example
Thinking, acting or feeling in an opposite way to how you really think, act or feel.
e.g. you help out a student you don’t like with a maths assignment.
displacement
def and example
directing emotion away from the person or thing who caused it to another person or thing that is less anxiety- provoking.
e.g. going home and kicking the dog when you are angry at a classmate.
compensation
trying to cover up a real or imagined weakness by emphasising something you are good at.
e.g. athletes with a disability who excel at their sport.
sublimation
directing thoughts about punching a classmate into punching a punching bag.
denial
refusal to believe whatever it is that is happening.
e.g. docker’s fans that refuse to believe their team is not the best!
psychosexual stages
stages that a child passes through that concentrates on a particular EROGENOUS ZONE - an area of the body that gives pleasure.
erogenous zone
an area of the body that is pleasure sensitive.
What is each psychosexual stage associated with?
a conflict
oral stage
0-18 months.
stimulation of the mouth
What behavior occurs at the oral stage?
centred on the mouth
e.g. sucking, chewing and biting
How is the oral conflict resolved?
seeking oral satisfaction by eating
anal stage
18 mon - 36 mon.
process of elimination of bowel and bladder
What behavior occurs at the anal stage?
start of toilet training where children are rewarded for eliminating at the right time and place and punished for soiling themselves.
How is the anal stage resolved?
resolution of the first conflict with authority determines the child’s future relationship with authority
phallic state
3-6- years
genital organs
What behavior occurs in the phallic stage?
seen in emotions directed toward the parent of the opposite sex - the Oedipus complex.
How is the phallic stage resolved?
the child assume the values of the same-sex parent and the superego starts to develop.
latency
6- puberty
psychosexual development is on hold
genital (puberty)
starts at puberty
maturation and focus on genital organs of sexual interest.
What behavior occurs at the genital stage?
the development of sexual interest in people outside the family.
How is the genital stage resolved?
the time of adolescent sexual experimentation.
Successful resolution is settling down in a loving one-to-one relationship with another person in out 20’s.
fixation
an emotional ‘hang-up’ caused by a stage not being resolved properly.
Person may be frustrated or over-indulged.
What stage (Freud) would a person be fixated on if they are passive and dependent?
Oral stage.
N.b. they may deny this!
What behaviors may a person that is fixated on an oral stage exhibit?
they may seek oral stimulation like eating excessively or smoking
What behaviors may an “anal-retentive” person exhibit.
they may ‘hold-on’ and be stingy, overly neat or stubborn.
What behaviors may an “anal-expulsive’ person exhibit?
the may ‘let go’ and be messy or destructive.
psychoanalysis
a technique designed to investigate UNCONSCIOUS motives in the person.
traits
a stable form of behavior displayed in any and every situation.
extraversion
personality trait defined by being more outgoing, talkative and energetic.
introversion
personality trait defined by being more reserved and solitary.
competitiveness
rivalry and the desire to win.
cardinal traits
basic building blocks for personality development.
liberalism
- willingness to respect behavior or opinions different from your own.
- A political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy etc.
factor analysis
a statistical technique used to determine groupings of variables.
interviews
a technique used to obtain information about people through questions.
secondary traits
preferences and attitudes that can change according to a particular situation.
source traits
fundamental or basic personality traits; determined by factor analysis.
psychoticism
term used to describe people who are unstable and reckless
neuroticism
emotional instability
projective tests
a personality test that attempts to reveal people’s unconscious desires, motivations and conflicts by asking them to describe what they see in ambiguous stimuli such as inkblots.
self-report inventories
a form of test in which individuals respond to questions about how they think, feel or behave.
esteem needs
any desire for achievement, reputation or prestige that is necessary for a sense of personal value, self esteem.
belonging/love needs.
or social need.
Maslow’s motivational heirarchy,
striving for affection and acceptance
safety need
desire for freedom from illness or danger and for a secure, familiar and predictable environment.
psychological needs
any need essential to mental health, not a biological need like food.
e.g. autonomy competence relatedness
humanism
a rational system of thought that attatches imporance to human rather than divine matters.
Rorschach inkblot test
a projective technique in which the subject is asked “What might this be?”
The object is to interpret the person’s personality structure
thematic apperception test ( TAT)
the subject is required to tell a story from which interpretations are made about the person’s psychological functioning,
especially their unconscious needs.
Raymond B Cattel
theory based on the identification of traits through factor analysis.
Classified into surface traits and source traits.
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory MMPI
personality inventory. published 1940.
Consists of 567 true/false questions
