Personality Theories

Question 1

What is the structure of the Psychonalaytic (Freud) theory of personality?

Answer 1

Id (pleasure principle)
Ego (reality principle)
Super ego (conscience)

Question 2

What are the 5 psychosexual stages devised by Freud?

Answer 2

Oral
Anal
Phallic
Latency
Genital

Question 3

How are personalities assessed using Freud’s theory?

Answer 3

Projective tests (ink blot tests) - participants stating what they see

Question 4

What is the image of human nature for Freud’s theory?

Answer 4

Pessimistic, conflicted, negative

Question 5

What is the model of abnormal behaviour in Freud’s theory?

Answer 5

Being stuck in any of the stages can cause problems in life

Question 6

What therapy is used to treat abnormalities within Freud’s theory?

Answer 6

Psycho-analysis

Question 7

Is Freud’s psychoanalytic theory scientifically relevant?

Answer 7

No - untestable and un-falsifiable

Question 8

What is the structure of the personality according to Jung (Analytical Theory)?

Answer 8

Ego
Personal Unconscious
Collective Unconscious

Question 9

How does Jung suggest the personality develops?

Answer 9

Childhood
Young adulthood
Middle age
Old age

Question 10

How is personality assessed using Jung’s theory?

Answer 10

word-association tests and dream interpretations

Question 11

What is Jung’s image of human nature?

Answer 11

Positive

Future-oriented, holistic

Question 12

Describe the model of abnormal behaviour in Jung’s theory

Answer 12

Imbalance in the unconscious produces abnormal behaviour

Question 13

Therapy for Jung’s theory

Answer 13

Eclectic therapies

Question 14

Is Jung’s Analytical theory of personality scientifically relevant?

Answer 14

No - not independently verifiable, untestable and un-falsifiable

Question 15

What is the structure of personality acc to the Behaviourist theory of personality?

Answer 15

No need for a structure - simply a list of behaviours

Question 16

How does personality develop, according to the behaviourist theory?

Answer 16

History of reinforcement and learning of a person develops personality

Question 17

How is personality assessed in behaviourist theory?

Answer 17

Observation

Behavioural assessment

Question 18

The behaviourist theory projects an image of human nature that is….?

Answer 18

Neutral - everyone is a blank slate

Question 19

What is the behaviourist model of abnormal behaviour?

Answer 19

Maladaptive learning (learning bad behaviours). Therapy is learning new behaviours

Question 20

Is the behaviourist theory of personality scientifically relevant?

Answer 20

Yes - it is testable and it generates hypotheses

Question 21

What is the humanistic theory’s structure of personality?

Answer 21

Self - you are a ‘self’, an entity

Question 22

How is the humanistic theory of personality assessed?

Answer 22

self-statements are the only way

Question 23

What image of human nature does the humanistic theory prescribe to?

Answer 23

Optimistic

Question 24

What is the model of abnormal behaviour for the humanistic theory?

Answer 24

Thwarting of natural growth by environmental e.g. potential - damage relationship

Question 25

What is the therapy for the humanistic theory?

Answer 25

Positive empathetic therapy/recovery

Question 26

Is the humanistic theory relevant scientifically?

Answer 26

No - subjective, reliance on self-report, untestable

Question 27

Does the trait theory of personality have a personality structure?

Answer 27

No underlying structure - a list of traits instead

Question 28

How is personality assessed using the trait theory?

Answer 28

Personality questionnaires

Question 29

What does the trait theory suggest about human nature?

Answer 29

That all traits are always present in everyone, humans begin neutral

Question 30

What is the trait theory’s model of abnormal behaviour?

Answer 30

Negatively skewed traits

Question 31

Is the trait theory scientifically relevant?

Answer 31

Yes - can test them, falsifiable