PSYC 508: Counseling and Personality Theories

Question 1

Big Five Personality Model/Traits

Answer 1

This theory postulates that personality can be broken down into five trait components: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. Each of these five traits exist on a spectrum and are thought to be relatively stable in each individual over time. Additionally the degree of these traits is greatly influenced by cultural norms.

Question 2

Client-Centered/Person-Centered Therapy/Theory

Answer 2

A Rogerian theory of personality which asserts that humans have a natural tendency towards growth/change and that negative environmental influences are what disrupt this natural tendency. In person-centered therapy, the therapist approaches the client with unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness as well as serving as a role model for the congruence between the real and ideal self.

Question 3

Common Factors in Psychotherapy

Answer 3

These are common factors or traits that are necessary characteristics to be an effective therapist. These factors include warmth, empathy, genuineness, accurate identification of emotions, and the ability to form a strong therapeutic alliance. Common factors in psychotherapy persist regardless of theoretical orientation.

Question 4

Conditional vs. Unconditional Positive Regard

Answer 4

Terms developed by Rogers to describe whether support and acceptance are given with or without conditions (i.e. does client need to meet X in order to receive Y or do they receive Y regardless of if they meet X). It is believed that unconditional positive regard is more valuable and influential, as opposed to when an individual acquires conditions of worth because they have only ever received conditional positive regard.

Question 5

Conditions of Worth

Answer 5

A term developed by Rogers to describe standards placed on an individual by society/family/friends that tell the individual that they’re only worthy of love/acceptance when they meet certain guidelines. When conditions of worth are placed on a person, this leads to incongruence and an inauthentic existence and can ultimately lead to psychopathology.

Question 6

Countertransference

Answer 6

A term developed by Freud that refers to when a therapist projects past feelings/attitudes onto their client, in turn distorting their perception and reaction to the client. Countertransference is not innately bad, however the therapist must work to remain aware of its process in order to avoid damage in the therapeutic work or relationship.

Question 7

Cultural Self-Awareness

Answer 7

Cultural self-awareness is an individual’s metacognitive understanding of how culture influences the self. It involves self-exploration about one’s own cultural heritage and understanding/valuing the differences of others, without perpetuating one’s own implicit biases. Cultural self-awareness requires a link between the self and how cultural experiences influence behaviors and interactions. Culture is an inescapable component of being human and being able to effectively work with other humans.

Question 8

Externalizing Conversations

Answer 8

A technique in which space is created between the person and the problem. The problem is discussed as something separate from the client as opposed to an innate feature of the client.

Question 9

Factor Analysis

Answer 9

A statistical procedure in which patterns are identified from a correlation matrix. This procedure is used to determine whether the variability among observed variables can be explained by fewer unobservable variable called “factors.” A factor analysis reduces a set of intercorrelations to a small number of descriptive explanatory concepts.

Question 10

Fixation

Answer 10

A term coined by Freud and used in psychoanalytic theory. In this context, fixation refers to an inappropriate attachments to a mode of psychosexual gratification. When fixation occurs, the individual is “stuck” is this stage of psychosexual development until the fixation is resolved. This term can also refer to an obsessive preoccupation with a single idea or impulse.

Question 11

Genogram

Answer 11

A diagrammatic representation of a family that includes individual histories of illness/death and also incorporates aspects of the interpersonal relationships between family members.

Question 12

Insight/Catharsis

Answer 12

This term was originally coined by Freud and used within psychoanalytic theory. Insight referred to the awareness of one’s own internal processes such as emotions and motivations. Catharsis referred to a release of emotions that occurred when emotions/thoughts moved from the unconscious into the conscious.

Question 13

Multicultural Counseling

Answer 13

This refers to a way-of-being as opposed to a specific technique. It is both an appreciation and validation of perspectives and a practice of therapy that aligns with the client’s life experiences and cultural values.

Question 14

Neo-Freudian

Answer 14

This term refers to theories that have derived from Freud’s classical psychoanalytic theory. The derived theories often include modifications of psychoanalysis and may hold a different emphasis than Freud. Neo-Freudian approaches include the work of Freud’s contemporaries (i.e. Adler, Jung, Erikson, etc.).

Question 15

Narrative Therapy

Answer 15

A treatment that helps individuals reinterpret and rewrite their life events into true but more life-enhancing narratives or stories. Narrative therapy posits that individuals are primarily meaning-making beings who are the linguistic authors of their lives and therefore can deconstruct and reconstruct life events into a more helpful light.

Question 16

Person-Behavior-Environment Reciprocal Interaction

Answer 16

A theory developed by Bandura that states that a person’s behavior influences and is influenced by their environment and personal factors. Behaviors do not occur solely due to outside forces, but rather it’s also influenced by our own perception and reaction to said behaviors. This phenomenon is also called reciprocal determinism.

Question 17

Person-Situation Debate

Answer 17

A common debate between personality theorists as to whether personality traits are consistent or vary according to the situation. Generally, traits are believed to be consistent and can predict overall behavior patterns while situations may be better at predicting specific behaviors.

Question 18

Potentially Harmful Treatments

Answer 18

A term used to describe therapies that have been shown to cause harm to clients. This is evident through the worsening of symptoms or appearance of new symptoms after treatment has been implemented. The treatments have enduring negative effects. Some examples of PHT’s include Scared Straight Programs, rebirthing therapy, conversion therapy, etc.

Question 19

Pleasure Principle

Answer 19

A term coined by Freud and refers to the psychic force that motivates people to seek immediate gratification of instinctual impulses, such as sex, hunger, thirst, and elimination. Humans naturally gravitate toward gratification/pleasure and avoid pain.

Question 20

Projective Hypothesis Techniques

Answer 20

The idea that the presentation of ambiguous stimuli can uncover a person’s unconscious desires, emotions, and motivations as the person projects onto the stimulus. A technique used to do this includes the Rorschach Inkblot Test. These techniques are highly debated and in general lack empirical support.

Question 21

Psychoeducation

Answer 21

The process of providing education/information to a client about diagnoses, treatments, specific problems, relationships between cognition/emotion/behavior, etc. It refers to any transfer of knowledge about psychological concepts.

Question 22

Psychosexual Stages

Answer 22

A theory proposed by Freud in psychoanalysis. In this theory, each of the psychosexual stages (oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital) are defined by what zone the libidinal energy is currently residing in. A progression through these stages is considered a normal part of development.

Question 23

Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

Answer 23

A cognitive therapy developed by Ellis. REBT states that distress is not caused by events themselves by one’s beliefs/judgments about the events. Ellis used a confrontational approach to help clients realize they had the power to alter their “irrational” thinking and beliefs.

Question 24

Reality Principle

Answer 24

In psychoanalytic theory this is the regulatory mechanism that represent the demands of the external world and requires the individual to forgo or modify instinctual gratification. The reality principle is posited to govern the ego, which controls impulses and enables people to behave rationally and effectively within context.

Question 25

Resistance

Answer 25

A term coined by Freud in which clients exhibit behaviors that counteract the progression of the therapy session. Freud theorized that clients engaged in resistant behaviors because of discomfort/avoidance and that the therapist must address to meaning of the resistance in order to continue on in the therapeutic process.

Question 26

Self-Actualization

Answer 26

A term coined by Maslow and used in Rogerian therapy. Self-actualization refers to when a person has realized and achieved their potential in order to become their best and truest self. It is believed that all people have an innate drive towards self-actualization.

Question 27

Self-Concept

Answer 27

A term used to refer to how an individual perceives and evaluates themselves. The self-concept refers to an organized set of perceptions about the self and one’s relations their real and ideal selves, as well as their relation to others and the world.

Question 28

Self-Efficacy

Answer 28

A concept in Bandura’s social learning theory that refers to one’s beliefs in their ability to succeed at certain tasks or in certain situations. This influences how people approach situations. If an individual has low self-efficacy, they are less likely to attempt a task or enter a new situation.

Question 29

Self-Monitoring

Answer 29

A type of observation in which a client monitors their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Self-monitoring is especially useful for low-frequency or private behaviors/events. Self-monitoring is subject to reactivity of monitoring in which the person changes the behavior (for better or for worse) unconsciously because they are monitoring the behavior.

Question 30

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy

Answer 30

Psychotherapy that focuses on problems in the here and now, with specific goals that the client views as important to achieve. Both the therapy and implementation of solutions occur in a limited time.

Question 31

Systems Theory

Answer 31

An interdisciplinary conceptual framework focusing on the wholeness, pattern, relationship, hierarchical order, integration, and organization of phenomena. In this framework, a client is viewed holistically in context and understands that there is an interaction between “components” of the system.

Question 32

Trait

Answer 32

An enduring personality characteristic that describes or determines an individual’s behavior across a range of situations. Traits are typically assessed via self-report/identification and most commonly involve the 5 traits found in the Big 5 Personality Model (OCEAN).

Question 33

Warmth, Empathy, Genuineness (WEG)

Answer 33

Key elements of what Rogers believed to be good therapy. Warmth refers to an unconditional positive regard and acceptance client’s emotions. Empathy refers to the understanding of and entry into the client’s internal frame of reference. Genuineness refers to transparency and lack of judgement.