Psych Ch. 14 Flashcards
Define Personality
A characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving that is unique to each individual, and remains relatively consistent over time and situations
Define trait
a characteristic of an individual, describing a habitual way of behaving, thinking, or feeling
Idiographic approach:
Creating detailed descriptions of a specific person’s unique personality characteristics in an attempt to understand that person better
What is a Nomothetic approach?
Examining personality in large groups of people, with the aim of making generalizations about personality structure
What is the main legacy from Freud?
He started psychotherapy (talk therapy) and a large amount of mental processes being subconcious
What is the unconscious mind?
A vast and powerful but inaccessible part of your consciousness, operating without your
conscious endorsement or will to influence and guide your behaviors
What is the conscious mind?
Your current awareness, containing everything you are aware of right now
What is the Id?
Represents a collection of basic biological drives, including those directed toward sex and aggression
What is Libido?
Operates on the pleasure principle: do what feels good
What is the superego?
Comprised of our values and moral standards
What is the ego?
The decision maker, frequently under tension,
trying to reconcile the opposing urges of the idand superego
What did Freud believe about personality and anxiety?
“Personality” emerges from the interplay of the id, superego, and ego
-Anxiety is produced when the components are imbalanced (e.g., when the id and superego are in conflict)
According to Freud, what are defense mechanisms?
Unconscious strategies the The ego uses to keep the Id’s impulses out of conscious awareness and balance the competing demands of pleasure, reality, and morality
Define Denial
when people refuse to admit something unpleasant is happening, that they have a
problem, or that they are feeling a forbidden emotion (defense mechansim)
What is reaction formation?
Behaving in a way that is exactly the opposite
of one’s true feelings (defense mechanism)
eg. Expressing feelings of purity when experiencing unconscious feelings about sex
What is rationalization?
creating false but plausible excuses to justify
unacceptable feelings or behaviors
Define repression
Keeping distressing desires or wishes from
conscious awareness by burying it in the unconscious
What is projection?
seeing one’s own traits in other people, especially if seeing that threatening trait in
others helps the individual to avoid recognizing it in their self
What is displacement?
Altering the target of one’s urges
* e.g. Angry at boss: come home and yell at children instead
What is identification?
Alleviate concerns about self-worth by unconsciously assuming the characteristics of
another person
* Can be good too!
* E.g., identification with one’s parents
results in the formation of the
superego
What is sublimation?
Transforming unacceptable impulses into
socially acceptable or even pro-social alternatives. (like turning aggression into playing sports)
What is the purpose of defense mechanism?
protect self esteem
What is a realistic idea of projection?
Attributing qualities you (or fear you) possess to others
What is the false consensus effect?
Overestimating how many people share your
traits, opinions, preferences, and motivations
similar to projection
More specifically Freud thinks personality comes from…
- Interplay of Id/Ego/Superego
- Contents of Id/Ego/Superego
- Which defense mechanisms your ego employs
How did personality develop according to Freud?
many of the problems that people have with
their personalities (e.g., the defense mechanisms they particularly like to employ) are due to unresolved issues from growing up
At each developmental stage, the ________ manifests in particular areas of
the body, characterized by certain ____________ conflicts that need to
be resolved
libido; psychological
What are Freud’s psychosexual stages?
oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital
What are the three characteristics of each psychosexual stage?
Physical, Psychological, and an adult character type
What is the physical focus?
where the child’s energy is concentrated
and their gratification obtained
What is the psychological theme in the psychosexual stages?
this is related to both the physical focus and the demands being made on the child by the outside world as he/she develops
What is the adult character type?
in the first three stages this adult character
type is related to being fixated or stuck at that stage
Define fixation in Freuds Psychosexual theory.
a pre-occupation with obtaining the pleasure associated with a particular stage
* Part of your psychological functioning doesn’t advance past that stage
* Results in rigid personality types or unhealthy habits
when does the oral stage take place?
0-18 months
aspects of the oral stage
Physical pleasure focus: Actions
of the mouth—Sucking, chewing,
swallowing
* Psychological theme: basic
dependence & trust
* “Oral character”
What are the two types of Oral Character?
- Oral Sadistic: envy (wanting
more), manipulation of
others (using the mouth to
hurt), and suspiciousness - Oral Dependent:
dependence, indulgence,
entitlement, immaturity
When does the anal stage take place?
18-36 months
Aspects of anal stage
- Physical: Bowel elimination & control
- Psychological: sense of control & competence
What are the two types of Anal character?
Anal retentive: Creates rigidity, inflexibility,
stinginess: An obsession with cleanliness, order and control
Anal Expulsive: Problem with “letting it out” - sloppiness and/or a general disregard for order