Psychodynamic and Humanistic Approaches to Personality

Question 1

Psychodynamic Perspective:

Answer 1

-Personality and behaviour shaped by consciousness
Conscious Mind- current awareness, containing everything you are aware of right now
Unconscious Mind- inaccessible part of consciousness, influences and guides behaviour with your knowledge

Question 2

Defence Mechanisms

Answer 2

-Unconscious strategies the ego uses to reduce or avoid anxiety

Question 3

Repression

Answer 3

keeping distressing info out of conscious awareness

Question 4

Denial

Answer 4

refusing to acknowledge unpleasant info

Question 5

Rationalization

Answer 5

attempting to hide one’s true motives by providing reasonable explanation

Question 6

Displacement

Answer 6

transforming unacceptable implies into more acceptable one (ie. slamming door when mad)

Question 7

Identification

Answer 7

Unconsciously assuming characteristics of a more powerful person in order to reduce feelings of anxiety about self (i.e. being more like a bully)

Question 8

Projection

Answer 8

Attributing undesirable quality you have to others (i.e. if you are selfish you see everyone else as selfish)

Question 9

Reaction Formation

Answer 9

changing an impulse that one finds unacceptable into its opposite (i.e. you are homosexual but pretend to be homophobic)

Question 10

Sublimation

Answer 10

transforming unacceptable impulses into acceptable ones (i.e. being a boxer if you are aggressive)

Question 11

Fixation

Answer 11

becoming preoccupied with obtaining pleasure associated with a particular stage
- can occur because of conflict, excessive parental interference, allowing child to indulge in pleasure seeking behaviour

Question 12

Oral Stage

Answer 12

0-18 months

• sucking, chewing, swallowing -development of ego
• fixation represents lack of self confidence and ego strength

Question 13

Anal Stage

Answer 13

18-36 months

• bowel elimination and control
• development of sense of control and competence -fixation results to anal retentive personality (obsession with cleanliness, order, control, or is disorganized with disregard for order

Question 14

Phallic Stage-

Answer 14

3-6 years

• genitals
• further develops superego from internalization of values from parents (must overcome oedipus complex)
• fixation leads to jealousy, obsessions with power and sex

Question 15

Latency

Answer 15

6 years-puberty

• external activities
• focus on developing interests -fixation not a huge problem

Question 16

Genital Stage

Answer 16

puberty to adulthood

• sexual activities with others
• further developing and expressing mature personality

Question 17

Projective Tests

Answer 17

ambiguous images are presented to elicit responses that reflect unconscious desires or conflicts

Question 18

Rorschach Inkblot Test

Answer 18

people asked to describe what they see on a inkblot and psychologists interpret this description using standardized scoring and interpretation method

Question 19

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Answer 19

people tell stories about ambiguous pictures involving various interpersonal situations (i.e. picture is 2 people… tell a story about the people)

Question 20

Analytical Psychology

Answer 20

role of unconscious archetypes in personality development

Question 21

Personal Unconscious

Answer 21

same as Freudian unconsciousness

Question 22

Collective Unconsciousness

Answer 22

realm of unconsciousness that holds collective memories and myths of humankind

Question 23

Archetypes

Answer 23

• images and symbols that reflect common “truths”

i. e. Mother, Father, Hero, Shadow

Question 24

Inferiority Complex

Answer 24

struggle with feeling son inferiority which stem of experiences of helplessness in childhood
-strive to compensate by appearing competent or superior

Question 25

Person-Centred Perspective

Answer 25

people are good, and given he right environment their personality will develop fully and normally, strives for self-actualization (drive to grow and fulfill one’s potential)