Psychology Unit 4 Flashcards
What are the assumptions of the humanistic–positive perspective of personality?
We have a natural interest in becoming the best person possible (self-actualization) - Maslow and Rogers - strive toward growth and fulfillment through unconditional positive regard (real self, ideal self)
What are the assumptions of the psychoanalytic perspective of personality?
Our personality resides in the unconscious and early childhood experiences lay the foundation for adult personality
What are the tenets of psychoanalysis?
Freud - unconscious, preconscious, conscious
According to Freud, what are the three distinct “provinces,” or regions, that involve control and regulation of impulses? How do they differ from each other?
Id (based on pleasure-desire, impulse driven, “Do it:, developed at birth), ego (Based on realistic constraints, sense of “self”, “me” and “i”, developed at 2 or 3 years old), superego (Based on what should be, right-wrong (conscience), impulse control, “Don’t do it”, developed at 3 or 4 years old)
How is the concept of “psychological mechanisms” defined? How do they operate?
the internal and specific cognitive, motivational, or personality systems that solve specific problems of survival and reproduction (ie Trust (survival) → conscientiousness and agreeableness (psychological mechanism))
How are the different defense mechanisms described in the book?
unconscious strategies the mind use it protect itself from anxiety by denying and destroying reality in some way
- Repression - unconscious act of keeping threatening thoughts, feelings, or impulses out of consciousness
- Reaction formation - occurs when an unpleasant idea, feeling, or impulse is turned into its opposite (ie homophobia and how sometimes they have a fear of their own homosexual impulses)
- Projection - people deny particular ideas, feelings, or impulses and project them onto others (ie a many may desire a married women but instead of recognizing his feeling he projects his desire onto the women and believes that she is seducing him)
What are the main components of Carl Jung’s psychoanalytic perspective of personality?
- personal unconscious - the form of consciousness that consists of all our repressed and hidden thoughts, feelings, and motives
- collective unconscious - form of consciousness that consists of shared universal experiences of our ancestors - God, mother, life, death, water, earth, aggression, survival - that have been passed down from generation to generation
- Archetypes : shadow (dark and morally objectionable part of ourselves), anima (female part of male personality), animus (male part of female personality)
According to Carl Jung, what is the origin of archetypes?
(ancient or archaic images that result from common ancestral experiences)
What is the focus of Karen Horney’s psychoanalytic theory?
neurosis originates into basic hostility (anger or rage that originates in childhood and stems from fear of being neglected or rejected by one’s parents) and basic anxiety (a feeling of being isolated and helpless in a world conceived as potentially hostile) , defenses against anxiety include 1) moving toward others 2) moving against others 3) moving away from others
According to the book, how does Abraham Maslow characterize self-actualizing people?
1) spontaneity, simplicity, naturalness: appear childlike in ability to be spontaneous and straightforward 2) problem-centered: experience moments of profound personal importance or personal meeting (“peak experiences”) and these experiences shape their lives 3)creativity: readily solve problems with originality and novelty 4) deep interpersonal relations: have few but profound relationships 5) resistance to enculturation: less likely than most ot be influenced by ideas and attitudes of others, don’t looks to others for guidance on what to think or how to behave
What are the main assumption of Carl Roger’s form of psychotherapy?
people naturally strive toward growth and fulfillment and need unconditional positive regard for that to happen
How does Carl Rogers define psychological adjustment?
congruence between the real and ideal selves
What is the core idea behind positive psychology?
Positive psychology: focus on positive states and experiences, such as hope, optimism, wisdom, creativity, spirituality, and positive emotions
According to Robert McCrae (1949) and Paul Costa (1942), what are the two primary components of the Big Five theory?
basic tendencies and characteristic adaptations
In the context of the Big Five, what do basic tendencies refer to?
underlying, innate dispositions or predispositions that shape an individual’s behavior across various situations
From an evolutionary perspective, what do physical and psychological mechanisms refer to?
- Psychological mechanisms - the internal and specific cognitive, motivational, or personality systems that solve specific problems of survival and reproduction
- Physical Mechanisms: boldly organs and systems that solve survival and reproductive problems (ie Disease/parasites → immune system)
What are the assumptions of the biological theories of personality?
assume that differences in personality are partly based on differences in structures and systems in the central nervous systems, such as genetics, hormones, and neurotransmitters
What does cortical arousal and sensory threshold refer to?
- Cortical arousal: refers to how active the brain is at a resting state as well as how sensitive it is to stimulation
- Sensory threshold: refers to how much of a stimulus is required for it to be perceived
What is the quantitative trait loci approach?
a technique in behavioral genetics that looks for the location on genes that might be associated with particular behaviors
What methods do behavioral geneticists use to examine the relationship among genetics, behavior, and personality?
gene studies (ie Quantitative trait loci approach and Genome-wide association study) and twin adoption studies (uncovers the degrees to which traits are influenced by genetic forces)
In the context of the quantitative trait loci (QTL) approach, what is the possible connection between dopamine and thrill seeking in humans?
People who are deficient in dopamine tend to seek out exciting situations as a way of increasing their dopamine release and making up for deficient levels of dopamine
Which neurotransmitter is associated with physiological arousal?
Dopamine is associated with physiological arousal
According to the book, what are the nongenetic determinants of personality differences among people?
1) Shared environment - consists of living conditions that individuals have in common, such as having the same parents, schools, and peers 2) non-shared environment - consists of living conditions that individuals do not have in common, such as having different parents, birth-order, schools, and peers 3) Error
What is a shared environment?
living conditions that individuals have in common, such as having the same parents, schools, and peers
What do we know about universal changes in personality change across cultures?
from early to mid-adulthood, people become less anxious and extraverted and more open, agreeable, and conscientious
How are projective tests used?
personality assessments in which the participant is presented with a vagues stimulus or situation asked to interpret ir or tell as story about what he or she sees, will explain unconscious wishes, thoughts, and motives will be “projected” onto the other people or situations
Describe the Rorschach Inkblot Test.
a projective test in which the participant is asked to respond to a serious of ambiguous inkblots
What are the different methods used in personality questionnaires?
- rational (face valid) method - a method of developing questionnaire items that involves using reason or theory to come up with a question (ie “I feel anxious much of the time” is a face valid item for measuring anxiety),
-empirical method - including questions that characterize the group the questionnaire is intended to distinguish (ie if statement “I prefer baths to showers” is answered one way by anxious people and a different way by non anxious people it it used in questionnaire for anxiety)
In Freud’s theory of personality, what is the role of the id, ego, and super ego. How are these aspects of personality defined?
- Id - deepest instinctual drives, body’s needs and desires (sexual and aggressive), impulsive
Ego - through contact with outer world allows us to deal with things practically and resist impulses
Superego - voice of conscious, set of guidelines and internal standard to live our lives
What are the different defense mechanisms in Freud’s theory of personality?
- projection - project certain qualities that you don’t want onto others
- reaction formation - unconsciously replace threatening thoughts we have with their opposite
- rationalization - reading an explanation that sounds reasonable to explain unacceptable feelings or behavior
- regression - deal with an inner conflict by stepping back down to an immature behavior or early state of development
- repression - underlies all defense mechanisms, motivated forgetting
- Displacement - channel conflict elsewhere
What is the Oedipus conflict? Which stage of psychosexual development is associated with?
Oedipus conflict - a man who unknowingly kills his father ends up marrying his mother, phallic stages (3-5 years)
What is comorbidity?
occurrence of two or more psychological disorders at the same time
Defined the following disorders: somatic symptom, factitious, dissociative, adjustment.
- Somatic symptom disorders - occur when psychological symptoms take a physical form even though no physical causes can be found, include hypochondriasis and conversion disorder
- Factitious disorder - characterized by the individual’s deliberate fabrication of a medical or mental disorder to gain medical attention
Dissociative disorder - involve a sudden loss of memory or change of identity - Adjustment disorder - characterized by distressing emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to an identifiable stressor
What are the neurodevelopmental disorders discussed in the book? What are the major symptoms and behaviors?
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - symptoms - inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity; behaviors - fails to give close attention to detail or makes careless mistakes, cannot sustain attention, does not listen when spoken to, does not follow through on instructions, fidgets and talks excessively, blurts out answers before question is complete and cannot wait turn
- Autism spectrum disorder - symptoms - impaired social interaction, impaired communication, repetitive and stereotypical behaviors; behaviors - impaired eye-to-eye gaze and facial expressions, fails to develop peer relationships, impaired or severely delayed speech, language use is stereotypical or repetitive, shows preoccupation and repetitive interests or behaviors, inflexible routines
What are the causes of neurodevelopmental disorders?
genetic factors that may remain latent unless triggered by environmental condition, environmental condition such as a pregnant women smoking or not may cause ADHD
What are the factors that increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder?
maternal infection and inflammation (ie fever, pneumonia, bronchitis)
What is posttraumatic stress disorder? What are the symptoms and key features of this disorder?
a type of trauma and stressor-related disorder that involves the intrusive and persistent cognitive, emotional, and physiological symptoms triggered by catastrophic or horrifying events, Symptoms - intrusive thoughts, feelings, or memories of the traumatic event while awake or dreaming, flashbacks of the event, distorted self-image and self-blame associated with the trauma, persistent emotional and physiological reactivity, people with PTSD easily startled, may have hair-trigger tempers and may be reckless or self-destructive
How is the brain activity of people suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder?
hypothalamic pituitary axis (HPA), a major neuroendocrine system involved in the stress response, may be dysfunctional in those with PTSD, inability to recover from a quiet HPA excitation is a key feature of PTSD
What characterizes dissociative disorders?
psychological disorders characterized by extreme splits or gaps in memory, identity, or consciousness
What is dissociative identity disorder?
dissociative disorder in which a person develops at least 2 distinct personalities, each with its own memories, thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, some psychiatrists question the legitimacy of the disorder
What is a popular perception of dissociative identity disorder?
some professionals claim the diagnosis is not real but rather is produced unintentionally by therapists themselves
What are the causes of dissociative disorders?
highly traumatic experience (abuse, terrible accident, natural disaster), most explanations of dissociative disorders view them as a coping strategy gone wrong, develops in response to early childhood trauma when the individual’s identity is still malleable, also includes problem with attention and memory, disruptions in sleep-wake cycle, and exposure to trauma or intense stress
What are somatic symptom disorders? What is the main criteria of this disorder?
occur when psychological symptoms take a physical form even though no physical causes can be found, include hypochondriasis and conversion disorder
How are personality disorders defined?
patterns of cognition, emotion, and behavior that develop in late childhood or adolescence and are maladaptive and inflexible; they are more stable than clinical disorders
What are the three distinct clusters of personality disorders? What are the major symptoms of each cluster?
- Odd-eccentric: symptoms - lack of interest in social relationships, inappropriate or flat emotion, thought, and coldness (Schizoid); isolate, odd, and bizarre thoughts and beliefs (Schizotypal); extreme, unwarranted, and maladaptive suspicion (Paranoid)
- Dramatic-emotional: symptoms - wild, exaggerated behaviors, extreme need for attention, suicidal, seductive, unstable relationships, shifting moods (Histronic); shifting moods, dramatic, impulse, self injury (Borderline); grandiose thoughts and sense of one’s importance, exploitative, arrogant, lack of concern for others (Naricissitic), impulse, violent, deceptive, and criminal behavior; no respect for social norms, ruthless (Antisocial)
- Anxious-fearful: symptoms - anxious and worrying, sense of inadequacy, fear of being criticized, nervousness, avoids social interaction (avoidant); pervasive selflessness, need to be care for, fear of rejection, total dependence on and submission to others (Dependent); extreme perfectionism and anxiety over minor disruption of routine, very rigid activities and relationships, pervades most aspects of everyday life (obsessive-compulsive)
What are the different personality disorders corresponding to each cluster?
- Odd-eccentric - Schizoid, Schizotypal, Paranoid
- Dramatic-emotional - Borderline, Histrionic, Narcissistic, Antisocial
- Anxious-fearful - Avoidant, Dependent, Obssessive-compulsive
What are the origins of personality disorders?
being abused and living under constant threat, genetics interacts with abusive experience to create personality disorders
What is the source of hoarding described in the video?
traumatic events (ie abuse or robbery)
What is the most effective treatment for hoarding?
persuading them to throw out things
Which psychological disorder does hoarding represent?
OCD
What is personality?
relatively stable set of psychological characteristics and behavioral patterns that account for our individuality and consistency over time
- Learning experiences
- Biological factors
- Social and cultural influences
- Cognitive and developmental processes
What are trait perspectives?
- set of underlying traits account for the consistencies in behavior from one situation to another
- Used to predict how people are likely to behave in different situations (ie Carlos is extrovert so he’s likely to be at a party)
- Largely innate/inborn or acquired through experience
What is the Behaviorist perspective of personality?
personality consists of sum total of an individual’s learned behavior (Watson and Skinner)
What is social-cognitive perspective of personality?
individual’s learning history and ways of thinking
- Expectancies we hold about the outcomes of our behavior, Values we place on rewards, Learning that occurs when we imitate the behavior of others
- Albert Bandura: reciprocal determinism
What is the humanistic perspective of personality?
personalities expressed through our efforts to actualize our unique potential as human beings (Carl Rogers)
- Self-actualization
-self theory - focuses on the importance of the self, self as the executive part of one’s personality (sense of being “i” or “me”), primary function of the self: development of self esteem
- unconditional positive regard
- conditional positive regard
What is the psychodynamic view of personality?
emphasized unconscious influences on personality
What is the Gordon Allport Hierarchy of Traits?
- traits are building blocks of personality, connect and unify a person’s reaction to varied stimuli, inherited, but influenced by experience
- cardinal traits - a pervasive dimension that define the individual’s general personality (ie Mother Teresa is selfless and defines her entire life)
- central traits - personality characteristics that have a widespread influence on the individual’s behavior across situations (ie competitiveness, generosity, arrogance)
- secondary traits - specific traits that influence behavior in relatively few situations (ie preference for particular styles of clothing, types of music, or food)
What is the Raymond Cattell Mapping of Traits?
- Surface traits - surface level, can be gleaned from observations of behavior (ie friendliness, combativeness, stubbornness)
- Source traits: deeper level of personality, are not apparent in observed behavior but must be inferred based on underlying relationships among surface traits (key dimensions of personality ie serious, practical), Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (from serious to happy-go-lucky and practical to imaginative)
What is the Hans Eysenck Simpler trait model?
- Extraversion (extravert vs introvert) - degree of sociability, extraverts: outgoing, friendly, and people-oriented, introverts: solitary, reserved, and unsociable
- Neuroticism (unstable vs stable) - emotional stability, unstable: tense, anxious, worrisome, restless, and moody; stable: relaxed, calm, controlled, even-tempered
- Psychoticism - degree to which reality is distorted, high: cold, antisocial, hostile, insensitive; low: warm, sensitive, concerned about others
What are the Eysenck Personality Inventory - 4 basic personality types?
extraverted-neurotic, extraverted-stable, introverted-neurotic, introverted-stable
What is the big 5?
1) Neuroticism 2)extraversion 3)Openness 4) Agreeableness 5)Conscientiousness (OCEAN)
What are the problems with the trait perspective?
describe behavior but does not explain it, personality characteristics do not remain consistent (ie you can introverted in some situations but extraverted in others)
What is reciprocal determinism by Albert Bandura?
cognitions, behaviors, and environmental factors influence each other (What we do also influences what we think) (ie driver is cut off so his environment (where he is) influences his cognitions making him upset so he speed up to catch (behavior) which influences the environment again)
- outcome expectancies - predictions of the outcomes of behavior, efficacy expectations - predictions about your personal ability to perform behaviors you set to accomplish
How do we develop self efficacy?
pay close attention to our prior successes and failures, direct reinforcement and encouragement from others
What is unconditional positive regard?
acceptance of a person’s basic worth regardless of whether their behavior pleases or suits us, leads to intrinsic worth
What is the first choice of treatment for schizophrenia?
drug treatments
What are phenothiazines? How do they work?
drug used to treat schizophrenia, helps diminish hallucinations, confusion, agitation, and paranoia but also has adverse side effects
What are the sides effects of antipsychotic drugs?
fatigue, visual impairments, and condition called tardive dyskinesia (repetitive, involuntary movements of the jaw, tongue, face, and mouth - ie grimacing and lip smacking)
What is the difference between traditional and atypical antipsychotics? Provide examples of each types of drugs.
- traditional antipsychotics: first medication to manage psychotic symptoms, phenothiazines and haloperidol
- Atypical antipsychotics: newer antipsychotic drugs that do not create tardive dyskinesia, includes Clozapine (Clozaril), olanzapine (Zyprexa), and Risperidone (Risperdal)
Under which circumstances is electroconvulsive therapy used?
(passing an electrical current through a person’s brain in order to induce a seizure) is used for severe cases of depression
What is the difference between transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)? How are these two methods defined?
- Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) - treatment for severe depression involving exposure of specific brain structure to bursts of high-intensity magnetic fields instead of electricity, can only stimulate outer layer of cortex
- Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) - method of treatment that can stimulate both cortical and deeper brain structures; unlike rTMS it can be used during movement
What is deep brain stimulation used for?
used for severe depression by stimulating certain area of the brain involved in emotion and reward it can leads to substantial improvements in moods
How is the effectiveness of SSRIs and tricyclics compared?
- SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) - drugs prescribed primarily for depression and some anxiety disorders that work by making more serotonin available in the synapse, inhibit reuptake process allowing more serotonin to bind with postsynaptic neuron, does not product undesirable side effects of tricyclics
- Tricyclic antidepressants: drugs used for treating depression as well as chronic pain and ADHD, work by blocking reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine equally so that more neurotransmitters available in the brain but tricyclic produce unpleasant side effects including dry mouth, weight gain, irritability, confusion, and constipation
According to the book, what is one of the major problems in treating schizophrenia?
persuading patients to continue taking their medication since the side effects cause many patients to stop taking them
Which symptom of schizophrenia does antipsychotic medication work best on?
positive symptoms like hallucinations and delusions
What are the fundamentals of psychoanalytic therapy?
based on Freud’s ideas, a therapeutic approach oriented toward major personality change with a focus on uncovering unconscious motives, especially through dream interpretation
What are the main assumptions of free associations and symbols in psychoanalytic therapy?
- Free associations - a psychotherapeutic technique in which the client takes one image or idea from a dream and says whatever comes to mind, regardless of how threatening, disgusting, or troubling it may be
- Symbols: dream images are thought of as representing, or being symbolic of, something else