Unit 10 Flashcards
personality
an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.
psychodynamic theories
theories that view personality with a focus on the unconscious and the importance of childhood experiences
free association
in psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing.
psychoanalysis
Freud’s theory of personality and therapeutic technique that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts. Freud believed the patient’s free associations, resistances, dreams, and transferences—and the therapist’s interpretations of them—released previously repressed feelings, allowing the patient to gain self-insight.
unconscious
according to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories. According to contemporary psychologists, information processing of which we are unaware.
ego
the largely conscious, “executive” part of personality that, according to Freud, mediates among the demands of the id, superego, and reality. The ego operates on the reality principle, satisfying the id’s desires in ways that will realistically bring pleasure rather than pain.
id
contains a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that, according to Freud, strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives. The id operates on the pleasure principle, demanding immediate gratification.
psychosexual stages
the childhood stages of development (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital) during which, according to Freud, the id’s pleasure-seeking energies focus on distinct erogenous zones.
superego
the part of personality that, according to Freud, represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and for future aspirations.
fixation (Freud’s Theory)
according to Freud, a lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at an earlier psychosexual stage in which conflicts were unresolved.
identification
the process by which, according to Freud, children incorporate their parents’ values into their developing superegos.
Oedipus [ED-uh-puss] complex
according to Freud, a boy’s sexual desires toward his mother and feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival father.
defense mechanisms
in psychoanalytic theory, the ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality.
displacement
psychoanalytic defense mechanism that shifts sexual or aggressive impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object or person, as when redirecting anger toward a safer outlet.
projection
psychoanalytic defense mechanism by which people disguise their own threatening impulses by attributing them to others
rationalization
defense mechanism that offers self-justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening, unconscious reasons for one’s actions.
reaction formation
psychoanalytic defense mechanism by which the ego unconsciously switches unacceptable impulses into their opposites. Thus, people may express feelings that are the opposite of their anxiety-arousing unconscious feelings.
regression
psychoanalytic defense mechanism in which an individual faced with anxiety retreats to a more infantile psychosexual stage, where some psychic energy remains fixated.
repression
in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness.
displacement
psychoanalytic defense mechanism that shifts sexual or aggressive impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object or person, as when redirecting anger toward a safer outlet
sublimation
psychoanalytic defense mechanism by which people re-channel their unacceptable impulses into socially approved activities.
denial
psychoanalytic defense mechanism by which people refuse to believe or even to perceive painful realities.
collective unconscious
Carl Jung’s concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species’ history.
projective test
a personality test, such as the Rorschach or TAT, that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics.
Rorschach inkblot test
the most widely used projective test, a set of 10 inkblots, designed by Hermann Rorschach; seeks to identify people’s inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots.
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
a projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes.
terror-management theory
proposes that faith in one’s worldview and the pursuit of self-esteem provide protection against a deeply rooted fear of death.
humanistic theories
theories that view personality with a focus on the potential for healthy personal growth
hierarchy of needs
Maslow’s pyramid of human needs, beginning at the base with physiological needs that must first be satisfied before higher-level safety needs and then psychological needs become active
self-actualization
according to Maslow, the ultimate psychological need that arises after basic physical and psychological needs are met and self-esteem is achieved; the motivation to fulfill one’s potential.
self-transcendence
according to Maslow, the striving for identity, meaning, and purpose beyond the self
self-concept
(1) a sense of one’s identity and personal worth. (2) all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, “Who am I?”
unconditional positive regard
according to Rogers, an attitude of total acceptance toward another person.
trait
a characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act, as assessed by self-report inventories and peer reports.
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
the most widely researched and clinically used of all personality tests. Originally developed to identify emotional disorders (still considered its most appropriate use), this test is now used for many other screening purposes.
personality inventory
a questionnaire (often with true-false or agree-disagree items) on which people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors; used to assess selected personality traits.
empirically derived test
a test (such as the MMPI) developed by testing a pool of items and then selecting those that discriminate between groups.
reciprocal determinism
the interacting influences between personality and environmental factors.
social-cognitive perspective
views behavior as influenced by the interaction between persons (and their thinking) and their social context.
behavioral approach
focuses on the effects of learning on our personality development
self
in contemporary psychology, assumed to be the center of personality, the organizer of our thoughts, feelings, and actions
spotlight effect
overestimating others’ noticing and evaluating our appearance, performance, and blunders (as if we presume a spotlight shines on us).
self-esteem
one’s feelings of high or low self-worth.
self-serving bias
a readiness to perceive oneself favorably
oral stage
Psychosexual stage (0-18m) Pleasure centers on the mouth - sucking, biting, chewing
anal stage
Psychosexual stage (18-36m) Pleasure focuses on bowel and bladder elimination; coping with demands for control
phallic stage
Psychosexual stage (3-6y) Pleasure zone is the genitals; soping with incestuous sexual feelings; Oedipus complex
latency stage
Psychosexual stage (6-puberty) Dormant sexual feelings
genital stage
Psychosexual stage (puberty on) Maturation of sexual interests
Carl Jung
collective unconscious - shared, inherited unconscious
archetypes
ideas and images of the accumulated experience of all human beings
Alfred Adler
inferiority complex, overcoming childhood feelings of inferiority
Albert Bandura
social-cognitive; personality comes from observing others and modeling ourselves after them.
Sigmund Freud
Austrian neurologist who originated psychoanalysis (1856-1939); Said that human behavior is irrational; behavior is the outcome of conflict between the id (irrational unconscious driven by sexual, aggressive, and pleasure-seeking desires) and ego (rationalizing conscious, what one can do) and superego (ingrained moral values, what one should do).
pleasure principle
The motive to obtain pleasure and avoid tension or discomfort; the most fundamental human motive and the guiding principle of the id.
reality principle
According to Freud, the principle on which the ego operates, which seeks to delay gratification of the id’s urges until appropriate outlets and situations can be found.
self-efficacy
our view of our ability to succeed, control over our success
Carl Rogers
Humanism; self-concept and unconditional positive regard drive personality
narcissism
excessive self-love and self-absorption
Individualism
giving priority to one’s own goals over group goals and defining one’s identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications
collectivism
giving priority to the goals of one’s group (often one’s extended family or work group) and defining one’s identity accordingly
