Unit 10 (personality)

Question 1

Personality

Answer 1

an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

Question 2

free association

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Psychoanalysis

Answer 3

Freud’s theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts; the techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions

Question 4

unconscious

Answer 4

according to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories. According to contemporary psychologists, information processing of which we are unaware.

Question 5

Id

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

Superego

Answer 6

the part of personality that, according to Freud, represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and for future aspirations

Question 6

ego

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

psychosexual stages

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Oedipus

Answer 8

complex according to Freud, a boy’s sexual desires toward his mother and feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival father.

Question 9

identification

Answer 9

the process by which, according to Freud, children incorporate their parents’ values into their developing superegos

Question 10

Fixation

Answer 10

according to Freud, a lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at an earlier psychosexual stage, in which conflicts were unresolved

Question 11

defense mechanisms

Answer 11

in psychoanalytic theory, the ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality

Question 12

Repression

Answer 12

in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories

Question 13

psychodynamic theories

Answer 13

modern-day approaches that view personality with a focus on the unconscious and the importance of childhood experiences

Question 14

collective unconscious

Answer 14

Carl Jung’s concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species’ history

Question 15

projective test

Answer 15

a personality test, such as the Rorschach, that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics

Question 16

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Answer 16

a projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes

Question 17

Rorschach inkblot test

Answer 17

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

Question 18

false consensus effect

Answer 18

the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors

Question 19

terror management theory

Answer 19

a theory of death-related anxiety; explores people’s emotional and behavioral responses to reminders of their impending death

Question 20

humanistic theories

Answer 20

view personality with a focus on the potential for healthy personal growth

Question 21

self-actualization

Answer 21

according to Maslow, one of the ultimate psychological needs that arises after basic physical and psychological needs are met and self-esteem is achieved; the motivation to fulfill one’s potential

Question 22

unconditional positive regard

Answer 22

according to Rogers, an attitude of total acceptance toward another person

Question 23

self-concept

Answer 23

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, “Who am I?”

Question 24

Trait

Answer 24

a characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act, as assessed by self-report inventories and peer reports

Question 25

personality inventory

Answer 25

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.

Question 26

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

empirically derived test

Answer 27

a test (such as the MMPI) developed by testing a pool of items and then selecting those that discriminate between groups

Question 28

social-cognitive perspective

Answer 28

views behavior as influenced by the interaction between people’s traits (including their thinking) and their social context.

Question 29

behavioral approach

Answer 29

in personality theory, this perspective focuses on the effects of learning on our personality development

Question 30

reciprocal determinism

Answer 30

the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment

Question 31

self

Answer 31

in contemporary psychology, assumed to be the center of personality, the organizer of our thoughts, feelings, and actions

Question 32

spotlight effect

Answer 32

overestimating others’ noticing and evaluating our appearance, performance, and blunders (as if we presume a spotlight shines on us)

Question 33

self-esteem

Answer 33

one’s feelings of high or low self-worth

Question 34

self-efficacy

Answer 34

one’s sense of competence and effectiveness

Question 35

self-serving bias

Answer 35

a readiness to perceive oneself favorably

Question 36

narcissism

Answer 36

excessive self-love and self-absorption

Question 37

Individualism

Answer 37

giving priority to one’s own goals over group goals and defining one’s identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications

Question 38

Collectivism

Answer 38

giving priority to the goals of one’s group (often one’s extended family or work group) and defining one’s identity accordingly