Unit 1b Personality Flashcards
Personality
Characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving.
Psychodynamic Theories
Theories that view personality as tension that exists between our conscious and unconscious selves, including associated motives and conflicts.
Projection Test (Unconcious, preconcious)
Pre-conscious: Thin line between conscious and unconscious (ex. name of your first grade teacher). Unconscious: Information stored that we are unaware of.
Role of Unconcious
Defense Mechanisms
The ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality.
Reaction Formation
Acting outwardly the opposite of what one feels.
Regression
The unconscious exclusion/holding back of feelings.
Free Association
A method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing.
Displacement
Directing feelings at someone or something other than the source of those feelings.
Projection
When a person attributes their own negative feelings or unacceptable traits to someone else to avoid recognizing those traits or impulses in themselves.
Rationalization
An attempt to justify one’s actions with an excuse.
Denial
Refusal to accept reality.
Repression
The unconscious exclusion or holding back feelings.
Humanistic Theories
All organisms are designed to maximize their DNA. All have a desire to self-actualize.
False Consensus Effect
Tendency for people to think everyone thinks like they do. Thinking everyone is in agreement.
Unconditional Positive Regard
A caring, accepting, non-judgmental attitude that may help people develop self-awareness and self-acceptance.
Sublimation
Transforming unacceptable behavior into acceptable ones.
Self-Actualization
Reaching a point where you have fully maximized your potential.
Self-Actualization Tendency
Process of pursuing our full potential,
Self-concept
Our thoughts and feelings about ourselves. “Who am I?” If it is positive, we tend to perceive the world positively. If it is negative, we tend to feel dissatisfied and unhappy.
Trait
A characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act in certain ways, as assessed by self-report inventories and peer reviews.
Introversion
Introverted people are more comfortable focusing on their inner thoughts and ideas than what is happening around them.
Emotional Stabilty
Refers to a person’s ability to regulate their emotions and maintain a balanced state.
Emotional Instability
Refers to the tendency to experience frequent mood swings, often reacting disproportionately to events.
Personality Inventory
Objective questionaire (often with true or false or agree-disagree terms) that people respond to items designed to gauge a wide
Big 5 Factors
OCEAN - Openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
Agreeableness
People high in agreeableness are cooperative, empathetic and caring. They enjoy helping and being part of a group.
Openness
People high in openness are creative and adventurous. They enjoy trying new things and taking on new challenges.
Conscientiousness
Highly conscientious individuals tend to be highly organized with great attention to detail. They are goal oriented and and driven to succeed.
Extraversion
Extroverted people are more outgoing, sociable, and energized by social interaction.
Neuroticism
People high in neuroticism experience mood swings and are often irritable. They worry, get upset and anxious easily.
Social Cognitive Theory
Theory that personality is the result of behavior, social context, and the way we perceive the world.
Behavioral Approach
Focuses on the effects of learning on our personality development. We are conditioned by our environment.
Self
In modern psychology, assumed to be the center of personality, the organizer of our thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Self-Esteem
Our feelings of self-worth.
Self Efficacy
One’s belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations. Sense of competence and effectiveness.
Self Serving Bias
Attributing positive outcomes to internal factors and negative outcomes to external factors.
Individualism
Focuses on individual rights and concerns. People will view themselves as apart from the group.
Collectivism
Stresses importance of community and unity. People will view themselves as part of a group.
Social Cognitive Perspective
Views behavior as influenced by the interaction between people’s traits and their social context.
Reciprocal Determinism
Personality is shaped by the interaction of behavioral factors, environment, and personal/cognitive factors.
Motivation
A need or desire that energizes and directs behavior.
Instinct
A complex, unlearned behavior rigidly patterned throughout a species.
Instinct Theory
Views instincts as the source of motivation. Motivation to survive is most important. Humans do not demonstrate this.
Drive-Reduction Theory
Physiological needs create an aroused, motivated state (drive). It pushes us to behave in a way that reduces the need and returns the body to homeostasis.
Homeostasis
Balance in the body. When not in equilibrium, signals are sent to the brain to focus energy on returning to balance.
Sensation-Seeking Theory
Motivation is based on the need for varied or novel experiences. We are motivated to seek sensations.
Experience Seeking
Thrill/Adventure Seeking
Disinhibition
Boredom Susceptibilty
Yerkes-Dodson Law
Moderate arousal leads to optimal performance.
Arousal Theory
We need a certain level of arousal to perform well. This level is called optimal arousal.
Optimal Arousal Levels
Line between bored, low arousal and anxious, hyper arousal that allows us to flourish. When all of our biological needs are met, we are driven to experience stimulation. Lacking stimulation, we feel bored and look for ways to increase arousal.
Self-Determination Theory
We have an innate, psychological need for autonomy competence, and relatedness.
Incentive Theory
Behavior is motivated by environmental stimuli, rewards, and incentives, not internal forces.
Intrinsic Motivation
Internal rewards such as enjoyment, satisfaction, and personal growth.
Extrinsic Motivation
External rewards and goals such as winning a reward or praise.
Over justification Effect
External rewards decrease a person’s intrinsic motivation to perform a task.
Ghrelin
Tells body it is time to eat.
Leptin
Tells body it is full and needs time to rest.
Satiety
Feeling of fullness.
External Factors/Cues Affecting Eating
Hunger/Eating
Arousal
State of alertness, attentiveness and physiological activation.
Affect
Feeling of a particular emotion that is identified cognitively.
Physiological/Cognitive Processes
Internal vs. External Reactions
Internal: Emotional or cognitive responses that originate from thoughts, feelings, and sensations. External: responses triggered by external stimuli.
Cognitive Labeling
Making a judgement about one’s feelings. Attempts to explain emotions and the significance they have by focusing on how they are formed and why.
Triggers/Elicitors
External factors that elicit emotions.
Display Rules
Normative outlines for behavioral expression. Crying in public is not “acceptable.”
Facial Feedback Effect
Achievement Motivation
A desire for significant accomplishment, for mastery of skills or ideas, for control, and for attaining a high standard.
