Week 2 Flashcards
What is definition of personality
The word personality derives from the Latin persona meaning mask
Defining personality
There is consensus that the term personality describes a psychological construct
What is aim of studying personality
seeking to explain the motivational basis of behaviour and answer questions. The goal is to understand the basic nature of human beings
Evaluating the theories
description-identify behaviour
explanation-understand behaviour
empirical validity- shown to be valid
testable concepts-can be measured
comprehensiveness-wide variety of behaviour
parsimony-all concepts are necessary
heuristic value-stimulate interest
applied value-practical usefulness
Sigmund Freud
Austrian neuro-physiologist
Neurology and hypnosis. Freud’s theory is a social theory of everything. Covers of meaning of dreams, jokes, humour and more
Theoretical context
Freud was not convinced by the prevailing, rational model of human behaviour. He thought that the unconscious was far more powerful than previously thought
The unconscious-> the preconscious mind-> the conscious mind
Theoretical context
Manifest dream content (what is recalled), Latent dream content (requires skilled interpretation)
Primary process thinking: irrational mental activity making the logically impossible possible-pleasure principle
secondary process thinking: rational logical, organised, conscious and pre-conscious. reality principle
What is motivation:
what drives human behaviour- primary urges e.g. hunger and sexuality
What is Libido
born with fixed amount of mental energy which will later become adult sexual drives
What is life preserving drives
hunger and pain
What is death instinct
self destructive instincts
What are the theoretical models
The Topographic model
the structural model
the psychosexual model
What is the topographic model
layers of mental life
Conscious (tip of the iceberg)
the preconscious- memories, plans, wishes, ideas
the unconscious- mental contents and processes that cannot be made conscious -we pay attention to objects
What is the ID
instinctual drives powered by a reservoir of instinctual psychic energy. Source of survival drives, sexual drives and aggressive drives. Only ID is present in infants.
Derives from pleasure principle. Delayed gratification: if you wait patiently your needs will be met. Immediate gratification: I want it all now
What is the EGO
Through development, libido energy transfers into ego. Executive parts of personality which regulates behaviour and channels it in a particular direction in accordance with the external environment. Follow the reality principle and becomes the mediator between child and external world.