Study Guide Sousas Test

Personality

An individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.

Consistency of Personality

Personality is relatively consistent over time and across situations.

Adaptability of Personality

Personality can adapt to different environments.

Psychodynamic Theories

Emphasize unconscious processes and early childhood experiences.

Humanistic Theories

Focus on personal growth, self-concept, and free will.

Trait Theories

Examine stable characteristics that differ among individuals.

Social-Cognitive Theories

Highlight interaction between traits, thinking, and environment.

Unconscious Mind (Freud)

Comprises hidden thoughts, wishes, and memories.

Id

Operates on the pleasure principle (instinctual drives).

Ego

Operates on the reality principle (rational decision-making).

Superego

Represents moral standards.

Defense Mechanisms

Unconscious distortions of reality used to reduce anxiety.

Repression

Pushes distressing thoughts out of awareness.

Denial

Refuses to accept reality.

Projection

Attributes one’s own thoughts to others.

Regression

Involves reverting to childlike behavior.

Reaction Formation

Expresses the opposite of true feelings.

Rationalization

Creates logical excuses for behavior.

Neo-Freudians

Accepted the unconscious and childhood experiences but rejected Freud’s emphasis on sexual drives.

Collective Unconscious

Proposed by Carl Jung, it refers to shared memories and archetypes among people.

Inferiority Complex

Introduced by Alfred Adler, it refers to feelings of inadequacy that motivate striving for superiority.

Cultural Influence on Personality

Karen Horney emphasized social and cultural influences on personality formation.

Projective Tests

Use ambiguous stimuli to reveal unconscious thoughts.

Rorschach Inkblot Test

A projective test that uses inkblots to analyze personality.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective test that uses ambiguous pictures to elicit narrative responses.

Self-actualization

Humanistic theory emphasizes reaching one’s full potential.

Congruence

Leads to a healthy personality through alignment of self-concept and experience.

Incongruence

Leads to anxiety and dissatisfaction due to misalignment of self-concept and reality.

Unconditional Positive Regard

An acceptance that supports healthy development.

Criticisms of Humanistic Psychology

Includes lack of scientific measurement and being overly optimistic.