Ch. 11 - personality

Freud

believed that we are only aware of a small amount of our mind’s activities

and that most of it remains hidden from us in our unconscious. The information in our unconscious affects our behavior, although we are unaware of it.

Bandura

proposed the idea of reciprocal determinism: Our behavior, cognitive processes, and situational context all influence each other.

Skinner

a prominent behaviorist, said that we demonstrate consistent behavior patterns, because we have developed certain response tendencies. believed that environment was solely responsible for all behavior, including the enduring, consistent behavior patterns studied by personality theorists.

Jung

interested in exploring the collective unconscious.

traits

characteristic ways of behaving

Myers-Briggs Type indicator (MBTI)

This questionnaire describes a person’s degree of introversion versus extroversion, thinking versus feeling, intuition versus sensation, and judging versus perceiving. Jung’s view of extroverted and introverted types serves as a basis of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

anal stage

psychosexual stage in which children experience pleasure in their bowel and bladder movements

analytical psychology

Jung’s theory focusing on the balance of opposing forces within one’s personality and the significance of the collective unconscious. 

archetype

pattern that exists in our collective unconscious across cultures and societies

collective unconscious

common psychological tendencies that have been passed down from one generation to the next

congruence

state of being in which our thoughts about our real and ideal selves are very similar

conscious

mental activity (thoughts, feelings, and memories) that we can access at any time

Contemporized-Themes Concerning Blacks Test (C-TCB)

projective test designed to be culturally relevant to African Americans, using images that relate to African-American culture

culture

all of the beliefs, customs, art, and traditions of a particular society

defense mechanism

unconscious protective behaviors designed to reduce ego anxiety

displacement

ego defense mechanism in which a person transfers inappropriate urges or behaviors toward a more acceptable or less threatening target

ego

aspect of personality that represents the self, or the part of one’s personality that is visible to others

Five Factor Model

theory that personality is composed of five factors, including openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism

genital stage

psychosexual stage in which the focus is on mature sexual interests

heritability

proportion of difference among people that is attributed to genetics

id

aspect of personality that consists of our most primitive drives or urges, including impulses for hunger, thirst, and sex

ideal self

person we would like to be

incongruence

state of being in which there is a great discrepancy between our real and ideal selves

individual psychology

school of psychology proposed by Adler that focuses on our drive to compensate for feelings of inferiority

inferiority complex

refers to a person’s feelings that they lack worth and don’t measure up to others’ or to society’s standards

latency period

psychosexual stage in which sexual feelings are dormant

locus of control

beliefs about the power we have over our lives; an external locus of control is the belief that our outcomes are outside of our control; an internal locus of control is the belief that we control our own outcomes

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

personality test composed of a series of true/false questions in order to establish a clinical profile of an individual

neurosis

tendency to experience negative emotions

oral stage

psychosexual stage in which an infant’s pleasure is focused on the mouth

personality

long-standing traits and patterns that propel individuals to consistently think, feel, and behave in specific ways. Shaped by upbringing. 

phallic stage

psychosexual stage in which the focus is on the genitals

projection

ego defense mechanism in which a person confronted with anxiety disguises their unacceptable urges or behaviors by attributing them to other people

Projective test

personality assessment in which a person responds to ambiguous stimuli, revealing hidden feelings, impulses, and desires

psychosexual stages of development

stages of child development in which a child’s pleasure-seeking urges are focused on specific areas of the body called erogenous zones

rationalization

ego defense mechanism in which a person confronted with anxiety makes excuses to justify behavior

reaction formation

ego defense mechanism in which a person confronted with anxiety swaps unacceptable urges or behaviors for their opposites. I.e., reducing anxiety by adopting beliefs contrary to your own beliefs. 

real self

person who we actually are

reciprocal determinism

belief that one’s environment can determine behavior, but at the same time, people can influence the environment with both their thoughts and behaviors

regression

ego defense mechanism in which a person confronted with anxiety returns to a more immature behavioral state

repression

ego defense mechanism in which anxiety-related thoughts and memories are kept in the unconscious. I.e., suppressing painful memories and thoughs. 

Rorschach Inkblot Test

projective test that employs a series of symmetrical inkblot cards that are presented to a client by a psychologist in an effort to reveal the person’s unconscious desires, fears, and struggles

Rotter Incomplete Sentence Blank (RISB)

projective test that is similar to a word association test in which a person completes sentences in order to reveal their unconscious desires, fears, and struggles

selective migration

concept that people choose to move to places that are compatible with their personalities and needs

self-concept

our thoughts and feelings about ourselves

self-efficacy

someone’s level of confidence in their own abilities

social-cognitive theory

Bandura’s theory of personality that emphasizes both cognition and learning as sources of individual differences in personality

sublimation

ego defense mechanism in which unacceptable urges are channeled (redirected) into more (socially) appropriate activities (channels). 

superego

aspect of the personality that serves as one’s moral compass, or conscience

TEMAS Multicultural Thematic Apperception Test

projective test designed to be culturally relevant to minority groups, especially Hispanic youths, using images and storytelling that relate to minority culture

temperament

how a person reacts to the world, including their activity level, starting when they are very young. It is biological and unchanging.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

projective test in which people are presented with ambiguous images, and they then make up stories to go with the images in an effort to uncover their unconscious desires, fears, and struggles

unconscious

mental activity of which we are unaware and unable to access

Galen’s theory of the four temperaments

4 Spectrums: Strong emotions, unchangeable temperaments, changeable temperaments, weak emotions

• Choleric: Egocentric, excitable, exhibitionist, impulsive, histrionic, active

  • thrill seekers

  • mix of strong emotions and changeable temperaments

• Sanguine: playful, easy going, sociable, carefree, hopeful, contented

  • chill

  • changeable temperaments and weak emotions

• Phlegmatic: reasonable, principled, controlled, persistent, steadfast, calm

  • unchangeable temperaments and weak emotions

• Melancholic: anxious, worried, unhappy, suspicious, serious, thoughtful

  • strong emotions and unchangeable temperaments

denial

a defense mechanism: refusing to accept real events because they are unpleasant.