AP Psych Unit 4 | Theories on Personality

humanistic psychology

emphasizes the study of the whole person and the uniqueness of each individual

• particularly focuses on self-growth and unconditional positive regard as essential for achieving personal potential

unconditional regard

when an individual is accepted and loved as they are, without any conditions or judgments

• fosters personal growth and self-acceptance

self-actualizing tendency

the innate drive in every individual to grow, develop, and realize their fullest potential

social-cognitive theory

theory that emphasizes the influence of cognitive processes, behaviors, and context in understanding personality and human actions

reciprocal determinism

the concept that an individual’s behavior, personal factors (such as thoughts and emotions), and environment influence one another

self-concept

an individual’s self-perception, encompassing self-awareness and the evaluation of their role in relation to others

self-efficacy

the belief in one’s own ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task, which plays a crucial role in how goals, tasks, and challenges are approached

self-esteem

a person’s overall subjective emotional evaluation of their own worth

• judgment of oneself as well as an attitude toward the self

trait theories

suggest that personality is made up of stable characteristics—traits—that consistently influence how a person thinks and behaves

Big Five theory

indentifies five broad dimensions of personality:

• openness

• conscientiousness

• extraversion

• agreeableness

• neuroticism

personality inventories

standardized tools used to assess and measure individual personality traits and characteristics through self-report questionnaires

factor analysis

a statistical method used to identify clusters of related factors in a set of data

openness to experience

a personality trait that encompasses a person’s imagination, curiosity, and willingness to engage with new ideas, experiences, and creative pursuits

conscientiousness

a personality trait marked by organization, dependability, discipline, and a goal-directed approach to life

extraversion

a personality trait characterized by high levels of sociability, energy, assertiveness, and a strong preference for social interaction and stimulation

agreeableness

a personality trait characterized by warmth, kindness, empathy, and a cooperative and trusting nature

emotional stability

the trait of having consistent emotional reactions, resilience, and the ability to remain calm and composed under stress

• opposite to neuroticism

social-cognitive concepts

• reciprocal determinism

• self-concept

• self-esteem

• self-efficacy

humanistics concepts

• unconditional positive regard

• self-actualizing tendency

trait theory concepts

• Big Five theory