chapter 11: Personality Theories

Key vocabulary and concepts related to Personality Theories in Psychology.

What is Freudian Theory

A theory of personality development that includes components like id, superego, and ego.

What is Id

The part of the personality that contains our primal instincts and desires.

What is Superego

The ethical component of the personality that provides the moral standards.

What is Ego

The rational part of personality that mediates between desires of the id and the superego.

What is Conscious

The mental state that we are aware of at any given moment.

What is Unconscious

The part of the mind that houses memories and instincts that are not accessible to our conscious awareness.

What is Preconscious

The state of being that includes thoughts and feelings that can be brought to consciousness.

What is Psychic energy

The mental energy that drives personality and behavior.

What is Defense mechanisms

Psychological strategies used to cope with reality and maintain self-image.

What is Repression

A defense mechanism that involuntarily excludes undesirable thoughts and feelings from consciousness.

What is Displacement

A defense mechanism where emotional impulses are redirected to a safer substitute.

What is Denial

A defense mechanism that involves rejecting reality to avoid uncomfortable feelings.

What is Reaction formation

A defense mechanism that involves converting unwanted thoughts or feelings into their opposites.

What is Projection

A defense mechanism where individuals attribute their own unacceptable thoughts and feelings to others.

What is Psychosexual stages

Stages of development proposed by Freud that are associated with specific erogenous zones.

What is the Oral stage

The first psychosexual stage (0-1 years) focused on oral pleasures.

What is the Anal stage

The second psychosexual stage (1-3 years) where pleasure focuses on bowel and bladder control.

What is the Phallic stage

The third psychosexual stage (3-6 years) where pleasure centers on the genitals.

What is the Latency stage

The fourth psychosexual stage (6-puberty) characterized by dormant sexual feelings.

What is the Genital stage

The final psychosexual stage (puberty onward) focused on mature sexual intimacy.

What is The Interpretation of Dreams

A concept by Freud that suggests dreams reveal the unconscious mind.

What is Psychoanalysis

A method of therapy aimed at bringing unconscious material to conscious awareness.

What is Objectives of Psychoanalysis

Goals include interpreting dreams, free association, and analyzing Freudian slips.

What is the Big 5 model of personality

A trait theory framework that includes Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

What is Cognitive Social-Learning Approach

An approach that focuses on how people direct their own behavior through observational learning.

What is Humanistic Approach

A perspective that emphasizes self-actualization and personal growth.

What is Objective tests

Personality assessments that provide measurable outcomes, often using standardized questionnaires.

What is Projective tests

Personality assessments that involve interpreting ambiguous stimuli to reveal underlying thoughts and feelings.

After Mike does not get the job he interviewed for, he moves back in with his parents and spends his days playing video games. Which defense mechanism does this exemplify?

Regression

According to Abraham Maslow, the highest need is ________.

Self-actualization

What is the main difference between Sigmund Freud and the neo-Freudians?

Neo-Freudians reduced the emphasis on sex.

What was the main idea behind Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development?

An individual’s personality develops throughout the lifespan

The ________ uses images and storytelling that relate to minority cultures.

TEMAS Multicultural Thematic Apperception Test

________ theorists attempt to explain our personality by identifying our stable characteristics and ways of behaving.

Trait

According to Sigmund Freud, an adult who smokes, drinks, overeats, or bites her nails is fixated in the ________ stage of her psychosexual development.

Oral

What is the main idea of the behavioral perspective on personality?

Personality is significantly shaped by the reinforcements and consequences outside of the organism.

What was the primary finding of the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart?

Identical twins, whether raised together or apart, have very similar personalities.

Sigmund Freud suggested that people who are dominated by their ________ might be narcissistic and impulsive.

Id

What is personality?

the unique way a person thinks, feels, and behaves. It makes each person different and affects how they act in different situations

What were some early theories about personality development?

Early theories include:

1. Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory: Personality is shaped by unconscious desires and conflicts.

2. Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory: Personality develops in stages, each with a life challenge.

3. Trait Theory: Personality is made up of stable traits that stay consistent.

4. Behaviorism: Personality comes from learning and experiences in the environment.

What does the psychodynamic perspective say about personality?

shaped by unconscious thoughts, early childhood experiences, and conflicts between desires and rules.

What are the id, ego, and superego?

Id: Wants immediate pleasure, Ego: Makes realistic decisions, Superego: Follows morals and rules.

What are defense mechanisms?

Ways the mind protects itself from anxiety, like denial, repression, or projection.

What is the inferiority complex?

Feeling weak or not good enough, which makes a person try to overcompensate.

How do Erikson’s and Freud’s views on personality differ?

Freud says Personality comes from unconscious drives and childhood and Erikson says Personality develops through social challenges across life.

What are Jung’s collective unconscious and archetypes?

We share a collective unconscious with universal memories, and archetypes are common symbols like the hero or mother.

What did Karen Horney contribute?

She focused on social and cultural influences, challenged Freud’s ideas like penis envy, and emphasized the need for security in relationships.

What is the behaviorist perspective on personality?

Personality comes from learning and experiences, shaped by rewards and punishments.

What is the cognitive perspective on personality?

Personality comes from how we think and interpret the world

What is the social cognitive perspective on personality?

Personality comes from thinking, observing others, and learning from experiences.

What did Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers contribute to personality development?

They focused on humanistic psychology, emphasizing personal growth, self-actualization, and the idea that people naturally strive to reach their potential.

What did the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart find about personality and genetics?

The study showed that genetics play a strong role in personality, since identical twins raised apart often have very similar traits.

What is temperament, and what are the three infant temperaments identified by Thomas and Chess?

Temperament is a baby’s natural emotional and behavioral style. The three types are:

1. Easy: Cheerful, adaptable.

2. Difficult: Irritable, irregular.

3. Slow-to-warm-up: Shy, cautious.

What is the evolutionary perspective on personality development?

Personality traits evolved to help humans survive and reproduce, such as traits for cooperation, competition, or fear.

What were the early trait theories of Cattell and Eysenck?

Cattell: Identified 16 key personality traits.

Eysenck: Focused on three major dimensions: extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism.

What are the Big Five personality traits, and what are examples of high and low levels?

Openness: High – imaginative; Low – practical.

Conscientiousness: High – organized; Low – careless.

Extraversion: High – outgoing; Low – reserved.

Agreeableness: High – friendly; Low – competitive.

Neuroticism: High – anxious; Low – calm.

How do personality differences show up in collectivist vs. individualist cultures?

Collectivist cultures: People focus on group goals, cooperation, and social harmony.

Individualist cultures: People focus on personal goals, independence, and self-expression

What are the three approaches to studying personality in a cultural context?

Indigenous approach: Study personality within a specific culture.

Etic approach: Compare traits across cultures.

Emic approach: Focus on traits unique to one culture.

What is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)?

A widely used self-report questionnaire that measures personality traits and identifies psychological disorders.

What are common projective tests in personality assessment?

Tests that use ambiguous stimuli to uncover unconscious thoughts, such as:

Rorschach Inkblot Test

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)