Personality Theories 2023-2024 A - L1 - Intro model

What are the main objectives of the personality theories course?

To learn about personality theories, define personality, understand challenges in creating a good theory, recognize central theories, comprehend clinical applications, integrate theories, and find personal meaning.

What is the structure of the final evaluation for the course?

The final evaluation consists of a term paper (30%) and a final exam (70%), which is multiple-choice.

Define personality according to the lecture notes.

Personality is defined as psychological characteristics that contribute to consistent and distinct patterns of motivation, emotion, cognition, and behavior.

What does Kernberg define personality as?

The dynamic integration of a person’s subjective experiences and behavior patterns, including conscious and unconscious processes.

What are nomothetic measures in personality research?

Nomothetic measures are fixed metrics administered uniformly to everyone to study universal traits.

What is the focus of idiographic measures?

Idiographic measures are flexible techniques tailored specifically to the individual being studied, focusing on unique characteristics.

List one of the main components of personality theory according to the lecture.

Structure, process, growth and development, or pathology.

What does the scientific approach to personality theory require?

Objective data collection, systematic theories, testable propositions, comprehensive frameworks, and practical implications.

What philosophical issues influence personality theories?

Personal characteristics of theorists, the zeitgeist of the theory's creation, and the philosophical assumptions of the culture.

What is the significance of heredity and environment in personality development?

Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to personality traits and behaviors along with the interaction between them.

What does the term "psychopathology" refer to in the context of personality theories?

It refers to the study of mental disorders and the understanding of how personality theories can explain and treat these disorders.

What methodological approaches are mentioned for studying personality?

Experiments, surveys, and case studies, incorporating both nomothetic and idiographic perspectives.

What is meant by the term "ego" in personality theories?

The aspect of a person that constitutes their sense of self, mediating between primitive instincts and moral considerations.

How do personality theories define 'consistency' in behavior?

As the degree to which an individual displays stable behavior across different situations and over time.

What is the core question regarding the influence of situation versus personality on behavior?

What has more impact on behavior: inherent personality traits or situational factors?

What is meant by the statement 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts' in personality?

It indicates that personality cannot simply be understood by analyzing its individual components, as they interact and create a complex whole.