Unit 7 - Personality, MESH, Positive Psychology (CED 2024)

Personality

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

Trait Theories of Personality

Theories that focus on the identification and measurement of personality traits.

Big-5 Model of Personality

A model describing five core traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism, often abbreviated as OCEAN.

Id

The primitive, instinctual component of personality that operates on the pleasure principle.

Superego

The moral component of personality that represents internalized ideals and societal rules.

Ego

The rational part of personality that operates on the reality principle, mediating between the id and superego.

Defense Mechanisms

Unconscious reactions that protect a person from unpleasant emotions like anxiety and guilt.

MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory)

The most widely researched and clinically used personality inventory, which contains true/false questions.

Reciprocal Determinism

The concept that a person's behavior is influenced by personal factors and social environment.

Self-Actualization

The motivation to fulfill one’s potential and achieve personal growth.

Intrinsic Motivation

The desire to engage in an activity for its own sake, driven by personal satisfaction.

Extrinsic Motivation

The desire to perform a behavior to receive external rewards or avoid punishment.

Positive Psychology

The scientific study of optimal human functioning, focusing on strengths and well-being.

PERMA

An acronym representing the five elements of well-being: Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Achievement.

Eustress

Positive stress that is beneficial for health and motivation.

Distress

Negative stress that can affect health and well-being adversely.

Coping Mechanisms

Strategies used to manage stress and negative emotions.

Post-Traumatic Growth

Positive psychological change experienced as a result of struggling with challenging life circumstances.

Flow

A state of complete absorbed focus and enjoyment in an activity.

Self-Efficacy

A belief in one’s ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task.

Trait Theory

A theory that suggests personality traits are stable over time and influence behavior.

James-Lange Theory of Emotion

The theory suggesting that physical reactions determine emotional experiences.

Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion

The theory positing that emotion and physiological responses occur simultaneously.

Schachter-Singer Theory of Emotion

The theory that emotion is based on physiological arousal and cognitive appraisal.

TAT (Thematic Apperception Test)

A projective test where participants tell stories about ambiguous pictures.

Rorschach Inkblot Test

A projective test involving interpretation of inkblots to reveal underlying thoughts and feelings.