Theories of Personality (Chapter 8A) , Self-report and Behavioral Assessment of Psychopathology (Chapter 8B)

Barnum Effect (Forer)

The tendency for people to believe vague personality descriptions apply specifically to them.

Phrenology

A pseudoscientific idea that bumps on the skull reveal personality traits. It is not reliable or valid.

Graphology

The study of handwriting to judge personality. It is not reliable or valid.

Idiographic Approach

An approach that studies each person as unique.

Nomothetic Approach

An approach that looks for general personality traits and behaviors shared by many people.

Five Factor Model (OCEAN)

A personality model with five major traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

Cattells Trait Theory

Cattell believed personality is made up of basic traits that can be scientifically measured. He used factor analysis, a statistical method that groups related traits together, to study personality. From this research, he identified 16 basic source traits that form the foundation of human personality. These traits are measured using the 16PF (16 Personality Factors) personality test.

Mischel’s Critique

Mischel criticized trait theories by arguing that people do not behave consistently in every situation. He believed situational factors often influence behavior more than stable personality traits. He also found that personality traits were only moderately good at predicting behavior, with correlations usually around .30

Id

The instinctual part of personality that seeks immediate pleasure and satisfaction without logic or concern for consequences.

Ego

The conscious and rational part of personality that balances the demands of the id, reality, and the superego.

Superego

The moral part of personality that contains society’s and parents’ ideas of right and wrong and tries to control the id’s impulses.

Defense Mechanisms

Unconscious mental strategies used by the ego to reduce anxiety and deal with conflict between the id, superego, and reality.

Phenomenological Theories

Personality theories that focus on personal experiences, individual perceptions, feelings, and the meaning people give to their experiences. These theories emphasize the importance of the self and how people uniquely view the world.

Behavioral and Social Learning Theories

Theories that view behavior as learned from experience and the environment. Behavior is considered situation-specific and shaped through learning, reinforcement, observation, and personal experiences.

Self-Efficacy

Locus of Control

State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)

A self-report test that measures anxiety. It separates temporary anxiety in the moment (state anxiety) from long-term anxiety tendencies (trait anxiety).

Jenkins Activity Survey

A theory-guided personality test designed to measure Type A behavior patterns, such as competitiveness, impatience, and time urgency.

Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ)

personality test developed using factor analysis that measures three major personality dimensions: psychoticism, extraversion, and neuroticism. It has good reliability.

Psychoticism

A personality trait linked to aggressiveness, impulsiveness, and lack of empathy.

Extraversion

A personality trait involving sociability, outgoingness, and energy.

Neuroticism

A personality trait involving emotional instability, anxiety, and moodiness.

MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2)

A criterion-keyed personality test mainly used to assess psychopathology and mental disorders. It includes clinical and validity scales and is widely used in psychological assessment.

MCMI-III (The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III)

175-item true/false self-report questionnaire designed to assess personality disorders and clinical syndromes based on DSM-IV criteria