Chapter 12: Personality

personality

an individual’s consistent patterns of feeling, thinking, and behaving

traits

relatively enduring characteristics that influence our behavior across many situations

authoritarianism

People who are more authoritarian believe it is important to strictly follow conventional values. Anyone who appears to deviate from these values is met with hostility. Authoritarians demand that people who hold lower status do as they say. Similarly, authoritarians defer to people who hold higher status than themselves.

individual-collectivism

Individualism is the tendency to focus on oneself and our own personal goals; collectivism is the tendency to view ourselves as part of a larger social group.

Internal versus external locus of control

Those with more of an internal locus of control are more likely to believe that life events are due largely to their own efforts and personal characteristics. Those with more of an external locus of control are more likely to believe life events are due to luck or other outside forces.

need for achievement

The desire to make significant accomplishments by mastering skills or meeting high standards

need for cognition

The extent to which people engage in and enjoy effortful cognitive activities

regulatory focus

Refers to differences in the motivations that energize behavior, varying from a promotion orientation (seeking out new opportunities) to a prevention orientation (avoiding negative outcomes)

self-esteem

High self-esteem means having a positive attitude toward oneself and one’s capabilities

sensation seeking

The motivation to engage in extreme and risky behaviors

Big Five Model of Personality

this trait model says that there are five fundamental underlying trait dimensions that are cross-culturally shared and predict behavior

openness to experience

A general appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, imagination, curiosity, and variety of experience

conscientiousness

A tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement

extroversion

Interests are “toward the outer world of people and things rather than the inner world of subjective experience”

agreeableness

A tendency to be compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic toward others; reflects individual differences in general concern for social harmony

neuroticism/emotional stability

The tendency to experience  negative emotions less frequently, such as anger, anxiety, or depression

Minnesota Multiphase Personality Inventory (MMPI)

A widely used test for assessing personality and maladjustment

charismatic leaders

leaders who are enthusiastic, committed, and self-confident; who tend to talk about the importance of group goals at a broad level; and who make personal sacrifices for the group

Barnum effect

the observation that people tend to believe in personality descriptions that supposedly are specific to them, but that could, in fact, describe almost anyone

gene

the basic biological unit that transmits characteristics from one generation to the next

instincts

an innate, species-specific biological force that impels an organism to do something, particularly to perform a certain act or respond in a certain manner to specific stimuli

behavioral genetics

the study of familial or hereditary behavior patterns and of the genetic mechanisms of behavior traits

family study

a behavioral genetics study that stars with one person who has a trait of interest and examines the individual’s family tree to determine the extent to which other family members also have the trait

twin study

a behavioral genetics study in which the data from many pairs of twins are collected and the rates of similarity of identical and fraternal pairs are compared

adoption study

a behavioral genetics study that compares biologically related people, including twins, who have been reared either separately or apart

molecular genetics

the study of which genes are associated with which personality traits

psychoanalysis

a therapeutic approach developed by Sigmund Freud that aims to treat mental disorders by investigating the interaction of conscious and unconscious elements in the mind

superego

in psychodynamic psychology, the component of personality that represents our sense of morality and oughts

ego

in psychodynamic psychology, the component of personality that is the largely conscious controller or decision-maker of personality

defense mechanism

unconscious psychological strategies used to cope with anxiety and to maintain a positive self-image

displacement

Diverting threatening impulses away from the source of the anxiety and toward a more acceptable source

projection

Disguising threatening impulses by attributing them to others

rationalization

Generating self-justifying explanations for our negative behaviors

reaction formation

Making unacceptable motivations appear as their exact opposite

regression

Retreating to an earlier, more childlike, and safer stage of development

repression (or denial)

Pushing anxiety-arousing thoughts into the unconscious

sublimation

Channeling unacceptable sexual or aggressive desires into acceptable activities

collective unconscious

according to Carl Jung, a collection of shared ancestral memories

humanistic psychologists

An approach to psychology that embraces the notions of self-esteem, self-actualization, and free will

self-concept

the set of beliefs about who we are

self-esteem

positive feelings about the self

self-actualization

the motivation to develop our innate potential to the fullest possible extent

unconditional positive regard

behaviors including being genuine, open to experience, transparent, able to listen to others, and self-disclosing and empathic