Unit 9 Personality (AP Psych)

What is Reciprocal Determinism?

A concept created by Albert Bandura that states behavior, cognition, and environment interact to shape personality.

Who proposed the Personal Construct Theory and what does it suggest about personality?

George Kelly- It suggests that our behavior and personality are determined by how we interpret the world through personal constructs.

What is the difference between external and internal locus of control?

External locus of control refers to believing that outside forces determine fate, while internal locus of control refers to believing that one can control their own fate.

What is the significance of personality testing in the social cognitive perspective?

It is based on past performance in similar situations to predict future behavior and personality.

What are the three parts of personality according to Sigmund Freud?

ID, Ego, and Super Ego

What does the ID represent in Freud's theory?

The ID represents the unconscious, selfish part of personality driven by the pleasure principle.

What is the function of the Ego in Freud's model?

The Ego mediates between the ID and Super Ego, operating on the reality principle.

What are Freud's Psychosexual Stages of Development?

Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, and Genital stages.

What is fixation in the context of Freud's theory?

Fixation occurs when an individual becomes stuck in one of the psychosexual stages, leading to dysfunctional personality traits.

What is the purpose of defense mechanisms according to Freud?

Defense mechanisms protect the individual from negative or taboo thoughts when the ID dominates decision-making.

What is the focus of Neo-Freudian theories?

They shift away from Freud's emphasis on sexual repression and focus more on social factors in personality development.

Who is Alfred Adler and what concept did he introduce?

Alfred Adler introduced the concept of the inferiority complex, emphasizing social tensions in personality development.

What is the Rorschach Inkblot Test?

A projective test that seeks to identify inner feelings by analyzing interpretations of ambiguous inkblots.

What do modern research findings suggest about Freud's theories?

They suggest that personality develops throughout life and is influenced by peer relationships, not just childhood experiences.

What is the significance of implicit memories in personality?

Implicit memories can influence perceptions and interpretations without conscious awareness.

What did Karen Horney argue against Freud's views?

She argued against Freud's idea of women having weak super egos and emphasized social aspects of development.

What is the main criticism of Freud's psychosexual stages?

The criticism is that personality does not remain fixed in childhood and continues to develop throughout life.

What is the purpose of projective testing in personality assessment?

To reveal unconscious thoughts and feelings through responses to ambiguous stimuli.

What is the relationship between personality and behavior in the social cognitive perspective?

Personality is viewed as a result of learned behaviors shaped by past experiences and environmental influences.

What is the role of schemas in personality development?

Schemas guide perceptions and interpretations, influencing personality and behavior.

How do negative emotions relate to external locus of control?

Individuals with an external locus of control may be more susceptible to negative emotions and feelings of failure.

What is the significance of the identification process in personality development?

It helps children adopt behaviors from same-sex parents, strengthening the Super Ego.

What is Trait Theory?

A theory that suggests personality consists of consistent patterns of behavior or thought processes.

What are the three categories of dispositions identified by Gordon Allport?

Cardinal disposition, Central disposition, Secondary disposition.

What does a Cardinal disposition represent?

A trait that plays a pivotal role in how a person behaves all the time.

What is the main focus of Trait Theorists?

Identifying and labeling traits rather than understanding their causes.

What statistical procedure do psychologists use to analyze personality traits?

Factor Analysis

What are the Big Five personality factors?

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism.

What is the Person-Situation Controversy?

The idea that traits may be enduring but behavior can vary significantly across different situations.

What is the Barnum Effect?

A phenomenon where individuals find personal meaning in vague statements that could apply to many.

What is an Oral Fixation?

A personality trait resulting from too much or too little gratification during the oral stage.

What characterizes the Anal Stage of psychosexual development?

Focus on bladder and bowel control, with potential for anal retentive or anal expulsive traits.

What is the Oedipus Complex?

A boy's unconscious sexual desire for his mother and rivalry with his father.

What is the Electra Complex?

A girl's unconscious sexual desire for her father and rivalry with her mother.

What are Defense Mechanisms?

The ego's protective methods for reducing anxiety by distorting reality.

What is Repression in the context of defense mechanisms?

The banishment of anxiety-arousing thoughts and memories from consciousness.

What does Regression refer to in psychological terms?

Retreating to a more infantile psychosexual stage when faced with anxiety.

What is the role of the Id in Freud's model of personality?

It strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives, operating on the pleasure principle.

What is the function of the Ego?

To mediate between the demands of the Id and the Superego, functioning as the 'executive'.

What does the Superego represent?

The moral side of personality, providing standards for judgment and aspirations.

What is the significance of personality inventories?

They use structured questions to assess personality traits and provide insights into behavior.

What is the MMPI?

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, a widely used personality test.

What are the two polar dimensions suggested by Hans and Sybil Eysenck?

Extraversion-Introversion and Emotional Stability-Instability.

What does Projection refer to in psychology?

A defense mechanism that leads people to disguise their own threatening impulses by attributing them to others.

What is Displacement in the context of defense mechanisms?

A defense mechanism that shifts sexual or aggressive impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object or person.

What is the TAT test?

Thematic Apperception Test, where people express their inner feelings and interests through stories made up about ambiguous scenes.

What are the criticisms of projective tests?

They lack reliability (consistency of results) and validity (predicting what they are supposed to).

What does Free Association aim to achieve?

It works on the principle that talking about problems creates a sense of relief.

What is the Humanistic perspective in psychology?

A viewpoint that emphasizes personal growth and the concept of self-actualization, focusing on unlocking one's full potential.

Who are the main figures associated with Humanistic psychology?

Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers.

What is Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

A motivational theory that suggests we are motivated by a series of needs, starting with physiological needs and aiming for self-actualization.

What is Unconditional Positive Regard?

An attitude of acceptance of others despite their failings, as proposed by Carl Rogers.

Define Self-Concept.

All of our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, answering the question 'Who am I?'

What is the difference between ideal self and real self?

The ideal self is how one wishes to be, while the real self is how one actually is.

What are the Big Five Factors in personality?

Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Openness, and Extraversion.

What do behaviorists like B.F. Skinner believe about personality?

They believe that the environment dictates personality through reinforcement contingencies.

What is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)?

The most widely used personality test, originally designed to identify emotional disorders.

What is the significance of Factor Analysis in personality assessment?

It is a statistical procedure used to identify different components of personality traits based on test responses.

What are Cardinal, Central, and Secondary dispositions?

Cardinal dispositions play a pivotal role in all actions, central dispositions influence personality significantly, and secondary dispositions have a smaller influence.

Who created the 16 Personality Factor (16PF) inventory?

Raymond Cattell.

What did Hans and Sybil Eysenck propose about personality dimensions?

They suggested that personality could be reduced to two polar dimensions: extraversion-introversion and emotional stability-instability.

What is the main criticism of Eysenck's personality dimensions?

They are considered too narrow compared to the broader range of traits identified by other researchers.

We remember and justify our past actions in self enhancing ways.  We exhibit an inflated confidence in our beliefs and judgements.  

self-serving bias

______ mechanisms are certain specific means by which the ego unconsciously protects itself against unpleaseant impulses or circumstances.

defense

According to psychoanalytic theory, the part of the personality that strives for immediate gratification of basic drives is the:

Id

While Professor James was going through a painful divorce, he tended to create unnecessarily difficult tests and gave his students unusually low grades. A psychoanalyst would be most likely to view the professor’s treatment of students as an example of:

displacement

Reaction formation refers to the process by which people:

consciously express feelings that are the opposite of unacceptable unconscious impulses.

 a psychological test that assesses personality traits and psychopathology. It is primarily intended to test people who are suspected of having mental health or other clinical issues.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

Internal Locus of Control- generally believe that their successes or failures result from factors beyond their control, such as luck, fate, circumstance, injustice, bias, or teachers who are unfair, prejudiced, or unskilled.

false

In our attempts to understand the world we develop our own labels/ideas....  Fair-unfair  Smart-dumb  Right-wrong

George Kelly- Personal Construct Theory

3 elements equally interact to create our environment. Behavior (Action) Cognition (Mental Label) Environment (Situation)

Albert Bandura- Reciprocal Determinism

personal control over our environment (Cognitive view of our environment) Do we control our environment? Internal locus of control Does our environment control us? External locus of control

Jillian Rotter

According to Freud, the unconscious is:

the thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories, of which we are largely unaware.

Which of the following is the best examples of Freudian fixation

anal retentive, anal expulsive, oral fixation

forgotten memories that we can easily recall were said by Freud to be:

preconcious

Organized<->Disorganized Careful <-> Careless Disciplined <-> impulsive

conscientiousness

Soft hearted <-> ruthless Trusting <-> Suspicious Helpful <-> Uncooperative

agreeableness

Calm <-> Anxious Secure <-> Insecure Self satisfied <-> Self pitying

Neuroticism

imaginative <-> Practical preference for variety <-> Preference for routine independent <-> Conforming

openness

Sociable <->Retiring Fun loving <-> Sober Affectionate <->Reserved

extraversion

The humanistic perspective emphasizes the importance of:

self-determination

If one is continually punished, then fear, anger, & anxiety would dominate behavior.

Reinforcement Contingencies

When she was 8 years old, Inge was physically abused by her uncle. At 14, Inge felt uncomfortable whenever she saw this uncle but was unable to understand why she felt this way. A psychoanalyst would be most likely to suggest that Inge is using the defense mechanism of:

repression

according to Rogers, an attitude of total acceptance toward another person

unconditional positive regard

When 2‑year‑old Matthew was told he would get no dessert until he finished the food on his plate, he threw his plate on the floor in a temper tantrum. Freud would have suggested that Matthew was unable to resist the demands of his:

ID

Four‑year‑old Timmy has not wet his bed for over a year. However, he starts bed‑wetting again soon after his sister is born. Timmy’s behavior best illustrates:

regression

the realization or fulfillment of one's talents and potentialities, especially considered as a drive or need present in everyone.

self-actualization

The part of the mind that contains material of which we are unaware but that strongly influences conscious processes and behaviors is known as the:

Unconcious

The defense mechanism in which self‑justifying explanations replace the real, unconscious reasons for actions is:

Rationalization

According to Freud, the personality system that represents our sense of right and wrong and our ideal standards is the:

superego

a way for the mind to protect us from being consciously aware of thoughts or feelings that are too difficult to tolerate. Since the thought or feeling is too difficult to tolerate "this" only allows the unconscious thought or feeling to be expressed indirectly in some type of disguised form

defense mechanisms

the basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness

repression

iAccording to Freud there are times when people are faced with situations that are so anxiety provoking that they can't deal with it and they protect themselves by retreating to an earlier stage of development. For example, my niece was afraid to go to school for the first time (first day of school can be very scary) so she began to exhibit very childish behaviors like throwing a tantrum, crying, not letting go of her mother's leg, and even wetting her pants.

regression

the ego unconsciously switches unacceptable impulses into their opposites. thus, people may express feelings that are the opposite of their anxiety-arousing unconscious feelings.

reaction formation

is when someone is threatened by or afraid of their own impulses so they attribute these impulses to someone else.

projection

if I flunk out of school because I didn't study properly it might be so hard for me to deal with that I ___________my behaviors by saying that I simply didn't have enough time to study because I have a full-time job, a baby at home, and so many other demands on my time.

rationalization

if you are very angry at your teacher because you did poorly on a test and think the reason for your poor performance is because the teacher asked tricky, unfair questions, you may become angry at your teacher. But, you obviously can't yell at your teacher (really, you can't!), hit your teacher, or express your angry in any other hostile way toward the teacher, so you go home and "________" your anger by punching your little brother instead.

displacement

According to Carl Jung, each person not only has their own unique unconscious mind, but also shares some elements of unconsciousness with all other people.

collective unconcious