Chapter 11 – Theories of Personality

agreeableness

how trusting, kind, and cooperative a person typically is.

anal stage

Freud’s 2nd stage (18–36 months) focused on toilet training and control.

archetypes

universal, symbolic images and themes in the collective unconscious.

basic anxiety

fear of being helpless and alone in a hostile world.

behavioral genetics

study of how genes and environment influence personality.

character

a person’s moral and ethical traits.

collective unconscious

Jung’s shared, inherited storehouse of human memories.

conditional positive regard

acceptance and love given only when behavior meets conditions.

conscience

part of superego that produces guilt when standards are violated.

conscientiousness

tendency to be organized, careful, and dependable.

direct observation

watching a person’s behavior in everyday or clinical settings.

ego

mostly conscious, rational part that mediates between id, superego, and reality.

Electra complex

girl’s unconscious sexual attraction to father and rivalry with mother.

expectancy

belief that a behavior will lead to a particular outcome.

extraversion

trait describing sociable, outgoing tendencies.

extraverts

people who are talkative, social, and energized by others.

feminist psychology

approach emphasizing women’s experiences and social inequalities.

five-factor model

Big Five traits

fixation

being “stuck” in a psychosexual stage due to unresolved conflict.

frequency count

assessment tallying how often a behavior occurs.

fully functioning person

Rogers’ term for someone in touch with and trusting their true self.

genital stage

final psychosexual stage; mature sexual interests emerge in adolescence/adulthood.

habits

well-learned, automatic response patterns.

halo effect

tendency to let an overall impression color specific ratings.

hardy personality

person who thrives on stress yet lacks anger/hostility of Type A.

humanistic perspective

view that stresses free will, self-actualization, and subjective experience.

id

primitive, unconscious part operating on the pleasure principle.

interview

structured or unstructured questioning used to assess personality.

introversion

focus on inner life; preference for being alone or in small groups.

introverts

people who are reserved and drained by social interaction.

latency

Freud’s stage from 6 to puberty when sexual feelings are hidden.

locus of control

belief about whether outcomes are controlled internally or by outside forces.

neo-Freudians

later psychodynamic theorists who built on Freud but modified ideas.

neuroticism

tendency toward emotional instability and negative mood.

neurotic personalities

Horney’s term for maladaptive ways of dealing with relationships.

Oedipus complex

boy’s unconscious attraction to mother and rivalry with father.

openness

willingness to try new things and be open to experience.

optimists

people who generally expect positive outcomes.

oral stage

first psychosexual stage; pleasure focused on the mouth.

personality

unique, relatively stable ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving.

personality inventory

questionnaire with standardized items measuring personality traits.

personal unconscious

Jung’s term for individual’s repressed memories and impulses.

phallic stage

psychosexual stage (3–6 years) focused on genitals and gender identity.

pleasure principle

id’s drive to seek immediate gratification and avoid pain.

positive regard

warmth, affection, and acceptance from others.

primary appraisal

first evaluation of a stressor as threat, challenge, or harmless.

projection

defense mechanism; attributing one’s own impulses to others.

projective tests

personality tests using ambiguous stimuli to elicit unconscious material.

psychological defense mechanisms

unconscious distortions that protect from anxiety.

psychosexual stages

Freud’s five developmental stages tied to erogenous zones.

rating scale

tool where specific behaviors are scored on a numerical scale.

reality principle

ego’s consideration of what is practical and acceptable.

reciprocal determinism

Bandura’s idea that environment, behavior, and personal factors interact.

Rorschach inkblot test

projective test using inkblots to assess personality.

secondary appraisal

assessment of resources for coping with a stressor.

self

one’s awareness of personal characteristics and functioning.

self-actualizing tendency

innate drive to fulfill one’s capacities and potentials.

self-concept

person’s view of “who I am.”

self-efficacy

belief in one’s ability to succeed in specific situations.

social cognitive theories

theories emphasizing learning, cognition, and social influence on personality.

social cognitive view

view that learning, thought, and environment together shape behavior.

source traits

deep, underlying traits forming the core of personality.

subjective

based on personal perceptions and experiences rather than objective facts.

superego

moral part of personality; internalized rules and ideals.

surface traits

observable personality characteristics.

Thematic Apperception Test

projective test using pictures of ambiguous scenes.

trait

stable, enduring quality that influences behavior.

trait-situation interaction

idea that traits and situations together determine behavior.

trait theories

approaches describing personality in terms of traits.

Type A personality

competitive, hard-driving, time-pressured, often hostile.

Type B personality

relaxed, easygoing, less driven and hostile.

Type C personality

pleasant but repressed, with difficulty expressing negative emotions.

Type D personality

distressed, with chronic negative emotions and social inhibition.

unconditional positive regard

acceptance and love without conditions.

unconscious mind

thoughts, memories, and desires not easily brought to awareness.

Yerkes-Dodson law

performance best at moderate arousal; too low or high hurts performance.