AP Psych: Personality

Personality

Set of thoughts, feelings, traits, and behaviors that are characteristics of a person and consistent over time.

The Self

The center of the personality, organized feelings, and actions.

Self-Esteem

Feelings of self-worth.

Collectivism

Identity is determined by being a member of a group and its goals.

Individualism

Identity is determined by one's own personality traits and goals.

Self-Serving Bias

People tend to see themselves as better than average and accept responsibility for good deeds but not bad deeds.

Projective Tests

Reports a neutral stimulus and assumes that test-takers will project their subconscious thoughts or feelings onto the stimulus.

Self-Reported Tests

Multiple-choice tests that help people learn about themselves.

Validity

The extent to which a test measures what it should.

Reliability

The extent to which a test yields consistent results.

Direct Observation

An assessor observes the subject's behavior and records it.

Freud's Psychoanalytic Personality System

Attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts.

Id

Unconscious psychic energy.

Ego

Executive mediator.

Superego

Internalized ideals.

Freud's Defense Mechanisms

Repression, Regression, Reaction Formation, Projection, Rationalization, Displacement, Sublimation, Denial.

Carl Jung's Analytic Theory of Personality

Believed that the unconscious shapes our personalities.

Collective Unconscious

Memories or ideas that we have from our ancestors.

Alfred Adler's Individual Psychology

Personality is shaped by social tensions, primarily childhood feelings of inferiority.

Karen Horney's Psychoanalytic Theory

Personality is shaped by social tensions, primarily childhood feelings of helplessness.

Biological and Evolutionary Theory

Some traits are innate and encourage survival and reproduction.

Temperament

An infant's natural disposition, is biological.

Extraversion & Agreeableness

Ensure survival.

Abraham Maslow's Holistic Dynamic Theory

Personality develops as various needs are met.

Self-Actualization

Personal potential is fully realized or fulfilled.

Carl Roger's Self Theory

Believed people are good and have self-actualizing tendencies.

Unconditional Positive Regard

An attitude of genuineness, acceptance, and empathy.

Gordon Allport's Trait Theory

Three levels of traits that determine behavior.

MBTI

Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator.

The Big Five Personality Factors

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism.

George Kelly's Personal Construct Theory

People develop their own "constructs" to understand the world.

Albert Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory

Developed reciprocal determinism and self-efficacy.

Reciprocal Determinism

The interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment.

Self-efficacy

The belief that oneself is competent.

Julian Rotter's Social-Learning Theory

A person's behavior is controlled by their personality's response to the environment.

Personal Control

Whether we see ourselves as controlling or being controlled.

Internal Locus of Control

Consequences are a result of our behaviors and personal characteristics.

External Locus of Control

Consequences are unpredictable, under the control of others, or random.

Walter Mischel's Cognitive-Affective Personality System

Self-Report tests are flawed, and the only indicator of personality is past behaviors.

Self-Regulation

Ability to control impulses and delay gratification.

Marshmallow Test

Experiment by Walter Mischel where children were offered one small reward immediately or two small rewards if they waited. Those who waited have better life outcomes.

Repression

Banish bad thoughts.

Regression

Retreat into a younger self.

Reaction Formation

Switch the thought/emotion into the opposite.

Projection

Attribute the quality to someone else.

Rationalization

Self-justifying explanations.

Displacement

Direct an impulse at a more acceptable object or person.

Sublimation

Re-channel an impulse into a socially acceptable activity.

Denial

Refusal to recognize something as painful.