CH. 12 Personality

Personality

a person's distinctive and stable way of thinking, feeling, and behaving.

behavioral genetics

the study of the impact of genes (nature) and environment (nurture) on personality and behavior.

psychodynamic theory of personality

an explanation of personality, based on the ideas of Sigmund Freud, that emphasizes unconscious forces and early childhood experiences.

psychic determinism

the belief that all thoughts and behaviors, even those that seem accidental, arbitrary, or mistaken, are determined by psychological forces.

Freudian slips

verbal or behavioral mistakes that reveal unconscious thoughts or wishes.

superego

the part of the mind that opposes the id by enforcing rules, restrictions, and morality.

ego

the part of the mind that serves as a realistic mediator between the id and superego.

defense mechanisms

techniques used by the ego to manage conflict between the id and superego.

psychosexual stages

the five biologically based developmental stages of childhood during which personality characteristics are formed.

fixation can occur

a lingering psychological difficulty directly related to unsuccessful experience of a particular psychosexual stage.

oral stage

The first of Freud's psychosexual stages, which takes place from birth to about 18 months and focuses on the psychological consequences of feeding behavior.

anal stage

lasts from about age 18 months to about age 3, and focuses on the psychological consequences of toilet training.

phallic stage

runs from approximately 3 to 6 years old and focuses on the psychological consequences of attraction to the opposite-gender parent/caregiver.

Oedipus complex

the childhood experience of desiring the mother and resenting the father.

Electra complex

the childhood experience of desiring the father and resenting the mother.

latency stage

lasts through roughly age 6 to 11 or 12, when puberty has not yet kick-started the child's sexual drive, and the child's energies are focused primarily on school and other tasks that have little to do with the sexual or bodily issues that are so prominent in other stages.

genital stage

lasts from puberty through adulthood and focuses on mature, adult sexual relationships.

neo-Freudian theories

A revised theory that did not entirely reject the basics of Freud's original psychodynamic theory.

collective unconscious

common, inherited memories that are present in the minds of people of every culture.

archetypes

specific symbols or patterns within the collective unconscious that appear consistently across cultures and time periods.

DEFENSE MECHANISM WHAT THE EGO DOES EXAMPLES

Repression: Hides your id impulse in the unconscious to keep you unaware of it You have an id impulse to insult your parent/caregiver, but it never reaches consciousness.

Denial: Blocks external events from consciousness because they are too threatening You learn that your good friend has a fatal disease but act as if everything is OK.

Regression: Retreats to an earlier time in your life when the current stressor was absent Soon after you take a stressful new job, you find yourself craving the comfort foods and TV shows you enjoyed as a kid.

Projection: "Projects" your id impulse onto others, so it appears they have it rather than you You have an id impulse to cheat on your partner, but you accuse your partner of wanting to cheat on you.

Rationalization: Comes up with seemingly acceptable explanations for behaviors actually based on id impulses You give in to your impulse to order (and eat) many boxes of Girl Scout cookies, but tell yourself that you only did so to support a worthy cause.

Reaction formation: Overreacts against the id impulse by doing the exact opposite, as if overcompensating You have an id impulse to damage your friends' new house, but instead you buy them a housewarming gift.

Displacement: Redirects the id impulse toward a safer target in order to minimize the consequences to you You have an id impulse to scream at your supervisor, but instead you scream at your dog.

Sublimation: Redirects the id impulse in a way that actually benefits others You have an id impulse to hurt other people, so you become a soldier who can do so for the sake of national security.

psychosexual stages of development

stages of child development in which a child's pleasure-seeking urges are focused on specific areas of the body called erogenous zones

humanistic theory of personality

based on the ideas of Carl Rogers, emphasizes our inherent tendencies toward healthy, positive growth and self-fulfillment.

self-actualization

fully becoming the person you have the potential to become.

positive regard

warmth, acceptance, and love from those around you.

conditions of worth

requirements that you must meet to earn their positive regard.

the ideal self

the self-actualized version of yourself that you naturally strive to become

incongruence

— a mismatch between your real self and your ideal self — leads to unhappiness and mental illness.

congruence

a match between your real self and your ideal self.

self-concept

your view of who you are. The way important people in your life treat you, particularly how they respond to your self-actualization tendencies, has tremendous power in shaping that view of yourself.

behavioral theory of personality

emphasizes the influence of the environment and the importance of observable, measurable behavior.

social-cognitive theory of personality

emphasizes the interaction of environment, thought processes, and social factors.

reciprocal determinism

the theory that three factors — your behavior, your environment, and your cognitions — continually influence each other.

self-efficacy

your beliefs about your own capabilities

locus of control

your belief about how much control you have over what happens to you.

internal locus of control

the belief that your life is under the control of forces inside of you

external locus of control

the belief that your life is under the control of forces outside of you

trait theory of personality

emphasizes the discovery and description of the basic components of personality. All other personality theories attempt to explain why personality develops the way it does.

traits

stable elements of personality that influence thoughts, feelings, and behavior across most situations.

five-factor model of personality (the Big Five)

an explanation of personality that emphasizes five fundamental traits present in all people to varying degrees.

Neuroticism

the tendency to experience negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, and stress

Extraversion

the tendency to be socially outgoing

Openness to experience — the tendency to be receptive to new or unconventional ideas

Conscientiousness

the tendency to be organized, responsible, and deliberate

Agreeableness

the tendency to cooperate and comply with other people

multimethod assessment

an approach to personality assessment that emphasizes the use of multiple methods rather than only one method.

cultural competence

the ability to work sensitively and expertly with members of a culturally diverse society.

clinical interview

a method of personality assessment in which the psychologist engages in conversation with the client.

objective personality tests

the client responds to a standardized set of questions, usually in multiple-choice or true-false format.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2)

a widely used and respected objective personality test that emphasizes mental disorders.

NEO-Personality Inventory-3 (NEO-PI-3)

an objective personality test that measures the Big Five personality factors

projective personality tests

clients respond to ambiguous stimuli in a free-form way.

Rorschach inkblot technique

a projective personality test in which the client responds to 10 inkblot images.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

a projective personality test in which the client creates stories in response to cards that show people in undefined situations.

behavioral assessment

an approach to assessment that assumes client behaviors are themselves the problems, rather than signs of deeper problems.

What are the big 5 personality traits?

openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism