PSYC - Unit 3 Exam

Personality

Personality

A person’s consistent pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving

Traits

summary terms that capture an individual’s stable and enduring tendency to respond to situations in a certain way; unique characteristics that influence behavior

Allport

came up with 4000 traits and categorized them into three levels: cardinal, central(dominant), and secondary(situational) traits.

Cattell

reduced the number of traits to 16; everyone has them but at varying levels

Eyesenck

introversion vs extroversion & stability vs instability

The Big Five (ocean)

a model of personality that includes five broad dimensions: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

Openness to Experience

open, tolerant, imaginative, independent

Conscientiousness

organized, careful, diligent

Extraversion

outgoing, fun

Agreeableness

helpful, empathetic, trusting

Neuroticism

anxious, insecure, tendency of negative emotions

person-situation controversy

person’s behavior is different in different situations

Objective personality tests

standardized, self-reported questionnaires

MMPI

a widely used objective personality test designed to assess various psychological conditions and personality attributes.

Myers-Briggs Type indicator

an objective personality assessment that categorizes individuals into 16 different personality types

Projective personality tests

based on psychodynamic perspective and sensitive to examiner’s beliefs.

Rorschach Inkblot test

a projective test that uses ambiguous inkblot images to assess personality and emotional functioning.

Thematic Apperception test

a projective test that involves creating stories about ambiguous images to reveal underlying motives and personality traits.

locus of control

perceived source of control in an individual’s life that results in attribution of events to circumstances within or beyond their control

reciprocal determination

behavior is influenced by and influences your cognition and environment in a continuous loop

self-efficacy

the belief in one's ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task. (success vs failure)

Humanistic Theory

potential for positive growth and achievement rather than deficits

Maslow and Self-Actualization

involves making “full use” of talents, capabilities, and potentials. Everyone has the need to reach this, but may never meet it.

Rogers and Person-Centered Perspective

3 elements of a healthy environment: genuineness, acceptance, empathy

Self-concept

perceptions of one’s abilities, behavior, and characteristics (real vs ideal self)

psychological disorder

pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are…

1. deviant

2. disordered

3. dysfunctional

4. dangerous

Deviant

behavior that is different from societal norms or expectations

disordered

behavior that causes distress for the person exhibiting it or those around them

dysfunctional

behavior that interferes with daily functioning or well-being.

dangerous

behavior that poses a threat to oneself or others.

Classifying Psychological Disorders

arrange various behaviors into groups/symptoms that make up a particular disorder

DSM

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

First edition:1952

106 disorders

Fifth Edition: 2013/2017

297 disorders

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

tension, excess worry, state of physiological arousal that has no specific trigger

Panic Attacks

heart palpitations, shortness of breath, choking sensation, trembling, dizziness

Panic Disorder

having multiple panic attacks when there is no reasonable causation

Major Depressive DIsorder

feelings of extreme unhappiness and hopelessness that interferes with daily life that cause significant distress and impairment

Major Depressive Disorder diagnosis

at least 5 symptoms that last over 2 weeks; can be cognitive, emotional, or physiological

schizophrenia

chronic and disabling mental disorder characterized by disorganized/delusional thinking, distorted sensory and perceptional experiences

positive symptoms of schizophrenia

• disorganized speech - train of though lacks sense

• delusions - false beliefs

• hallucinations

negative symptoms of schizophrenia

• poverty of speech

• lack of affect

• lack of volition

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

unwanted repetitive thoughts and actions that interfere with daily functioning

hoarding disorder

a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, leading to clutter and distress.

Bipolar disorder

alternative periods of extreme highs (mania) and extremes lows (depression)

dissociative disorders

person seems to experience a sudden loss of memory or change in identity, often in response to stressful circumstances

dissociative identity disorder

two or more distinct identities alternatively control a person’s behavior as a result of trauma to “protect” the original person

personality disorders

maladaptive pattern of behaviors and emotional insecurity impair the ability to interact successfully in society

cluster A

odd or eccentric behavior

cluster B

behavior driven by impulsive, dramatic patterns and emotional insecurity

cluster C

anxiety regarding the environment and relationships

antisocial personality disorder

deceitful, impulsive, irresponsible, charismatic, no empathy

Attitudes

the emotional and cognitive evaluation that we attach to people, places, objects, and ideas

cognitive dissonance

the tension we experience when our attitudes and behaviors do not match; we are motivated to change the other to be consistent

sterotypes

overgeneralized characteristics that we assign to all members of a certain group

stereotype threat

being at risk of confirming a stereotype based on your own group membership

prejudice

positive or negative attitude towards a group that influences how we think/act/feel about the members of that group

in-group

a social group to which a person psychologically identifies as being a member.

out-group

a social group with which an individual does not identify, often leading to bias or discrimination against its members.

discrimination

prejudiced treatment of people based on group membership

psychology of prejudice

stereotypes → attitude → prejudice → discrimination

systemic racism

a form of racism that is embedded as normal practice within society or an organization

social norms

rules and expectations of the group concerning the behavior of individual members

explicit

formally adopted as written laws, rules, or policies

implicit

expectations that govern society that are not formal

social roles

expected behaviors of individuals within certain characteristics in a social group

conformity

the process of adapting our individual behavior to meet the social norms

informational influence

long-term changes in behavior due to desire to do what is right in a social setting

informational influence 2

likely to behave like that by themselves when no one is present, adopting the social norm

normative influence

short-term changes in behavior due to a desire for social approval or to avoid social disapproval

fundamental attribution error

• overemphasizes personal attributions

• ignores situational attributions

personal attribution

we assign the cause of behavior to something within the individual, such as their personality or character traits.

situational attribution

we assign the cause of behavior to something outside the individual, such as environmental factors or external circumstances.

bystander effect

the tendency for the likelihood of receiving help to decrease as number of people witnessing the emergency increases

diffusion of responsibility

the more people in the group, the less on person feels responsible for the outcome of the situation