Chapter 12: Personality

Personality

An enduring set of internally based characteristics that produce uniqueness and consistency in the expression of a person’s thoughts and behaviors.

Traits

Internally based characteristics that make up one's personality, influencing behavior along a continuum from mild to extreme.

Uniqueness

Refers to the distinctiveness of an individual's personality traits and characteristics.

Consistency

Personality traits exhibit consistency across different situations and over time.

Individual Differences

Manifest in the types and degrees of traits individuals possess, contributing to the uniqueness of each person's personality.

Trait Assessment

Methods like the Big Five Inventory (BFI) measure traits to identify consistent patterns of behavior and predict future behavior.

Longitudinal Studies

Track individuals over time to observe how personality traits and behaviors change or remain stable across different life stages and situations.

Behavioral Genetics

Studies explore the heritability of personality traits, demonstrating the role of genetics in shaping personality characteristics.

Emotional Processes

Focus on emotions like anxiety and joy in shaping personality and behavior.

Mental Processes

Investigate cognitive aspects such as beliefs and expectations in shaping personality and behavior.

Biological Processes

Explore biological factors like genetics and hormones influencing personality development.

Conscious Mind

All mental activities a person is aware of and can access freely.

Preconscious Mind

Information not in the forefront of thoughts but can be retrieved into consciousness.

Unconscious Mind

The largest and most influential part of the mind, housing repressed thoughts or impulses.

Free Association

A technique in psychoanalysis where patients share uncensored thoughts to uncover subconscious content.

Manifest Content

What is remembered from a dream, not the true meaning according to Freud.

Latent Content

The true meaning reflecting unconscious desires and conflicts in a dream.

Id

The core component of personality in the unconscious mind driven by sexual and aggressive impulses.

Pleasure Principle

Focus of the id on fulfilling sexual urges and aggressive impulses.

Ego

Component of personality mediating between id impulses and reality.

Reality Principle

Ability to assess the reality of the external world and act accordingly.

Superego

Represents one's sense of morality based on societal and personal values.

Psychosexual Stages

Freud's theory that personality development is influenced by conflicts between the id's pleasure and societal constraints in five stages.

Oedipus complex

In psychoanalytic theory, a stage where boys feel desire for their mothers and jealousy towards their fathers, leading to identification with the same-sex parent.

Electra complex

In psychoanalytic theory, a stage where girls feel desire for their fathers and jealousy towards their mothers, leading to identification with the same-sex parent.

Phallic personality

A personality type resulting from fixation in the phallic stage, characterized by traits like narcissism, recklessness, and potential homosexuality.

Latency Stage

A stage in psychosexual development (6 years to puberty) where sexual feelings are dormant, focusing on social and intellectual skills development.

Genital Stage

The final stage of psychosexual development (puberty onward) involving mature sexual intimacy and the establishment of life partnerships.

Self-Concept

The comprehensive understanding of oneself, including traits, skills, and qualities, shaping perceptions and reactions to the world.

Self-Esteem

Reflects the positivity or negativity with which individuals view themselves, influenced by the harmony between self-evaluation and experiences.

Actual Self vs

Actual self represents who one is at present, while ideal self reflects who one aspires to be, discrepancies can impact self-esteem.

Locus of Control

Refers to an individual's belief system about the causes of experiences and the factors influencing success or failure.

Concordance Rate

A measure in genetics determining the similarity between individuals, often used in twin studies to assess genetic influences on traits or behaviors.

Neuroticism

Individuals low in neuroticism tend to be carefree, even-tempered, and calm.

High: anxious, self-pitying, and temperamental
Low: calm, contented, and stable

Psychoticism

High psychoticism individuals may exhibit impulsivity, coldness, aggression, and a lack of concern for others' welfare.

Eysenck

Proposed that neuroticism is associated with increased activity in the sympathetic nervous system.

Five-Factor Model

Also known as the "Big Five," includes Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

Openness

Reflects the extent to which individuals are open to new experiences, curious, imaginative, and willing to engage in unconventional ideas and activities.

High: artistic, insightful, and intelligent
Low: common-place and shallow and having narrow interests

Conscientiousness

Refers to the degree of organization, responsibility, dependability, and goal-directedness exhibited by individuals.

High: deliberate, efficient, and precise
Low: careless, frivolous, and irresponsible

Extraversion

Captures the degree to which individuals are outgoing, sociable, assertive, energetic, and enthusiastic.

High: adventurous, assertive, dominant, and sociable
Low: quiet, reserved, retiring, and shy

Agreeableness

Reflects the extent to which individuals are compassionate, cooperative, empathetic, and accommodating in their interactions with others.

High: cooperative, generous, and sympathetic
Low: cruel, quarrelsome, and unfriendly

Projective Techniques

Involve responding to ambiguous test items lacking clear meaning to reveal unconscious feelings, needs, and desires.

Association Techniques

Present a test stimulus to prompt immediate responses revealing underlying personality traits.