Personality Exam 3

psychodynamic Theory

personality results from the complex interplay of conscious and unconscious motives, thoughts, and feelings

Topographical model of the mind

conscious level
preconscious level
unconscious level

conscious level

working memory

preconscious level

bring from memory into conscious level

memory

you can see it from conscious you know its there

unconscious level

Freuds contribution

major engine that drives what you do

cant see it/ access it and you don’t know its there

biggest part of iceberg

The Structural Model

describes the three components of personality functioning

ID, Ego, Superego

ID

a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that strives to satisfy basic instinctive and privative needs

what does the ID operate on

the pleasure principle

Pleasure Principle

the true purpose of life is the immediate satisfaction of all needs

the problem with the pleasure principle

gives no consideration to risk, environment, social constrains in satisfying needs

unmet needs results in what

a state of aversive tension

so must find a way to satisfy needs

Ego

the conscious executive part of personality that ensures id impulses are expressed effectively

operates on all three levels

wants ID impulses to be satisfied but in a way that doesn’t bring trouble

what does the ego operate on

the reality principle

reality principle

introduces a sense of rationality and logic into personality functioning

focus on effectively expressing ID impulses by taking into account the external world

if risk associated with need fulfilling behavior is too high the ego

directs behavior to another way to meet need

delays to later, safer or more sensible time

Superego

the part of personality that represents internalized ideals and provides moral standards for judgement- the conscience

operates on all three levels

stands in opposition to the ID

components of the Superego

Ego-Ideal

Conscience

ego-ideal

consists of rules about good behavior and standards of excellence

conforming behavior results in feeling of pride and worthiness

what we aspire to

conscience

consists of rules about bad and prohibited behavior

non-conforming behavior results in feelings of guilt and shame

How to Balance the Superego and ID

must find a way to release tension of the ID immediately in a way that is socially acceptable to the superego and realistic through the external environment

ego strength

ability to function effectively despite these conflicting forces

Two drives of personality

Life or Sexual Drive- Eros

death drive- Thanatos

Life or Sexual Drive

concerned with survival, reproduction, and pleasure

energy resulting from eros- Libido

stronger than Thanatos

Death Drive

the goal of life is death

usually held back by Eros

acts of aggression express self-destructive urges toward outward towards others

Personality according to Freud

how we express ID impulses in a satisfying way without also bringing up guilt or punishment

psychosexual stages

stages of development during which the libido is redirected to different distinct erogenous zones

Fixation

unresolved conflicts in any stage leads to lock on pleasure-seeking energies of that stage

Oral Stage

0-18 months

infants are driven to satisfy the drives of hunger and thirst

Conflict in oral Stage

child must give up breast feeding

fixation in oral stage

dependency

preoccupation with oral acquisition

personality characteristics of Oral Stage

dependent

gullible

verbally aggressive

sarcastic

Anal Stage

18-36 months

child receives pleasure from relieving self of bodily waste

conflict in anal stage

child is toilet trained

Personality characteristics from fixation when toilet training method is reward

reward to eliminate at right time

productivity

creativity

Personality characteristics from fixation when toilet training method is punishment and ridicule

if child rebels: anal-explosive

if child withholds: anal-retentive

anal-explosive

messy

cruel

overtly hostile

anal-retentive

rigid

stingy

orderly

Phallic Stage

3-6 years

child gains pleasure through genitals

originally is self focused then becomes other focused

all id driven

Oedipus Complex

boys desire mother

castration anxiety

identification to dad

castration anxiety

fear of being castrated by father to eliminate source of lust

Electra complex

girls suffer from penis envy

desire father

identification to mom

conflict in phallic stage

overt sexual behavior toward parent is socially unacceptable

fixation results in phallic stage

personalities that continue dealing with Oedipal conflicts

vanity

narcissism

fixation in phallic stage in men

promiscuity

achieve high status

fixation in phallic stage in women

excessive seduction

flirtation

withhold sex

repress penis envy

Latency Stage

6-puberty

psychosexual energy is channeled into academic and social pursuits

no conflicts or fixations

Genital Stage

puberty on

the individual gains satisfaction from mature relationships

should be aspired to as an ideal

love can be other and self focused

normal adult sexuality

how is the genital stage acheived

if a person makes it through the other stages with enough available sexual energy

no strong fixations

Anxiety according to Freud

a warning signal to the ego that something bad is about to happen

can stem from threats in the real world

or from unconscious fears that id impulses will escape the ego’s control and/or that one may behave in conflict with the superego’s moral code

Defense Mechanisms

tactics developed by the ego to prevent threatening, anxiety-provoking unconscious material from reaching consciousness

distort or transform reality in one way or another

repression

banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness

Denial

refusing to believe or even perceive painful realities

Reaction Formation

switching unacceptable impulses into their opposites

Projection

disguising one’s own threatening impulses by attributing them to others

Rationalization

offering self-justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening unconscious reasons for one’s actions

Displacement

shifting sexual or aggressive impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object, person, or activity

Sublimation

transforms the impulse into a more socially acceptable form

helps account for behavioral diversity

Evidence for repression/suppression

motivated forgetting

negative reinforcement

evidence for denial

false consensus effect

thinking everyone else shares your viewpoint

evidence for rationalization

self-serving bias

evidence for projection

defensive projection

when we recognize a negative attribute we have an increased tendency to see that in other people

manifest content

surface content of the dream

latent content

the source of the manifest content

the meaning underlying the dream

Dreams derive from three sources

concurrent sensory stimulation

day residue

unconscious id impulses

concurrent sensory stimulation

barking dog

ringing phone

guardians of sleep

day residue

thoughts, feelings, concerns in waking life

experiences from the day

unconscious id impulses

present in all dreams

neo-analytic or ego psychology

construes the individual’s sense of self (ego) as the core of personality

Alfred Adler

individual psychology

inferiority and superiority complex

individual psychology

individuals’ unique motivations

striving for superiority are key motivations driving personality development

inferiority complex

an individual’s exaggerated feelings of personal incompetence

superiority complex

compensating for sense of inferiority

bragging about how they are better than everyone

First born children

the favorite

rude awakening of additional siblings may impel status striving

Second Born children

born into sibling rivalry

can be a double-edged sword

motived to be high achieving or cause stress and anxiety

last born children

the babied one

overabundance of role models and pressures can produce defeatist attitude

Current findings about first born kids

more likely to go to college and excel as scientists

Current findings about second born kids

more likely to be revolutionary and creative

Karen Horney

incorporated greater emphasis on social influences

questioned the male-centric nature of Freud’s theory

Karen Horney on penis envy

recognized women felt inferior to men

argued inferiority stemmed from differential freedoms and privileges

envy of masculinity, socially defined

Karen Horney on coping with anxiety

moving towards

moving against

moving away

moving towards technique

connecting with others to reduce anxiety

moving against technique

aggressiveness to gain control in a competitive world

moving away technique

find peace by avoiding others and escaping conflict

Object relation theories

focus on how relations with others impact personality development

relational bonds are a basic ego function and personality’s main focus

emphasized that very early relationships can have long-term influence on adult psychology

object

an internal or psychological representation of another person

two board themes of object relation theories

patterns of relating to others established in early childhood

patterns recur throughout life

attachment theory

John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth

an infant’s emotional connection (attachment) to its mother provides the foundation for later personality development

child builds working models of relationships- they become internalized

when caregivers are responsive and dependable the infant

develops a sense of security

Secure Attachment in strange situation

normal distress upon mother leaving

enthusiasm upon her return

confident exploring both when Mom is there and leaves

Anxious-Ambivalent attachment in strange situation

great distress upon mother leaving

ambivalent response upon her return

contact-seeking but won’t be soothed

not exploring room with mom there

Avoidant attachment style in strange situation

stays calm upon mother leaving

ignores her upon return

don’t explore room with confidence

Observations at home for secure attachment style

mothers respond quickly and consistently to child’s needs, provide encouragement

Observations at home for anxious-ambivalent attachment style

caregivers are inconsistent sometimes responsive, sometimes not

Observations at home for avoidant attachment style

caregivers are distant

emotionally unstable

even neglectful

adult relationships of secure people

more happy

friendly

trusting

longer lasting

believe love is real and stays

adult relationships of avoidant people

less accepting of lovers’ imperfections

avoid conflicts

cynical about love

believe romantic love doesn’t last

adult relationships of anxious-ambivalent people

clingy

extremes of emotion and jealousy

believe in love at first sight

believe falling in love is easy but doesn’t last

Comfort-seeking and caregiving under stressful situations for secure adults

seek support from partners

talk about anxiety

provide more reassurance

Comfort-seeking and caregiving under stressful situations for avoidant adults

distance coping

provide less reassurance

Comfort-seeking and caregiving under stressful situations for anxious-ambivalent adults

ineffective emotion-focused reactions

self-criticism