PSY100 - Ch 12: The Individual Mind: Personality and the Self

Idiographic approaches

A qualitative approach to studying personality that emphasizes the uniqueness of each individual

Nomothetic approaches

A quantitative approach to studying personality that focuses on common traits or dimensions that apply to all people

Projective measures

A test of personality based on Freudian theory that provides an ambiguous stimulus onto which test takers “project” their personality

Rorschach inkblot test

* projective measure

presenting someone with an ambiguous stimulus, with the idea that someone is going to project their own self, desires, motivations, onto this stimulus

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

* projective measure

measures people's need for achievement, power and affiliation

Objective measures

impartial, usually quantifiable outcomes recorded with some kind of diagnostic instrument.

self-reports

* objective measure

social desirability bias- present an idealized version of themselves, or just not have a good idea of themselves

informant ratings

* objective measure

also subject to the informant’s personal biases

Psychodynamic theory

A theory put forward by Sigmund Freud in which psychic energy moves among the compartments of the personality: id, ego, and superego

Id

The component of Sigmund Freud’s personality theory containing primitive drives present at birth

• unconscious mind

• pleasure principle

Ego

The component of Sigmund Freud’s personality theory that is the self that others see

• conscious mind

• reality principle

• executive mediator

Superego

The component of Sigmund Freud’s personality theory that internalizes society’s rules for right and wrong, or the conscience

• unconscious mind

• moral principles

defense mechanisms

unconscious mental strategies the mind uses to protect itself

repression

 choosing to ignore or repress negative memories

reaction formation

replaces unwanted impulses with the opposite reaction, often expressed in an exaggerated or showy way

projection

attributing one’s own feelings, desires, or qualities to another person/place/thing

regression

when stressors cause one to act in an immature manner

sublimation

channelling unwanted impulses into an admissible/productive outlet

denial

 refusal to accept reality or facts

rationalization

apparent logical explanations are given to justify one’s own behaviour

displacement

transferring one’s emotional burden or emotional reaction from one entity to another

humanistic approaches

emphasizes personal experience and belief systems; proposes that people seek personal growth to fulfill their human potential

self-actualization

• the desire to become more and more of what one is, to become what someone is capable of becoming (Maslow)

• congruent with the self-image and ideal self

Person-centered

Humanistic psychologists must have empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard

unconditional positive regard

viewing the behaviour as problematic, but that the person is always good

self-concept

people’s description of their own characteristics (including psychological and physical characteristics, qualities, skills)

self-esteem

how we value and perceive ourselves

interdependent self-construal

non-western cultures

independent self-construal

western cultures

self-construal

the extent to which the self is defined independently of others or interdependently with others

reciprocal determinism

A social–cognitive learning theory of personality that features the mutual influence of the person and that of the situation on each other

self-efficacy

competency, one’s belief in your ability to perform well (meet your expectations) in a particular domain

Performance (Past) Experience

most impactful factor effecting self-efficacy

Vicarious Experience

observed experience or modelling of others

* factor that effects self-efficacy

Social Persuasion

coaching and feedback

* factor that effects self-efficacy

Imaginal Experience

visualization of future success

* factor that effects self-efficacy

Physical and Emotional States

experience of physical and emotional sensations

* factor that effects self-efficacy

self-handicapping

the process whereby a person creates or chooses obstacles to behavior or a performance setting, for the purpose of protecting self-esteem in an esteem-threatening situation

self-regulation

the process by which people alter or change their behaviour to attain personal goals

self-control

a process of self-regulation in contexts involving a clear trade-off between long-term goals and short-term temptations

Locus of control

the degree to which they have control over a certain situation. The idea that our beliefs can impact our behaviour and the feelings we experience, ultimately affecting our personality

Internal locus of control

you have control, active, outcomes are determined by your own actions

External locus of control

things happen to you, passive, outcomes are determined by outside forces (luck, fate)

delay of gratification

the act of resisting an impulse to take an immediately available reward in the hope of obtaining a more-valued reward in the future (ex: Marshmellow test)

Stanford’s Marshmallow test

experimental design that measures a child's ability to delay gratification

Personality trait

a characteristic; a dispositional tendency to act in a certain way over time and across circumstances

Personality type

a classification based on particular configurations of personality traits or other characteristics

Types:

• Average

• Self-centered

• Reserved

• Role Model

Big Five theory

A trait theory that identifies five main characteristics that account for most individual differences in personality

==**O**==penness to experience

==**C**==onscientiousness

==**E**==xtraversion

==**A**==greeableness

==**N**==euroticism

Openness to experience

characterized by an appreciation for fantasy, feelings, actions, ideas, values, and aesthetics

Conscientiousness

characterized by competence, order, dutifulness, achievement striving, self-discipline, and deliberation

Extraversion

characterized by warmth, gregariousness, assertiveness, activity, excitement seeking, and positive emotion

Agreeableness

characterized by trustworthiness, altruism, trust, compliance, modestly, and tender mindedness

Neuroticism

characterized by anxiety, angry hostility, depression, self-consciousness, impulsivity, and vulnerability