Personality Development

Flashcards on Personality Development, covering definitions, theories (Psychoanalytic, Behaviorist, Cognitive, Humanistic), and personality disorders.

Personality (Etymology)

The mask of the actor in the antique theatre (persona), interface between the actor, his role, and the public.

Personality (Salvatore Maddi's Definition)

An ensemble of characteristics and tendencies that determine similarities and differences in psychological behavior (thoughts, feelings, actions) across time, not easily attributed to social or biological pressures.

Important Aspect of Human Behavior

Each person is like all other people, like some other people, and like no other person.

Personality (Alternative Definition)

The ensemble of character traits, of hereditary and social origin, that are relatively stable in adults and determine their particularities and differences in attitudes and behavior.

Psychoanalysis

Seeks the unconscious significations of gestures, words, and actions. It's also a psychotherapeutic method and a theory of personality.

Conscious Mind

Thoughts, feelings and sensations that are directly linked to reality.

Preconscious Mind

Thoughts, feelings or sensations that are not consciously processed, but can surface without much trouble.

Unconscious Mind

The part of the mind is virtually inaccessible, influencing behavior without conscious awareness.

Freudian Slip (Acte Manqué)

An act done without thinking, reflecting unconscious desires or thoughts.

The Id (Ça)

Immature, impulsive, and irrational part of the personality present at birth; driven by the pleasure principle.

The Ego (Moi)

Edifice by which satisfaction is brought to the id; it straddles the conscious and preconscious and operates on the reality principle.

The Superego (Surmoi)

Internalized parental and societal rules; the moral compass.

Behaviorism

Focuses on objectively observable behavior, reducing everything to stimulus-response reactions.

Behaviorist Learning Principle

Acquisition of knowledge occurs through successive stages via positive reinforcements for expected behaviors/responses.

Pavlov's Dog Experiment

Animal is subjected to a stimulus (viande) that triggers a response (salivation). During the conditioning phase, the meat is presented while simultaneously activating another stimulus (son).

Skinner's Contribution to Behaviorism

The pairing of stimulus and response followed by reward is more effective in learning.

Behaviorism in Pedagogy

Transmission of knowledge by reinforcing behaviors via positive (rewards) or negative (punishments) stimuli to condition good responses.

Operant Conditioning

Adapting behavior to receive rewards and avoid negative reinforcements (punishments).

Cognitive Approach

Actions are tied to how individuals interpret their situations, focusing on reasoning and mental processing of information.

Declarative Knowledge

What?

Procedural Knowledge

How?

Conditional Knowledge

When? and Why?

Information Processing

Individuals acquire, code, store, transform, and utilize information.

Self-Efficacy

Believing in one's capacity to achieve goals or face situations.

Reciprocal Determinism

Personality results from interaction between thought, behavior, and environment.

Locus of Control

Internal (outcomes depend on my actions) vs. external (outcomes depend on external factors).

Humanistic Approach

Innate tendencies to take charge of life and a fundamental need for self-actualization/realization.

Ideal Self

The person we'd like to be.

Self-Concept

How we perceive ourselves presently.

Incongruity

Discrepancy between ideal self and self-concept.

Need for Inclusion (Schutz)

Need for attention and recognition from others.

Need for Control (Schutz)

Need to lead, have power, and influence the environment.

Need for Affection (Schutz)

Need for intimacy and warmth in relationships.

Personality Formation (Humanistic)

How one perceives and interprets the world.

Key Variables in Personality Development

Family, group membership, lived experiences, culture, heredity.

Organization's Role in Identity

Organization serving as a fundamental place in the process of constructing one's personal identity.

Psychological Contract

An unwritten understanding between an individual and an organization regarding mutual needs and expectations.

Employee needs from the organization

Needs for assistance, development, and mastery within an organization.

Personality Disorders: Group A

Odd and Eccentric Behavior

Personality Disorders: Group B

Dramatic, Emotional, and Erratic Behavior

Personality Disorders: Group C

Anxious and fearful behavior

Paranoid Personality

Mistrust of others, even family, and partaking in secret tests or surveillance.

Schizoid Personality

Is a detachment from social relationships; may be aloof, withdrawn, and want to be alone.

Schizotypal Personality

Causes eccentric behavior and acute discomfort in close familial or platonic relationships.

Antisocial Personality

A disregard for others’ safety and an engagement in behavior that often leads to lying and theft.

Emotions are displayed very intensely, often with theatrical and sexual behavior.

Histrionic Personality

Narcissistic Personality

Has a high sense of self-importance that is often based on fantasy and is paired with a lack of empathy.

Avoidant Personality

Is hyper-sensitive to criticism or rejection and is reluctant to form relationships.

Often has unrealistic expectations of their self and others and often causes others to feel resentment.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality

Dependent Personality

Often submissive and afraid of being abandoned.

Displacement (Defense Mechanism)

Replacing the initial object of a drive with a less threatening one.

Reaction Formation (Defense Mechanism)

Adopting behaviors contrary to unacceptable thoughts or feelings.

Isolation (Defense Mechanism)

Ignoring the emotional aspects of a painful experience by focusing on abstract thoughts or words.

Denial (Defense Mechanism)

Refusing to admit the existence of a disagreeable reality.

Projection (Defense Mechanism)

Attributing one's own unacceptable motives or drives to others.

Rationalization (Defense Mechanism)

Finding socially acceptable reasons to justify unacceptable thoughts or actions.

Repression (Defense Mechanism)

Preventing painful or threatening thoughts from reaching consciousness.

Regression (Defense Mechanism)

Reacting to a threatening situation in a way that corresponds to an earlier stage of development.

Sublimation (Defense Mechanism)

Transforming unsatisfied desires or unacceptable drives into constructive activities.