Personality Psychology: A Comprehensive Study Guide

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts in personality psychology, providing definitions and explanations of essential ideas discussed in the lecture.

Personality

Enduring, distinctive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors characterizing how an individual adapts to the world.

Psychodynamic Perspectives

Focus on unconscious processes, early childhood experiences, and symbolic meanings.

Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory

Foundational theory that emphasizes the role of the unconscious mind and early childhood experiences in shaping personality.

Id

The part of the personality that contains unconscious drives and operates on the pleasure principle.

Ego

The personality structure that mediates between the demands of the id and the reality of the external world.

Superego

The part of the personality that represents internalized moral standards and ideals.

Defense Mechanisms

Unconscious strategies used to reduce anxiety by distorting reality.

Rationalization

A defense mechanism that replaces a less acceptable motive with a more acceptable one.

Fixation

Remaining stuck in a psychosexual stage due to unresolved conflict.

Hierarchy of Needs

Abraham Maslow's pyramid of human needs, with self-actualization at the top.

Unconditional Positive Regard

Accepting and valuing another person without judgment.

Big Five Factors of Personality (OCEAN)

Five broad dimensions of personality: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

Self-Efficacy

The belief in one's ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish tasks.

Reciprocal Determinism

Albert Bandura's concept that behavior, personal factors, and the environment interact to shape personality.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective test in which individuals create stories about ambiguous images to reveal underlying motives.

Behavioral Genetics

The field that studies the role of genetic and environmental influences on behavior and personality.

Conscientiousness

A personality trait characterized by organization, dependability, and discipline.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

A personality assessment tool that categorizes individuals into different personality types.