PSYCH 1XX3 - Personality

personality

an individual's characteristic patterns of thought, emotion, behaviour, together with those psychological mechanisms - hidden or not - behind those patterns

Id

the instinctive part of the mind, desires pleasure and avoids any pain

where does the id reside

the unconscious mind

when does the id develop

earliest part of our mind - develops at birth

superego

morality, our conscience that wants to do the right thing

when does the superego develop

around age 4

where does the superego reside

mostly in our unconscious mind but some of it is in our conscious mind

ego

the balance between id and superego, the sense of reality, compromise between desire for pleasure and moral behaviour

where does the ego reside

in both the conscious and unconscious mind, but it is the most conscious of the three

what can happen if a person listens to too much of their id

they'll be reckless and impulsive

what can happen if a person listens to too much of their superego

they'll be preachy and "hollier-than-thou"

what did Freud believe about childhood experience

childhood experience leads to lasting personality changes

adverse events during particular stages of development could result in the mind being stuck in that stage, leading to personality changes and fixations

freudian slip

a verbal mistake that is thought to reveal an unconscious belief, thought, or emotion

manifest content

what dreams are literally about

latent content

hidden meaning of dreams, speaking to some desire to concern we aren't aware of

psychological defense mechansisms

automatic mental strategies that function to relieve us of anxiety by distracting us from stressors of by disguising their true nature

denial

rejecting the facts of a situation

repression

preventing information from being consciously processed

rationalization

using login to justify behaviours

projection

labelling others as having your unconscious views

sublimation

involves finding outlets for our unconscious impulses

used by well-adjusted adults

penis envy

we don't need to know this i just thought i'd remind you

what personality does behaviourism believe people have at birth?

nothing, we are blank slates

what are the problems with the behavioural and cognitive approach

they both underestimate the role of biology

behavioural approach

focuses on the influence environment has on observable behaviour

cognitive approach

focuses on how our cognitions, in addition to conditioning, shape our personality

humanistic approach

study of personality that emphasizes personal growth, self-actualization and the inherent goodness of individuals

trait approach

identifies, emphasizes and quantifies stable patterns of behaviour, thoughts and feelings to predict and compare personalities

biological approach

explores the influence of genetics, brain structure, evolution and neurochemistry on personality

tripartite structure

three parts of the mind according to Freud - the Id, Ego and Superego

libido

in psychoanalytic theory, the energy related to instinctual drives, specifically those regarding pleasure. Freud saw libido as the preservation of life, not only being sexual

Thanatos

in psychoanalytic theory, the tendency to be destructive - the energy that motivates aggression and risky behaviours opposite of libido

preconscious

information that's not currently aware to us but is able to be recalled - Superego and Ego reside in the preconscious

reaction formation

anxiety-producing thoughts and impulses are replaced with their opposite.

intellectualization

anxiety-producing and threatening situations are translated into intellectual terms devoid of emotion.

displacement

forbidden impulses are re-directed to a safer target

social cognitive theory

cognitive approach to personality emphasizing the role of observational learning, modelling and cognitive processes in shaping behaviour

self-efficacy

individual's belief in their ability to accomplish their tasks and goals

reciprocal determinism

concept from Bandura's social cognitive theory, emphasizing continuous interaction between behaviours, personal factors and the environment

physiological needs

lowest tier on Maslow's hierarchy of needs - basic requirements for survival; food, water, etc.

safety needs

second lowest tier on Maslow's hierarchy of needs; safety, shelter, security, etc.

belongingness and love

need for social connections, relationships and a sense of belonging - third tier on Maslow's hierarchy of needs

esteem needs

desire for self respect, recognition, and achievement - fourth tier on Maslow's hierarchy of needs

self-actualization

pinnacle of Maslow's hierarchy, pursuit of personal growth, fulfillment and realizing of one's full potential in alignment with the humanistic approach

traits

stable and enduring pattern of behaviour, thoughts and emotions that distinguishes individuals

the big five

most widely accepted trait model

openness

conscientiousness

extraversion

agreeableness

neuroticism

when is a trait considered basic

1. Appears across cultures.

2. Is used by lay persons and theorists alike.

3. Is reliable (relatively stable over time).

4. Has a biological basis

openness

level of creativity and adventure, willingness to try new things

conscientousness

level of thoughtfulness and diligence

extraversion

level of sociability, assertiveness and excitement-seeking

agreeableness

ability to put others' needs above their own

neuroticism

level of emotional stability and resilience

people are generally more ___________ as kids but less ___________ as kids

extraverted, conscientous

cattell's 16 personality factors

identified 16 dimensions that he believed could adequately describe one's personality. For each dimension, people can be ranked along a continuum; traits weren't simply present or absent.

eysenck's personality factors

believed that personality could be described using only two dimensions: introversion/extroversion and neuroticism/stability. The combination of these two traits gives rise to your individual personality, which maps onto the terms first used by Hippocrates: Melancholic, Choleric, Phlegmatic, and Sanguine.

high levels of left frontal lobe activity correlates with...

emotional stability, optimism and anger

high levels of right frontal lobe activity are associated with...

neuroticism

high levels of dopamine are associated with...

plasticity

high extroversion and openness

high levels of serotonin are associated with...

stability

high conscientiousness, agreeableness and low neuroticism

heritability of personality

the degree to which genetic differences correlate with variation in traits

which big five trait has the highest genetic component

openness

which big five trait has the lowest genetic component

agreeableness

rorschach inkblot test

test to see what participants see in ambiguous blots of ink to reveal what was going on in their minds

lacks reliability and validity

pros to self-report tests

cheap

easy to administer

fun!

reasonably accurate

cons to self-report tests

can be hard to conceal the purpose behind the questions

social desirability bias may lead to skewed self-assessment

you may be unaware of your own personality traits

behavioural assessments

seeing how a person acts in a given situation

pros of behavioural assessments

allows researchers to perform proper experiments

cons of behavioural assessments

situational factors have mediating effects

MMPI

Multiphasic Minnesota Personality Inventory

sanguine

personality type associated with optimism, enthusiasm and social extroversion. first founded by Hippocrates but used by Eysenck

choleric

personality type characterized by confidence, assertiveness and ability to take charge. first founded by Hippocrates but used by Eysenck

phlegmatic

personality type characterized by calmness, thoughtfulness and reserved nature. first founded by Hippocrates but used by Eysenck

melancholic

personality type associated with introspection, sensitivity and a tendency to feel sadness or melancholic. first founded by Hippocrates but used by Eysenck

temperament

innate, biologically based pattern of behaviour and emotional responsiveness that appears before personality develops

easy temperament

adaptability, regularity in biological functions and a generally good mood (40% of babies)

slow-to-warm-up

initial hesitancy and cautiousness in new situations (10% of babies)

difficult temperament

intense emotional reactions, irregular biological functions and a generally negative mood (15% of babies)

uncategorized temperament

35% of babies

mix of the three temperaments

what did researchers find about babies with difficult temperaments later on in life

greater risk for being socially anxious as teenagers, but this relationship was not found when individuals had secure bonds with their parents

Flanderization

Process by which a complex character's essential traits are exaggerated until it becomes their entire personality

3 criteria of personality traits

1. consistency

2. stability (starting at age 30)

3. individual differences

Humanistic Approach

Personality is defined by conscious goals to guide decisions; you can directly ask people

Psychodynamic Approach

Behaviour is influenced by unconscious processes

Is the Rorschach inkblot test valid and reliable?

Nah

Projective hypothesis

Hypothesis that in the process of interpreting ambiguous stimuli, examinees project aspects of their personality onto the stimulus

Objective tests

Standardized, self-report assessments

Does birth order influence personality?

Nope!

Person-situation debate

Debate about whether someone's reaction to certain events is based on the situation (event) or the person (personality)

Influence of genetics on big 5 personality traits

Large influence; identical twins separated at birth still score very similarly, despite environmental differences