Theories of Personality: Comprehensive Review

A set of 100 verbatim fill-in-the-blank practice flashcards covering Karen Horney, Erich Fromm, Erik Erikson, Gordon Allport, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, and introductory personality theory concepts.

Karen Horney rejected the Freudian idea that adult personality is rigidly fixed by age $5–6$, emphasizing cultural and social conditions over __________ instincts.

biological

In contrast to Freud's view of penis envy, Horney proposed __________ instead.

Womb Envy

Horney defined Womb Envy as men's envy of women's ability to create __________.

life

Horney rejected biological fatalism and shifted the focus of personality theory to __________ security.

interpersonal

Horney defined __________ Needs as higher-level security needs and freedom from fear.

Safety

According to Horney, a pervasive feeling of loneliness and helplessness in a hostile world originating from childhood is called __________ Anxiety.

Basic

Horney used the term Basic __________ to describe feelings of anger and resentment that occur when safety needs are not met by parents.

Hostility

Horney described the $10$ neurotic needs as irrational defenses that become __________ parts of personality.

permanent

Under Horney's neurotic trends, Movement Toward People characterizes the __________ Personality.

Compliant

Under Horney's neurotic trends, Movement Against People characterizes the __________ Personality.

Aggressive

Under Horney's neurotic trends, Movement Away from People characterizes the __________ Personality.

Detached

According to Horney, the Compliant Personality manages basic anxiety by seeking affection and __________.

submission

According to Horney, the Aggressive Personality manages basic anxiety by seeking power, control, and __________.

exploitation

According to Horney, the Detached Personality manages basic anxiety by seeking self-sufficiency, privacy, and __________.

withdrawal

Horney used the phrase "Tyranny of the __________" to describe the unrealistic demands a neurotic places on themselves.

Shoulds

Defending against inner conflict by projecting it onto the outside world is defined by Horney as __________.

Externalization

In Horney's list of defense mechanisms, cynicism is spelled verbatim in the notes as __________.

Cynyism

Horney described women rejecting their femininity or anatomy due to societal devaluation as the Flight from __________.

Womanhood

Erich Fromm combined psychoanalysis with historical and social __________.

materialism

Fromm argued that as humans gained more independence through history, they felt increasingly __________ and anxious.

isolated

In Fromm's basic human dilemma, humans are torn between the need for freedom and the need for security or __________.

belonging

In Fromm's mechanisms of escaping freedom, giving up individual independence and fusing with someone or something else is termed __________.

Authoritarianism

Within authoritarianism, submitting, seeking weakness, or joining a powerful authority is termed __________.

Masochism

Within authoritarianism, dominating, exploiting, or inflicting pain on others to feel powerful is termed __________.

Sadism

Trying to eliminate or destroy the outside world or others so it can no longer threaten or isolate you is termed __________ by Fromm.

Destructiveness

When an individual completely adopts society's expected personality, losing their true self, Fromm terms this __________ Conformity.

Automaton

The non-productive character orientation that believes the source of all good lies outside oneself and expects to receive things passively is the __________ orientation.

Receptive

The non-productive character orientation that takes things, love, or ideas by force, cunning, or manipulation rather than creating them is the __________ orientation.

Exploitative

The non-productive character orientation that views safety as keeping everything locked away and accumulates goods or feelings is the __________ orientation.

Hoarding

The non-productive character orientation in which an individual sees oneself as a commodity to be packaged, advertised, and traded is the __________ orientation.

Marketing

The non-productive character orientation that is attracted to death, decay, destruction, and turning the living into things is the __________ orientation.

Necrophilous

Fromm's healthy ideal character orientation that loves life, growth, human connection, productivity, and creativity is the __________ orientation.

Biophilous

Fromm defined the basic human need for union with others via submission, power, or love as __________.

Relatedness

Fromm defined the basic human need to feel a sense of belonging or home in the world as __________.

Rootedness

Fromm defined the basic human need to be aware of oneself as a unique individual as __________.

Identity

Fromm defined the basic human need for a sense of harmony between oneself, nature, and society as __________.

Unity

Fromm identified the basic human need for a stable worldview and a goal or purpose to commit to as a Frame of Orientation and __________.

Devotion

Erik Erikson was an ego psychologist who expanded Freud's psychosexual stages into a full __________ developmental model.

lifespan

Erikson's core view emphasized social interaction and the ego's power to __________.

adapt

Erikson's __________ Principle states that personality develops in a predetermined, biologically-based sequence through successive stages.

Epigenetic

In Erikson's Infancy stage ($0–1$), the psychosocial crisis is Trust vs. Mistrust and the core strength is __________.

Hope

In Erikson's Early Childhood stage ($1–3$), the psychosocial crisis is Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt and the core strength is __________ (Self-Control).

Will

In Erikson's Preschool stage ($3–6$), the psychosocial crisis of Initiative vs. Guilt leads to the core strength of __________.

Purpose

In Erikson's School Age stage ($6–12$), the psychosocial crisis of Industry vs. Inferiority leads to the core strength of __________.

Competence

In Erikson's Adolescence stage ($12–18$), the psychosocial crisis of Identity vs. Role Confusion leads to the core strength of __________ (Loyalty to self).

Fidelity

In Erikson's Young Adulthood stage, the psychosocial conflict of Intimacy vs. Isolation yields the core strength of __________.

Love

In Erikson's Adulthood stage, resolving the conflict of Generativity vs. Stagnation yields the core strength of __________.

Care

In Erikson's Old Age stage, the psychosocial crisis of Ego Integrity vs. Despair leads to the core strength of __________.

Wisdom

In Erikson's Infancy stage, the core question asked is "Can I __________ the world?"

trust

In Erikson's Early Childhood stage, the core question asked is "Can I control my own __________ and actions?"

body

In Erikson's Preschool stage, the core question asked is "Can I plan and carry out tasks, or am I a __________?"

nuisance

In Erikson's School Age stage, the child asks "Can I master skills to feel competent, or am I __________?"

inadequate

In Erikson's Adolescence stage, the core question asked is "Who am I? Where am I __________?"

going

Everyday social interactions that maintain culture and support healthy development are termed __________ by Erikson.

Ritualizations

In Erikson's theory, rigid, empty versions of ritualizations are called __________.

Ritualisms

Gordon Allport was a pioneer of Trait Theory and __________ psychology.

humanistic

Allport's core view emphasized the uniqueness of the individual and the conscious __________ rather than the past.

present

Allport's term for the "self" or ego is the __________.

Proprium

The Proprium includes $7$ aspects developing across childhood and adolescence, concluding with Propriate __________.

Striving

Allport's key concept stating that a motive in an adult can become completely independent of its original childhood origin is Functional __________.

Autonomy

Habits or minor routines that continue simply because they are familiar are categorized as __________ Functional Autonomy.

Perseverative

Major interests, values, and goals directed by the self and valued for their own sake are categorized as __________ Functional Autonomy.

Propriate

Allport illustrated Perseverative Functional Autonomy with the example of a retired person still cleaning their __________.

workshop

Allport illustrated Propriate Functional Autonomy with a person who originally studied law to please parents now practicing law out of a passion for __________.

justice

Extremely pervasive, dominant master traits that define almost everything a person does are called __________ Traits.

Cardinal

The $5$ to $10$ core characteristics that best describe an individual's everyday personality are called __________ Traits.

Central

More specific, narrow preferences, attitudes, or situational behaviors are classified by Allport as __________ Traits.

Secondary

Allport cited Machiavellian or Narcissistic traits as examples of __________ Traits.

Cardinal

Allport preferred the __________ Method, which focuses intensely on the single, unique individual.

Idiographic

Studying large groups of people to establish general statistical laws or group averages is known as the __________ Method.

Nomothetic

Personality is defined as a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give consistency and __________ to a person's behavior.

individuality

A theory is a set of related assumptions that allows scientists to use logical deductive reasoning to formulate testable __________.

hypotheses

A criterion for a good theory is that it must be testable or __________.

falsifiable

A good theory must be parsimonious, meaning it is __________.

simple

A good theory must be able to organize existing __________ and generate research.

data

In Freud's levels of mental life, what we are aware of right now is the __________.

Conscious

In Freud's levels of mental life, information not currently in awareness but easily accessible is the __________.

Preconscious

Drives, urges, and memories hidden from awareness that strongly influence behavior reside in Freud's __________.

Unconscious

In Freud's structural model of personality, the Id operates on the __________ principle.

pleasure

In Freud's structural model of personality, the Ego operates on the __________ principle.

reality

In Freud's structural model, the moral/idealistic conscience and ego-ideal derived from parental/societal standards is the __________.

Superego

According to Freud, anxiety occurs when the __________ is threatened.

ego

Pushing threatening thoughts into the unconscious is the defense mechanism known as __________.

Repression

Attributing one's own unacceptable impulses to others is the defense mechanism known as __________.

Projection

The Oedipus and Electra complexes occur during Freud's __________ stage of psychosexual development.

Phallic

Freud's psychosexual stages follow the sequential order: Oral, Anal, Phallic, __________, and Genital.

Latency

Jung divided the unconscious into the personal unconscious and the __________ unconscious.

collective

Jung defined the personal unconscious as consisting of __________ personal experiences.

repressed

Ancient images or symbols from the collective unconscious are called __________ in Jungian psychology.

Archetypes

The public mask we wear to fit into society is the Jungian archetype known as the __________.

Persona

The dark, repressed, animalistic side of personality is the Jungian archetype known as the __________.

Shadow

In Jung's theory, the feminine side of men is the Anima, and the masculine side of women is the __________.

Animus

The ultimate Jungian archetype representing psychic wholeness and integration is the __________.

Self

Jung defined the psychological attitude of turning inward of psychic energy as __________.

Introversion

Alfred Adler identified Striving for __________ as the fundamental dynamic force behind all human behavior.

Superiority

In Adler's individual psychology, normal human feelings of incompleteness that drive people to compensate and improve are __________ Feelings.

Inferiority

According to Adler, an inferiority __________ occurs when a person becomes overwhelmed by feelings of incompleteness.

complex

Adler's primary indicator of psychological health is Social Interest, represented by the German term __________.

Gemeinschaftsgefühl

The flavor of a person's life, including their goal, self-concept, and attitude toward the world, is Adler's Style of __________.

Life

Adler believed that __________ Order profoundly shapes personality and lifestyle development in the family.

Birth