Introduction to Personality and Psychodynamic Theories

What does the superego focus on?

Ideal behavior and moral conscience.

What is personality?

An individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.

What do psychodynamic theories posit?

They posit that behavior is the dynamic interaction between the conscious and unconscious mind.

Who is the founder of psychoanalysis?

Sigmund Freud.

What did Freud conclude about patients with disorders that had no clear physical explanations?

He concluded their problems reflected unacceptable thoughts and feelings hidden in the unconscious mind.

What is the structure of the mind according to Freud?

The mind consists of the id, ego, and superego, with most of it being unconscious.

What does the id operate on?

The pleasure principle, striving to satisfy basic drives.

What is the role of the ego?

It operates on the reality principle, seeking to realistically gratify the id's impulses.

What are defense mechanisms?

Tactics that reduce and redirect anxiety by reality distortion.

What is repression in the context of defense mechanisms?

It underlies all other defense mechanisms and may manifest as symbols in dreams or slips of the tongue.

What is regression as a defense mechanism?

A retreat to an earlier developmental stage when faced with stress.

What did Neo-Freudians emphasize more than Freud?

The conscious mind and social motives rather than sexual or aggression-related ones.

Who is Alfred Adler and what is his view on feelings of inferiority?

He believed individuals feel worthwhile when useful to others and overcoming feelings of inferiority.

What did Karen Horney argue about women's portrayal in psychology?

She argued that the view of women as infantile and emotional is a masculine tendency to lower women's self-respect.

What is the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)?

A projective test where people express inner feelings through stories about ambiguous scenes.

What is the Rorschach inkblot test?

A projective test using inkblots to identify inner feelings based on interpretations.

What are some criticisms of Freud's psychoanalytic perspective?

Development is lifelong, parental influence is overestimated, and many concepts like the Oedipus complex are questioned.

What modern view challenges Freud's idea of repression?

Modern research suggests the unconscious is involved in information processing without awareness.

What do contemporary psychologists believe about the unconscious?

It involves schemas, priming, implicit memories, emotions, and stereotypes.

Which two of Freud's defense mechanisms are supported by research?

Reaction formation and projection.

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