Chapter 11

Personality

The individual differences in characteristics, behaviors, thoughts, and emotional responses that make someone unique.

Self-report

A method of gathering information about an individual's personality traits through their own responses, typically via questionnaires or surveys.

MMPI

A standardized psychometric test used to assess personality traits and psychopathology.

Validity scales (MMPI)

Scales designed to assess the truthfulness and consistency of responses, identifying potential distortions in self-reports.

Strengths of self-report

Ease of administration and cost-effectiveness.

Weaknesses of self-report

Potential biases such as social desirability and lack of insight.

Projective tests

Psychological assessments that use ambiguous stimuli to elicit responses revealing an individual’s personality, motivations, and desires.

Rorschach Inkblot Test

A projective test that asks individuals to interpret inkblots to assess their personality and emotional functioning.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective test involving telling stories about ambiguous pictures to reveal underlying motives and concerns.

Criticisms of projective tests

Lack of scientific reliability and validity, subjectivity in interpretation, and limited predictive power.

Trait

A stable characteristic or quality that influences the way an individual behaves across various situations.

Goal of the trait approach

To describe and measure individual differences in personality traits.

Big Five dimensions

The five traits that include Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

Twin studies and personality traits

Indicate many personality traits are heritable, showing significant genetic contributions even when twins are raised apart.

Psychodynamic approach

Regards personality as shaped by unconscious motives, conflicts, and childhood experiences.

Id, ego, superego

____ is driven by primal desires; ____ mediates between reality and desires; ____ is the moral conscience.

Anxiety from unwanted thoughts

Can result in distress managed through defense mechanisms.

Repression

A defense mechanism that involves unconsciously blocking unwanted memories or feelings from consciousness.

Defense mechanisms

Psychological strategies employed by the ego to manage anxiety from unacceptable thoughts or feelings.

Rationalization

Justifying behaviors with logical reasons instead of emotional ones.

Reaction Formation

Converting unwanted or dangerous thoughts into their opposites.

Projection

Attributing one's own undesirable thoughts to others.

Regression

Retreating to an earlier stage of development in response to stress.

Displacement

Redirecting emotions from a dangerous object to a safer one.

Identification

Associating with a group to boost self-esteem.

Sublimation

Transforming unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable actions.

Psychosexual stages of development

Stages include Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, and Genital stages.

Oedipus complex

The theory proposing a child's feelings of desire for the opposite-sex parent and jealousy toward the same-sex parent.

Humanistic and existential approaches

Focus on personal growth, free will, and the individual's subjective experience.

Self-actualizing tendency

The inherent drive to realize one's potential and achieve personal growth.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Outlines five levels of needs: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.

Flow

A psychological state of being fully immersed and engaged in an activity.

Existential approach

Emphasizes individual existence, freedom, choice, and the quest for meaning.

Social cognitive approach

Emphasizes the role of observational learning and personal factors in shaping personality.

Person-situation controversy

Examines the influence of situational factors versus personality traits in determining behavior.

Personality consistency

Observed when individuals respond similarly across different situations that evoke similar traits.

Internal locus of control

Belief that one has personal control over their life events.

External locus of control

Belief that fate, luck, or external forces dictate one's circumstances.

Self-concept

A collection of beliefs about oneself, encompassing self-identity, attributes, and roles.

Self-schemas and social identity

Two ways the self-concept is organized.

Self-verification

The process of seeking confirmation of one's self-concept through interactions.

Self-esteem

An individual’s evaluation of their own worth, influenced by feelings of self-respect.

Moderately high self-esteem

Related to greater happiness and better mental health outcomes.

Self-serving bias

Tendency to attribute successes to internal factors and failures to external factors.

Narcissism

Characterized by excessive self-love, vanity, and need for admiration.