Personality: Theory and Measurement

These flashcards cover key terminology and concepts related to personality theory and measurement as presented in the provided lecture notes.

Psychodynamic Perspective

A perspective on personality that emphasizes the importance of unconscious motives and conflicts as forces that determine behavior.

Trait Perspective

A focus on identifying and measuring the specific traits that make up human personality.

Big Five Trait Model

A model that identifies five core traits of personality: extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience.

Sigmund Freud

A psychologist known for developing the theory of psychoanalysis and psychosexual development.

Psychosexual Development Stages

Freud's five stages of development: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital, each characterized by different erogenous zones.

Unconscious

The part of the mind that contains thoughts, memories, and desires that are not accessible to consciousness, according to Freud.

Ego

The psychic structure that mediates between the id and the superego, guided by the reality principle.

Id

The psychic structure that drives individuals to seek immediate gratification, entirely unconscious and present at birth.

Superego

The psychic structure that incorporates the moral standards of parents and society, functioning as a moral guardian.

Repression

A defense mechanism whereby anxiety-evoking ideas are automatically ejected from awareness.

Collective Unconscious

Carl Jung's concept referring to the part of the unconscious mind shared among beings of the same species, containing universal memories or archetypes.

Oedipus Complex

A conflict experienced by boys during the phallic stage of development, involving feelings of desire for the mother and rivalry with the father.

Electra Complex

A conflict experienced by girls involving feelings of desire for the father and rivalry with the mother.

Humanistic Perspective

An approach that emphasizes individual potential and stresses the importance of personal growth and self-actualization.

Self-Actualization

The realization or fulfillment of one's talents and potential; considered as a primary goal of human life.

Sociocultural Perspective

A view that focuses on the roles of ethnicity, gender, culture, and socioeconomic status in personality formation.

Personality Tests

Standardized tests used to measure various personality traits and characteristics.

Objective Tests

Tests that present a standardized group of test items requiring respondents to select from a specific range of answers.

Projective Tests

Tests that present ambiguous stimuli to which respondents project their own thoughts and feelings.