Major Theories and Influences on Personality Development

What are the four categories of personality theories?

Psychodynamic, Humanistic, Trait, and Social-cognitive.

What is the purpose of personality assessments in the workplace?

To identify high-caliber newcomers and evaluate current employees for promotions.

What does the psychodynamic theory explain?

Human interactions and behavioral responses.

What role does the humanistic theory explore in personality?

The role of free will on human responses.

What does the trait theory focus on?

The connections of behaviors and biological constructs.

What is the basis of the social-cognitive theory?

Human behaviors guided by thoughts and judgments.

Who are the two major influencers in personality studies mentioned in the notes?

Sigmund Freud and Carl Rogers.

What is Freud's psychoanalytic theory rooted in?

The idea that the mind can be analyzed to understand the causes of mental events and behaviors.

What are the two primary motivating forces of human behavior according to Freud?

Sex and aggression.

How does Freud view personality?

As a bubbling cauldron, rocked by unconscious, irrational forces competing for expression.

What are the three levels of consciousness according to Freud?

Conscious level, preconscious level, and unconscious level.

What is the conscious level?

The topmost level of awareness where normal awareness occurs.

What is included in the preconscious level?

Material we have learned as well as other thoughts, feelings, and motivations.

What does Freud believe about the proportion of thoughts in the unconscious compared to the conscious?

A much greater proportion of our thoughts, feelings, and motivations are in the unconscious.

What are the three mental structures proposed by Freud?

The id, the superego, and the ego.

What is psychological determinism in Freud's theory?

The view that all thoughts, feelings, and behavior have an underlying psychological cause.

What coping mechanisms do individuals use according to Freud?

Different mechanisms designed to protect the individual from stressful situations.

What is Carl Rogers known for in personality theory?

His humanistic personality theory and concepts on unconditional positive regard.

How does personality impact daily life according to the notes?

It influences learning experiences, motives, and thoughts on personality.

What is the significance of pre-employment screenings based on personality theories?

They help employers assess potential employee stability, reliability, and commitment levels.

What is the role of tension in Freud's view of personality?

Tension arises when thoughts and desires are not allowed to be expressed.

What does Freud's theory suggest about the mind's structure?

It is not a physical structure but rather abstract mental entities.

What is the importance of understanding Freud's view of consciousness for his theory?

It helps to understand how different levels of consciousness play roles in personality.

What metaphor is used to represent the different levels in the structure of personality?

An iceberg.

What percentage of the personality structure is represented by the conscious level?

About 10%.

What is located at the peak of the iceberg in the personality structure?

The Ego.

What does the preconscious level of personality include?

Some above-waterline iceberg and some below-waterline iceberg, making up about 30%.

What percentage of the personality structure is the unconscious level?

About 60%.

What labels are associated with the unconscious level of personality?

Superego near the top and Id near the bottom.

What is the Id, and what drives does it house?

The Id houses sexual and aggressive drives, physical needs, and simple psychological needs.

How does the Id operate according to Freud?

It operates by the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification.

What can happen when the Id's instincts threaten to erupt?

Anxiety can develop, potentially leading to abnormal behavior and mental illness.

What does the Superego represent in personality structure?

The Superego represents the internalized sense of right and wrong based on parental and cultural morality.

When is the Superego formed, and where does it reside?

It is formed during early childhood and resides largely in the unconscious.

What is the primary function of the Ego in personality structure?

To balance the competing demands of the Id, Superego, and reality.

What principle guides the Ego?

The reality principle.

What cognitive functions is the Ego responsible for according to Freud?

Problem solving and reasoning.

How many distinct stages of personality development did Freud propose?

Five distinct stages.

What are Freud's five psychosexual stages of development?

Oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital.

What is the significance of erogenous zones in Freud's stages of development?

Each stage involves specific erogenous zones that require some form of sexual gratification.

What is the consequence of not successfully resolving the tasks in Freud's stages?

It can hinder the development of a healthy personality.

What does Freud believe about the development of the Ego in relation to the Id?

The Ego develops out of the Id.

What can influence the characteristics of the Ego according to Freud's later writings?

Heredity.

What is the role of the Ego in relation to the Id and Superego?

To ensure that the actions of the Id and Superego do not create problems in daily life.

What does Freud's theory suggest about childhood?

It is the key time in life for the development of an individual's personality.

What is the focus of the oral stage in Freud's psychosexual development?

The focus is on the mouth, with the developmental task being successful weaning from the mother's breast or bottle.

What is the primary focus during the anal stage of Freud's psychosexual development?

The focus is on the anus, with the developmental task being successful toilet training.

What developmental task is associated with the phallic stage in Freud's theory?

Successful identification with the same-sex parent.

During which period are sexual impulses repressed according to Freud?

The latency period, which lasts from age 6 to puberty.

What is the focus of the genital stage in Freud's psychosexual development?

The focus is on the vagina or penis, with developmental tasks including the formation of mature sexual love relationships and the development of interest in productive work.

What does humanism emphasize in psychology according to Rogers?

Humanism emphasizes psychological disturbance and focuses on people's positive aspects, such as innate goodness, creativity, and free will.

How does humanism differ from Freud's theory?

Humanism offers a more optimistic view of human nature and personality formation, contrasting with Freud's pessimistic perspective.

What is unconditional positive regard according to Carl Rogers?

Unconditional positive regard is acceptance without any conditions, which is essential for healthy personality development.

What is the significance of conditions of worth in Rogers' theory?

Conditions of worth are learned behaviors that dictate what it takes to be treated as worthwhile, often leading individuals to please others at the expense of their own potential.

What is self-actualization in the context of humanistic psychology?

Self-actualization is the innate drive to attain one's highest emotional and intellectual potential.

What is the role of socialization in relation to unconditional positive regard?

Socialization requires adults to praise children for conforming to societal rules, which can lead to the development of conditions of worth.

How does Rogers view children who behave unsuitably?

Rogers argues that unsuitable behavior does not make a child 'bad,' as labeling them negatively can harm their developing self-concept.

What is the central idea of Rogers' theory of personality?

The central idea is the self-concept, which encompasses a person's sense of self and how they perceive others see them.

What is client-centered therapy?

Client-centered therapy is a form of psychotherapy developed by Carl Rogers, grounded in his humanistic theory of personality.

What does Rogers suggest about the barriers to achieving self-actualization?

Rogers suggests that people will strive for self-actualization if various barriers are removed.

What is the latency period in Freud's psychosexual stages?

The latency period is a stage from age 6 to puberty where there is no particular locus of pleasure and sexual impulses are repressed.

What are the two main tasks of the genital stage in Freud's theory?

The tasks are the successful formation of mature sexual love relationships and the successful development of interest related to productive work.

What does Rogers believe about the impact of labeling children as 'bad'?

He believes it can negatively affect their developing self-concept or self-worth.

What is the significance of the family structure in the context of Freud's stages?

The family structure often influences the development of a child's personality through interactions during the various psychosexual stages.

What is the humanistic perspective's view on other psychological theories?

The humanistic perspective does not dismiss other theories but argues they fail to recognize the depth of human experience and the capacity for self-directed change.

What does Rogers say about the socialization process and praise?

He claims that while praise for specific behaviors is necessary, it can lead to conditions of worth that affect self-acceptance.

What is the primary locus of pleasure during the phallic stage?

The primary locus of pleasure is the clitoris or penis.

What does Rogers emphasize about the development of motives in personality?

He emphasizes that motives can revolve around meeting conditions of worth to gain acceptance from others.

What is the role of creativity in humanistic psychology according to Rogers?

Creativity is seen as a positive aspect of human nature that contributes to personal growth and self-actualization.

What distinction did the author advise parents to make regarding a child's behavior?

Parents should distinguish between a child's inappropriate behavior and the child's worth as a human being.

What is the main emphasis of humanistic theories?

Humanistic theories emphasize the uniqueness of each person and the concept of free will.

How do humanistic theories view the influence of unconscious forces on behavior?

They argue that behavior is determined by conscious awareness and the freedom to choose experiences.

What movement in psychology embraces positive aspects of human nature?

The positive psychology movement.

How did Rogers describe life in terms of development?

Rogers described life in terms of principles rather than stages of development.

What is 'the good life' according to Rogers?

The good life is achieved by fulfilling one's potential through fluid processes and allowing personality and self-concept to emerge from experience.

List some traits of fully functioning individuals according to Rogers.

1. Growing openness to experience 2. Increasingly existential lifestyle 3. Increasing organismic trust 4. Freedom of choice 5. Higher levels of creativity 6. Reliability and constructiveness 7. A rich full life.

What does growing openness to experience entail?

It involves moving away from defensiveness.

What does an increasingly existential lifestyle mean?

It means living each moment fully rather than distorting it to fit one's personality or self-concept.

What is increasing organismic trust?

It is trusting one's own judgment and ability to choose appropriate behavior for each moment.

What does freedom of choice signify in Rogers' theory?

It signifies not being restricted by incongruence and being able to make a wide range of choices fluently.

How does Rogers define creativity in fully functioning individuals?

Creativity is the ability to adapt to circumstances without feeling a need to conform.

What is the significance of reliability and constructiveness in Rogers' theory?

It means being trusted to act constructively, balancing aggressive needs with intrinsic goodness.

What does experiencing a rich full life involve?

It involves experiencing joy and pain, love and heartbreak, fear and courage more intensely.

What is the main critique of Freud's psychoanalytic theory?

Freud's theory is not grounded in good science due to vague definitions and difficulty in testing concepts.

What are some qualities of good science or a good theory?

Good theories should have clearly defined concepts and be testable.

Why is Freud's theory considered difficult to test?

It has many elements that can account for almost any observation, making predictions ambiguous.

What is an example of a prediction made by Freudian theory regarding toilet training?

A child who holds in feces may become anal-retentive or anal-explosive as an adult.

What does the defense mechanism of reaction formation entail?

It involves feeling one way towards someone (e.g., anger) but behaving oppositely (e.g., being overly kind).

What issue arises from Freud's approach to developing his theory?

Freud added elements to his theory based on new observations, leading to complexity and inconsistency in predictions.

What demographic did Freud primarily base his observations on?

Freud's observations were primarily based on wealthy, educated, and highly verbal women.

What is a significant limitation of Freud's theory regarding generalization?

Freud's theory does not generalize well to most people due to its basis on a narrow sample of humanity.

How did Freud's background influence his interpretations of women and development?

Freud's interpretations were biased by his worldview and the socio-economic context of late nineteenth-century Vienna.

What is one quality of a good theory that Freud's personality theory possesses?

Freud's theory has many ideas that his students expanded upon, contributing to various fields.

Who extended Freud's ideas into adolescence and adulthood?

Erik Erikson extended Freud's notions of personality development and change.

In which fields outside of psychology has Freudian theory been influential?

Freudian theory has influenced sociology, humanities, art, literature, and motion pictures.

What is the current status of evaluating Freud's ideas against neuroscience?

Neuroscientists are currently evaluating brain functioning related to some of Freud's ideas, but findings have been inconsistent.

What criticism do humanistic theories share with Freud's theory?

Both humanistic theories and Freud's theory have concepts that are difficult to test and lack research support.

What is a specific criticism of Rogers' theory in humanistic psychology?

Critics question the necessity of unconditional positive regard all the time, as proposed by Rogers.

What aspect of humanistic theory is criticized for being too idealistic?

The uplifting, positive view of human nature is seen as too idealistic given the prevalence of violence in the world.

What is one concern psychologists have regarding the holistic approach of humanism?

The holistic approach allows for variation but does not identify enough constant variables for accurate research.