Untitled Flashcards Set

Personality

A unique and consistent pattern of thinking, feeling, and behavior.

Personality Theories

Explanations of how personality develops and is structured.

Type

A broad personality classification made up of a collection of traits.

Trait

A stable and measurable characteristic of an individual’s personality.

Choleric

A personality type that is irritable and associated with yellow bile (fire element).

Melancholic

A personality type that is depressed and associated with black bile (earth element).

Sanguine

A personality type that is optimistic and associated with blood (air element).

Phlegmatic

A personality type that is calm and associated with phlegm (water element).

Introversion

A personality type focused on internal thoughts and feelings.

Extroversion

A personality type focused on external interactions and the environment.

Feeling Function

Evaluates the worth of conscious activities.

Thinking Function

Understands the meaning of information.

Sensation Function

Recognizes physical existence and reality.

Intuition Function

Gains knowledge without conscious reasoning.

Cardinal Trait

A dominant trait that shapes a person’s behavior.

Central Trait

A general characteristic that influences behavior.

Secondary Trait

A characteristic that appears only in specific situations.

Introversion/Extroversion

A major personality dimension relating to social vs. solitary behavior.

Neuroticism

A major personality dimension relating to emotional stability vs. instability.

Psychoticism

A major personality dimension relating to tough-mindedness vs. empathy.

Factor Analysis

A statistical method used to identify personality traits.

Big Five Personality Traits

A model including Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

Openness

Creativity and willingness to try new experiences.

Conscientiousness

Organization, discipline, and responsibility.

Extraversion

Sociability, energy, and assertiveness.

Agreeableness

Compassion, cooperativeness, and trustworthiness.

Neuroticism

Emotional instability, anxiety, and moodiness.

Objective Tests

Standardized self-report inventories used to assess personality.

Projective Tests

Ambiguous stimuli used to assess personality.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

A widely used test with 567 true/false questions to diagnose psychological disorders.

Rorschach Inkblot Test

A projective test where individuals interpret inkblots.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective test where individuals create stories based on ambiguous images.

Barnum Effect

The tendency to believe vague, general personality descriptions.