Theories of personality Ch 11 & 12

Self-awareness

A unique human phenomenon.

Phenomenology

One's conscious experience of the world (feelings, thoughts, perceptions).

Construal

Your particular experience of the world.

Introspection

Observation of one's own perceptions and thought processes.

Thrown-ness

Circumstances of birth and life.

Existential anxiety

”angst”- the unpleasant feeling caused by contemplating the meaning of life and how one should spend one’s time.

Anguish

intense and complex emotional suffering, often involving distress, sadness, torment, and inner pain

• Everyone feels this because choices are never perfect and lead to both good and bad outcomes.

Forlornness

Being alone in your choices.

Despair

Inability to change crucial aspects of life.

Authentic Existence

Honest, insightful, and morally correct living.

Bad Faith

Leading an unexamined life.

Anatta

The independent self is an illusion.

Anicca

All things must pass.

Enlightenment

caring for others the same as for yourself, “universal compassion”

Nirvana

Serene, selfless state. The result of Enlightenment

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

1. Food, water

2. Safety and Security

3. Sex, meaningful relationships

4. Prestige, money

5. Quest for self-actualization

Fully Functioning Person

Sees the world accurately without neurotic distortion.

Unconditional Positive Regard

Consistent support from important people.

Conditions of Worth

Criteria for self-value.

Chronically Accessible Constructs

Readily available thought patterns.

Maximizers

Seek best possible outcome and are prone to perfectionism and depression.

Satisficers

Accept 'good enough' and are generally happier and more optimistic.

Core Virtues

Courage, Justice, Humanity, Temperance, Wisdom, Transcendence.

Mindfulness

Awareness of thoughts, sensations, and experiences.

Flow

Optimal experience during autotelic activities characterized by high concentration, quick passage of time, elevated mood, and challenge matching skill.

Awe

Encountering vast entities that challenge worldview.

Cross-Cultural Psychology

Research that accounts for differences between and within cultural groups.

Culture Psychology

Understanding individual cultures on their own terms.

Enculturation

Adopting the culture into which one was born.

Acculturation

Picking up a new culture.

Etics

The universal components of an idea (For example,conception of duty, marriage)

Emics

• specfic things about each culture

Tight vs. Loose Cultures

Tight cultures allow little deviation from proper behavior, while loose cultures permit larger deviations from cultural norms.

Individualism vs. Collectivism

Individualist cultures emphasize independence, while collectivist cultures prioritize group needs over individual rights.

Cultural Value Systems

Honor, Face, and Dignity represent different cultural priorities.

Universal Personality Types

Friendly and conventional, relaxed and creative, temperamental and uninhibited.

Endogenous Scales

• Developed within the particular culture.

  • To see if personality-trait construct that emerges in one culture also emerge in another

  • Some of the Big Five traits have emerged

Ethnocentrism

Judging other cultures from one's own cultural perspective.

Bicultural Identity Integration (BII)

The process of integrating two cultural identities.