51 Personality and Psychodynamic Approach

These flashcards cover key concepts from the personality and psychodynamic approach, including definitions of personality, the id, superego, ego, and levels of consciousness.

Personality

An individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving, along with the psychological mechanisms that underlie those patterns.

Id

The part of the mind that motivates a person to seek pleasure and avoid pain, operating on the pleasure principle.

Superego

The part of the mind that motivates a person to behave in morally and socially acceptable ways, functioning as the conscience.

Ego

The part of the mind that negotiates between the id, the superego, and the constraints of reality, operating on the reality principle.

Three Levels of Consciousness

The model that includes conscious, preconscious, and unconscious thoughts.

Conscious Thoughts

Thoughts that can be directly observed and are usually rational and controlled.

Preconscious Thoughts

Thoughts that are not currently conscious but can be intentionally brought to mind.

Unconscious Thoughts

Thoughts that cannot be intentionally brought to mind; they are irrational, uncontrolled, and emotional.