Personality - Psychology

Personality

A person's main characteristics and behaviors that make up their unique approach to life, including major traits, interests, values, self-concept, abilities, and emotional patterns.

Psychoanalytic Theory

Theory by Sigmund Freud that suggests human behavior is influenced by unconscious desires, thoughts, and memories, consisting of the mind's structure, psychosexual development, and defense mechanisms.

Temperament

Biological aspects of personality like reactivity, energy levels, and self-regulation ability.

Trait

A stable characteristic influencing behavior and thought patterns, such as extroversion, conscientiousness, and openness.

Disposition

A person's qualities of mind and character, including traits, habits, and attitudes affecting behavior.

Character

Moral and ethical qualities shaping behavior, influenced by experiences, education, and social factors, associated with virtues like honesty and courage.

Habit

A regular, often subconscious practice repeated regularly.

Values

Principles and standards important to an individual, guiding decisions based on culture, society, religion, or personal beliefs.

Defense Mechanisms

Strategies used by the ego to protect from anxiety and conflict, including denial, suppression, escape/fantasy, rationalization, repression, and projection.

The Id

The unconscious part of personality containing primitive drives like hunger, thirst, and sex, seeking immediate gratification.

The Ego

The rational part of personality balancing the demands of the Id and Superego, satisfying desires realistically.

The Superego

Develops through social interactions, enforcing moral standards and guiding behavior, leading to feelings of pride or guilt.

Freud's Iceberg Theory

Describes the mind's structure with three levels - conscious, subconscious or preconscious, and unconscious impulses, drives, fears, and desires.

Denial

A defense mechanism where individuals refuse to accept reality to protect themselves from painful emotions or thoughts.

Eg, ignoring red flags in an unhealthy relationship.

Suppression

The conscious exclusion or holding back of feelings.

Eg, ignoring how tired you feel and staying up all night.

Repression

The unconscious exclusion or banishing of thoughts and feelings from the conscious.

Eg, feeling numb to grief or traumatic events.

Rorschach’s inkblot test

A test where people interpret subjective inkblots. It’s used to determine people’s personality and how ‘disturbed’ they are.

Myer Briggs

A text invented by a mother and daughter in the 40s based on Jung’s theories. It was made to help people find personality matched for social and work environments.

Jung’s Conscious mind

Makes decisions and balances between desires and morals. Thoughts, memories and emotions that you are aware of.

Jung’s personal unconscious

The basement of the mind. Things you have forgotten because they were unimportant of too overwhelming to deal with.

Jung’s collective unconscious

Shared, inherited unconscious knowledge passed down through generations and connects all human beings. It’s expressed through dreams, art, values, primitive fears and mythology.

Persona

The different masks you put on to fit into different social situations. It hides your real self by presenting as someone different to fit the setting.

Self

The whole iceberg, everything that makes you, you.

Shadow

The dark side of your personality that holds your negative traits and emotions.

Anima/ Animus

Exists within the shadow. The anima is the feminine aspect in me. The animus is the masculine aspect in women. They connect people to the opposite sex and influence they’re behaviour.