PSY505 Final Exam

psy

What is science really about?

Measurement of what “is” not what “might be”

What does the scientific method remove?

Individual variance (error) and the individual’s essence from the result

Phenomenology

Focused on individual consciousness and how one perceives phenomena and creates meaning from it

Phenomenological method

A perspective in understanding experience by first-person, subjective description while setting aside all preconceived notions and assumptions about the external world

Thrownness

Time, space, character. human condition of being “thrown” into the world with the given circumstances

Being

The essence of consciousness, not found in something but arises in relation to something

Existence precedes essence

We exist first, encounter ourselves, surge up in the world and define who we are afterwards

Who said “existence precedes essence”

Jean Paul Sartre (Existentialist)

Bad faith

Blaming circumstance for our actions

What is a major theme in existentialism?

Freedom of choice brings responsibility for our actions

Existentialism

A philosophical orientation that emphasizes individual existence as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of will

According to Sartre, what are peoples essence defined by?

1. Their action or behaviour

2. Intent

Actus rea

Behaviour or act

Mens rea

The intent

Humanistic psychology

An aspect of the phenomenological approach emphasizing individual perception and free-will

Behaviourism

External drives emphasis

What does humanistic psychology emphasize?

Looking at the whole individual, stresses concepts like free will, self-efficacy, self actualization, fulfilling potential

Conditions necessary for ROGERIAN Therapeutic Change

Non-directive approach, person or client-centred approach, therapeutic climate

Non-directive approach

Allow clients to reflect on thoughts, feelings, behaviour

Person or client centered approach

Emphasizes an active role of the therapist; individualized therapy

What three conditions are necessary for good therapeutic climate/environment?

Genuineness, unconditional positive regard, empathic understanding

What is the premise of REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy)

Humans are not emotionally disturbed by unfortunate circumstances, but they construct their views of these circumstances.

So, what is the fundamental assertion of REBT if humans are not disturbed by unfortunate events?

The way people feel is largely infleunced by how they think

What is self-worth and self-value influenced by?

Negative thinking patterns and irrational beliefs

Human potential movement

Emphasizes that people have an ideal self, focuses on inner perception of external experience and realizing potential

What did Abraham Maslow believe?

People are good or neutral, rather than evil and psychopathology results from a hindering of our natural growth by social structures

Psychological needs

Our personal responsibilities

Self actualization traits

Acceptance, compassion, psychological flexibility, intimacy, growth, authentic

What did Maslow say insight into personality comes from?

Not from distressed individuals or normal people, but high functioning self-actualized individuals

What is perfectionism?

Typically a flaw, tend to do better in school, worse in workplace

What do perfectionists usually have?

Lacking initiative, fear of failure

Growth mindset

Praise effort over accomplishment

Ideal self

Concerned with hopes, ambitions and desires

Ought self

Concerned with duties, responsibilities and obligations

What happens when the actual self contains discrepancies with ideal self?

Leads to disappointment, sadness, depressive disorders

What happens when the actual self contains discrepancies with ought self?

Leads to fear, anger, resentment, anxiety disorders

Positive psychology movement

Interested in the nature of human strengths (aka virtues)

Human strengths

Enduring qualities that are beneficial across a variety of domains, and provide relational esteem

Relational esteem

Aspects in ourselves that also benefit others

Temperance

Aka self control or moderation, involves restraining ones desires and appetites to live a life of self-discipline and balance

The four cardinal virtues

Wisdom, Justice, Courage, Temperance

Sommum bonnum

Live your virtue (excellence)

Amor fati (love fate)

Impermanence of consciousness “everything changes”

Premeditatio malorum

Reduce expectations

Momento mori

Live everyday to its fullest, life is finite

Flow

Positive state of consciousness involving loss of self-consciousness, high level of focus

What does existentialism search for meaning in?

The meaning of human existence

Morality salience

Tests hypothesis that more death anxiety one faces the more one will commit to one’s cultural or political beliefs

Terror management theory

1) People’s desire to live

2) People’s awareness that death is inevitable

Jung’s theory

Free will over deterministic, persona/self, archetypes

Trait

Words (Adjectives) that describe people’s typical styles of experience

Personality trait

Consistent patterns in the way people behave, feel and think

What two connotations are associated with traits?

Consistency and distinctive

What three reasons do trait theorists suggest that trait theory supports a Personality ‘Science’?

Description, Prediction, Explanation

Shared assumptions of all trait theorists

1) Enduring predispositions, consistent and distinctive

2) Continum: people can be high or low on a trait
3) Hierarchy: human behaviour can be organized in a hierarchy

Who rejected the psychoanalytic and behavioural approach?

Gordon Allport

Traits according to Allport

Frequent, intense and seen across a wide variety of situationsSta

States and Activities according to Allport

Temporary, brief and caused by situational and internal states/circumstances

Lexical approach

Allport went through entire dictionary and located every term that can be used to describe a person

Cardinal traits

A trait that is so pervasive it dominates a person’s behaviour and character, rare (narcissism, lust, ruthless, greed)

General traits

Trait found to varying degrees in most people (honesty, kindness, assertiveness)

Secondary traits

Traits related to attitudes or preferences that appear only in certain situations (nervous when speaking to large groups, impatient in line, aggressive when intoxicated)

Factor analysis

Statistical technique that summarizes the way in which a large number of variables correlate or co-occur together, the trait theorists’ main tool

Factor

Formed when variables cluster together when they are highly correlated to one another

Latent traits

Traits that cannot be directly measured, like neuroticism, happiness

Benefits of factor analysis

simplifies data, factors can be used to describe, predict and explain almost anything

Limitations of factor analysis

Atheoretical, does not answer why (why do they co-vary this way?)

Who wanted to create the basic elements of the human psyche similar to the periodic table of elements and also created the 16PF model?

Raymond Cattell

What is still used today as a personality screening inventory in business and workplaces?

16PF questionnaire

3 types of Source Traits

Ability traits, temperament traits, dynamic traits

Ability traits

Skills and abilities that allow the individual to function effectively (e.g REASONING)

Temperament traits

Involve emotional life and stylistic qualities of behaviour (e.g WARMTH)

Dynamic traits

Concern the striving, motivational life of the individual (e.g DOMINANCE)

L-data

Life or record data

S or Q-data

Questionnaire data, self report

OT-data

Observational, experimental data

Allport (the turtle) main ideas

Traits, states, and activities

Cattell (the squirrel) main ideas

Traits, states, and roles

Roles

akin to expectations of social behaviour

What did Cattell establish?

Traits are stable behaviours that may be affected by mood (state) and social roles

Superfactors

extroversion (intro vs extro) and neuroticism (emotional stability vs instability)

What was the third superfactor added?

Psychoticism (organizsed largely negative and abnormal social traits like cold, anti-social, impulsive)

How many questions does the EPQ (eysenck personality questionnaire) short version contain?

48 yes/no questions

Eysenck biological basis for extroversion personality traits

Arousal, introverts avoid arousal while extroverts seek arousal

Eysenck biological basis for neuroticism personality traits

Individual differences will be found in automatic nervous system

Eysenck biological basis for psychoticism personality traits

Some ‘societal’ links between psychoticism traits and male aggressiveness (gender differences in antisocial personality disorder)

What did eysenck say psychological difficulties derive from?

1) biological systems (ANS, amygdale, temperament)

2) environmental experience

The Big Five Factors

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeable, Neuroticism

Goldberg adjective inventorie

Self-report ratings of Big Five factors, bipolar ratings

Openness

6 Facets; Fantasy, Aesthetics, Feelings, Ideas, Actions, Values.

intellectual curious, creative, adventurous, appreciative of art

Who tends to have distinctive and unconventional decorations?

Highly open individuals

Conscientiousness

Tendency to self-discipline, act dutifully and aim for achievement. Delayed gratification

What is deemed the best predictors of performance in the workplace?

Conscientiousness is the best predictor

What type of person tends to be more organized and less cluttered in their homes and offices?

Highly conscientious person

Extraversion

characterized by positive emotions and the tendency to seek out stimulation and the company of others

6 facets of extraversion

Gregariousness, Activity level, Assertiveness, Excitement seeking, Positive emotions, Warmth

6 facets of conscientiousness

Self discipline, Dutifulness, Competence, Order, Deliberation, Achievement striving

Why do introverts seem to appear less involved in the social world?

Because they simply need less stimulation than extraverts

Ambiversion

Used to describe people who fall more or less in the middle of the continuum and exhibit tendencies of both extra/introverts

Agreeableness

Tendency to be compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic towards others