personality AP Psychology

Personality

An individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.

Psychodynamic Theories

Theories that focus on unconscious drives and conflicts from childhood.

Sigmund Freud

Founder of psychoanalysis; believed behavior is driven by unconscious forces.

Psychoanalysis

Freud’s method of treating disorders by exploring the unconscious.

Unconscious

Thoughts, wishes, and feelings we aren’t aware of but that influence us.

Free Association

Saying whatever comes to mind to reveal unconscious thoughts.

Id

Primitive part of personality that seeks pleasure (pleasure principle).

Ego

Rational part of personality that deals with reality (reality principle).

Superego

The moral compass of personality; judges right vs. wrong.

Identification

Adopting traits of others (like parents) as a defense mechanism.

Fixation

Getting stuck at a psychosexual stage due to unresolved conflict.

Defense Mechanisms

Unconscious ways the ego reduces anxiety.

Denial

Refusing to accept reality.

Displacement

Shifting feelings to a safer target.

Projection

Attributing your own feelings to others.

Rationalization

Justifying behavior with logical reasons.

Reaction Formation

Acting opposite to true feelings.

Regression

Reverting to childlike behavior.

Repression

Pushing distressing thoughts into the unconscious.

Sublimation

Redirecting unacceptable impulses into acceptable ones.

Collective Unconscious

Shared human memories; a concept by Carl Jung.

Projective Test

Ambiguous stimuli used to reveal inner feelings.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A test where subjects tell stories about pictures.

Rorschach Inkblot Test

A test where subjects describe what inkblots look like.

Terror-Management Theory

Behavior influenced by fear of death.

Humanistic Theories

Theories that focus on growth, potential, and free will.

Self-Actualization

The process of reaching one's full potential.

Self-Actualizing Tendency

Natural drive to grow and improve.

Self-Transcendence

Finding meaning beyond oneself.

Unconditional Positive Regard

Accepting someone without conditions.

Self-Concept

How you see yourself.

Trait

A stable personality characteristic.

Trait View of Personality

The idea that personality is made up of traits.

Factor Analysis

A statistical method to find clusters of traits.

Personality Inventories

Questionnaires assessing personality traits.

Empirically Derived Test

A test built from research data.

Big Five (OCEAN / CANOE)

Five key traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism.

Openness

Trait characterized by imagination and curiosity.

Conscientiousness

Trait characterized by organization and responsibility.

Extraversion

Trait characterized by being outgoing and social.

Agreeableness

Trait characterized by kindness and cooperation.

Neuroticism

Trait characterized by emotional instability.

Social-Cognitive Perspective

The perspective that behavior is influenced by the interaction of thoughts, environment, and actions.

Behavioral Approach

An approach that focuses on observable behavior and learning.

Reciprocal Determinism

The idea that behavior, thoughts, and environment all influence each other.

Self

The center of personality; sense of identity.

Spotlight Effect

The belief that others notice you more than they actually do.

Self-Esteem

How much you value yourself.

Self-Efficacy

Belief in your ability to succeed.

Self-Serving Bias

Taking credit for success and blaming outside factors for failure.

Narcissism

Excessive self-love and need for admiration.

Individualism

Prioritizing personal goals over group goals.

Collectivism

Prioritizing group goals over personal goals.

Psychosexual Stages

Freud’s stages of development.

Oedipus Complex

Child’s desire for the opposite-sex parent.

Alfred Adler

Focus on inferiority and striving for superiority.

Karen Horney

Focus on anxiety and social relationships.

Carl Jung

Known for the concept of the collective unconscious.

Abraham Maslow

Proposed the hierarchy of needs.

Hierarchy of Needs

A pyramid of human needs ranging from basic to self-actualization.

Carl Rogers

Emphasized self-concept and unconditional positive regard.

Robert McCrae & Paul Costa

Developed the Big Five traits.

Albert Bandura

Developed social-cognitive theory and the concept of reciprocal determinism.