Theories of Personality

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the theories of personality lecture.

Personality

The unique way in which each individual thinks, acts, and feels throughout life.

Character

Value judgments made about a person’s moral and ethical behavior.

Temperament

Biologically innate and enduring characteristics with which each person is born, such as irritability or adaptability.

Psychodynamic Perspective

Focuses on the role of the unconscious mind in the development of personality, originated from Freud.

Behavioral Perspective

Focuses on the effect of the environment on behavior and incorporates aspects of social cognitive theory.

Humanistic Perspective

Focuses on each person’s conscious life experiences and choices in personality development.

Trait Perspective

Concerned with identifying and measuring the traits that characterize an individual.

Id

The primitive part of personality present at birth, operating based on the pleasure principle.

Ego

The rational part of personality that develops to mediate the desires of the id with reality, operating on the reality principle.

Superego

The moral center of personality, representing internalized ideals and standards.

Psychosexual Stages

Freud’s five stages through which personality develops, including oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages.

Oedipus Complex

The child's desire for the opposite-sex parent and jealousy toward the same-sex parent, observed in boys during the phallic stage.

Electra Complex

The counterpart to the Oedipus complex in girls, involving similar feelings toward the father.

Fixation

A defense mechanism in which an individual becomes stuck in a particular psychosexual stage, affecting personality.

Neo-Freudians

A group of theorists who expanded on Freud's work, placing greater emphasis on social and cultural factors.

Self-Actualization

The process of realizing and fulfilling one’s potential and capabilities, central to the humanistic perspective.

Unconditional Positive Regard

An acceptance and support of a person regardless of what they say or do; essential for healthy personality development.

Big Five (OCEAN)

Five factor model of personality traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism.

Behavioral Genetics

The study of the role of genetic and environmental influences on behavior and personality.

Locus of Control

The degree to which people believe that they have control over the outcomes of events in their lives.

Projective Personality Tests

Assessments that use ambiguous stimuli to elicit responses revealing unconscious motives and desires.