Introduction to Psychology: Chapter 10 - Personality

These flashcards cover key concepts and definitions related to the chapter on Personality in Psychology.

Personality

Reasonably stable patterns of emotions, motives, and behavior that distinguish one person from another.

Psychodynamic Theory

Emphasizes the importance of unconscious motives and conflicts as forces that determine behavior.

Conscious Mind

The part of the mind that contains thoughts, feelings, and ideas of which we are aware.

Repression

Automatic pushing away of anxiety-provoking ideas to keep them out of awareness.

Id

The oldest and most primitive part of personality, based on the pleasure principle and seeks instant gratification.

Ego

Represents reason, logic, and problem-solving; tries to satisfy the id in realistic ways.

Superego

Moral part of personality that judges actions and sets ideals for right and wrong.

Oedipus Complex

A child's desire for the opposite-sex parent and jealousy toward the same-sex parent.

Electra Complex

A girl's desire for her father and resentment toward her mother.

Individuation

The process of becoming one’s true self, emphasized in Carl Jung's theory.

Inferiority Complex

Feelings of inferiority that motivate individuals to strive for superiority, as proposed by Alfred Adler.

Self-Actualization

The innate tendency to realize one's potential, seen as the highest level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Unconditional Positive Regard

Acceptance and love regardless of behavior, important for healthy self-esteem.

Traits

Relatively stable aspects of personality that can be inferred from behavior.

Big Five Personality Traits

Five broad dimensions of personality: Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, Openness to experience.

Behaviorism

The view that personality is shaped by environmental influences and learned behavior.

Social Cognitive Theory

Focuses on learning by observation and cognitive processes that influence behavior.

Acculturation

The process by which individuals adapt to a new culture after prolonged contact.

Validity

The degree to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure.

Reliability

The consistency of test results over time.

Rorschach Inkblot Test

A projective test where individuals interpret inkblots to reveal aspects of their personality.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective test assessing attitudes, where individuals create stories about ambiguous images.

Validity

The degree to which a test truly measures what it purports to measure. A test is considered valid if it accurately assesses the specific construct or attribute it was designed to evaluate, ensuring that the inferences made from its scores are appropriate and meaningful. For a test to be valid, it must also be reliable, meaning it produces consistent results.

What is Personality?

Reasonably stable patterns of emotions, motives, and behavior that distinguish one person from another. These enduring characteristics contribute to an individual's unique style of interacting with the world and others.

What aspects of a person does personality describe?

It describes reasonably stable patterns of emotions, motives, and behavior.

What is Psychodynamic Theory?

A psychological perspective that emphasizes the importance of unconscious motives and conflicts as forces that determine behavior.

Who is primarily associated with Psychodynamic Theory?

Sigmund Freud.

What does Psychodynamic Theory posit about mental life?

It posits that much of mental life is outside of conscious awareness, emphasizing unconscious motives, conflicts, and early childhood experiences.

What is the Conscious Mind?

The part of the mind that contains thoughts, feelings, and ideas of which we are aware at any given moment.

Which part of the mind is the smallest and most accessible, operating in immediate contact with the external world?

The Conscious Mind.

What is Repression?

An automatic pushing away of anxiety-provoking ideas, impulses, or memories to keep them out of awareness.

Who proposed repression as a fundamental defense mechanism?

Sigmund Freud.

What is the purpose of repression?

Its purpose is to protect the ego from distress and internal conflict.

What is the Id?

The oldest and most primitive part of personality, entirely unconscious, present from birth, and based on the pleasure principle.

Which principle guides the Id?

The pleasure principle, seeking instant gratification of desires.

What does the Id house?

Basic biological drives like hunger, thirst, and sex.

What is the Ego?

The largely conscious, rational, and logical part of personality that develops from the id during infancy.

Which principle guides the Ego?

The reality principle.

What is the primary function of the Ego?

It tries to satisfy the id in realistic and socially acceptable ways, mediating between the id, superego, and external reality.

What is the Superego?

The moral component of personality that internalizes societal and parental standards of right and wrong, developing around ages 3-5.

What are the two parts of the Superego?

The conscience (which punishes with guilt) and the ego ideal (which provides an image of what one should be).

What does the Superego strive for?

Perfection and moral excellence.

What is the Oedipus Complex?

A male child's unconscious sexual desire for his mother and feelings of rivalry or jealousy toward his father, associated with Freud's phallic stage.

Who proposed the Oedipus Complex?

Sigmund Freud.

Which psychosexual stage is the Oedipus Complex associated with?

The phallic stage (ages 3-6).

What is the Electra Complex?

A female child's unconscious sexual desire for her father and feelings of resentment or rivalry toward her mother. This term, primarily used by Carl Jung, parallels the Oedipus complex.

Who primarily used the term Electra Complex?

Carl Jung.

Which psychosexual stage is the Electra Complex associated with?

The phallic stage.

What is Individuation?

The lifelong psychological process of integrating the conscious and unconscious aspects of the self, aimed at becoming one’s authentic, whole, and unique self.

Who emphasized Individuation in their analytical psychology?

Carl Jung.

What is an Inferiority Complex?

Pervasive and exaggerated feelings of personal inferiority, inadequacy, or insecurity that often motivate individuals to strive for superiority.

Who developed the concept of the Inferiority Complex?

Alfred Adler.

How do feelings of inferiority often motivate individuals, according to Alfred Adler?

They motivate individuals to strive for superiority or compensatory behaviors.

What is Self-Actualization?

The innate tendency to realize one's full potential, capabilities, and talents, becoming the best one can be.

Who positioned Self-Actualization as the highest level in their hierarchy of needs?

Abraham Maslow.

What are some typical characteristics of self-actualized individuals?

Creativity, spontaneity, problem-centeredness, and deep interpersonal relationships.

What is Unconditional Positive Regard?

A therapist's (or significant other's) complete and unwavering acceptance, support, and love for another person without judgment or conditions, regardless of their behavior.

Who proposed Unconditional Positive Regard as crucial for healthy psychological development?

Carl Rogers.

In what therapeutic approach is Unconditional Positive Regard a foundational concept?

Carl Rogers' person-centered therapy and humanistic psychology.

What are Personality Traits?

Relatively stable, enduring predispositions or aspects of personality that can be inferred from an individual's characteristic patterns of emotions, cognitions, and behaviors.

What do trait theories propose about personality?

They propose that personality can be described and understood in terms of stable characteristics consistent across situations and over time.

What allows for predictions about behavior in trait theories?

The consistency of stable personality traits.

What are the Big Five Personality Traits (also known as the Five-Factor Model)?

Five broad dimensions of personality: Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness to Experience.

List the five traits of the Big Five Personality Traits.

Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, Openness to Experience (often remembered by the acronym OCEAN or CANOE).

What does the 'O' in 'OCEAN' stand for in the Big Five?

Openness to Experience (imagination, curiosity).

What does the 'C' in 'OCEAN' stand for in the Big Five?

Conscientiousness (organization, responsibility).

What does the 'E' in 'OCEAN' stand for in the Big Five?

Extraversion (sociability, assertiveness).

What does the 'A' in 'OCEAN' stand for in the Big Five?

Agreeableness (cooperativeness, empathy).

What does the 'N' in 'OCEAN' stand for in the Big Five?

Neuroticism (emotional instability, anxiety).

What is Behaviorism?

A school of thought in psychology that asserts personality is a collection of learned behaviors, shaped entirely by environmental influences.

Who is a prominent figure associated with operant conditioning within Behaviorism?

B.F. Skinner.

What do behaviorists reject the study of?

Internal mental states.

What is Social Cognitive Theory?

A theory of personality that emphasizes the interplay between cognitive processes (thoughts, beliefs), observable behavior, and environmental factors.

Who is primarily associated with Social Cognitive Theory?

Albert Bandura.

What are the key concepts in Social Cognitive Theory?

Observational learning, self-efficacy, and reciprocal determinism.

In Social Cognitive Theory, what is 'self-efficacy'?

The belief in one's own ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task.

What is Acculturation?

The complex process by which individuals or groups from one culture adapt to and integrate elements of a different culture after prolonged and continuous firsthand contact.

What changes can acculturation involve?

Changes in language, customs, values, and identity.

What are some possible outcomes of acculturation?

Assimilation, integration, separation, or marginalization.

What is Validity in psychological testing?

The degree to which a test truly measures what it purports to measure, ensuring that inferences made from its scores are appropriate and meaningful.

What is a necessary condition for a test to be considered valid?

It must also be reliable.

What does a valid test ensure regarding the inferences made from its scores?

That they are appropriate and meaningful, as the test accurately assesses the specific construct it was designed for.

What is Reliability in psychological testing?

The consistency of test results over time or across different administrations.

What are different types of reliability?

Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and inter-rater reliability.

Is reliability sufficient for validity?

No, reliability is a necessary condition for validity, but it is not sufficient on its own.

What is the Rorschach Inkblot Test?

A projective personality test where individuals interpret ambiguous inkblots to reveal aspects of their personality.

Who developed the Rorschach Inkblot Test?

Hermann Rorschach.

What does the Rorschach Test assume about individuals' interpretations of inkblots?

It assumes that the unstructured nature of the stimuli allows individuals to project their unconscious thoughts, feelings, and personality characteristics.

What is the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)?

A projective personality test where individuals create stories about ambiguous images, used to assess attitudes and reveal underlying motives.

Who developed the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)?

Henry Murray.

What does the analysis of stories created in the TAT reveal?

Underlying motives, attitudes, needs, and conflicts.