Psych 105 Chapter 12 part 1

Personality

An individual’s characteristic style of behaving, thinking, and feeling.

Trait Approach

A method of understanding personality that uses trait terms to categorize differences among individuals.

Psychodynamic Approach

An approach to personality that focuses on the forces that lie beneath awareness.

Humanistic–Existential Approach

An approach that views personality as a choice and emphasizes personal growth.

Social–Cognitive Approach

An approach that examines how personality is shaped by personal experiences and contextual situations.

Self-Report

A method of personality assessment where individuals answer questions about their behavior or mental state.

MMPI-2-RF

A well-researched clinical questionnaire used for assessing personality and psychological problems.

Projective Techniques

Assessment methods that rely on analysis of ambiguous stimuli to reveal inner aspects of an individual's personality.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective test where respondents create stories about ambiguous pictures, revealing their underlying motives.

Big Five Dimensions

A model of personality traits consisting of Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

Cattell's 16-Factor Theory

A theory proposing that 16 core personality traits can describe human personality.

Eysenck's Trait Model

A simplified model of personality focusing on two major dimensions: Extraversion and Neuroticism.

Behavioural Genetics

The study of the relationship between genetic factors and personality traits, often through twin studies.

Heritability

The proportion of observed variance in a trait that can be attributed to inherited genetic factors.

Externalizing Problems

Personality issues related to outward behavior, such as aggression and substance abuse.

Internalizing Problems

Personality issues that are inwardly directed, typically involving anxiety and self-doubt.

Digital Footprints

Data regarding individuals’ online behavior, increasingly used in personality research.

Rorschach Test

A projective test that uses inkblots to assess personality characteristics and emotional functioning.