Personality Psychology Overview

A comprehensive set of flashcards summarizing key concepts in personality psychology based on the lecture notes.

What is personality psychology primarily concerned with?

The study of individual differences and psychological diversity among people.

What defines a personality trait?

A consistent pattern of behavior, thinking, or feeling that is relatively stable over time.

What is the lexical approach in personality psychology?

The idea that the human language encodes important distinctions about personality traits that are of interest.

What are the five factors of the big five personality model?

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

How does conscientiousness relate to behavior?

It indicates a person's ability to control themselves and be organized rather than impulsive.

What does neuroticism refer to in personality psychology?

The tendency to experience negative psychological emotions more than others.

What does 'situationism' suggest about personality?

People’s behavior can vary significantly depending on the situation, which challenges the consistency of personality traits.

What is the difference between shared and non-shared environmental influences?

Shared influences make siblings more similar, while non-shared influences make them more different.

What is heritability in the context of personality traits?

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

What is the primary criticism of projective tests in personality assessment?

They often lack reliability and validity, making it hard to measure consistent and accurate personality traits.

What is emotional intelligence?

The ability to perceive, use, understand, and manage emotions in oneself and others.

What does the concept of self-complexity refer to?

The number of self-aspects and the distinctness of these aspects in an individual.

Why is self-esteem considered complex?

Its stability may matter more than its level; fluctuating self-esteem may lead to negative outcomes.

What do attributional styles reveal about an individual's personality?

They indicate how individuals interpret and explain negative events, impacting vulnerability to depression and health.

What is the interactionist view in personality psychology?

It recognizes the combined effects of traits and situations on behavior.

What does rank order stability refer to?

The consistency of an individual's standing relative to peers over time.

How do mean-level changes in personality occur over life stages?

Changing life circumstances and social roles can lead to observable changes in personality traits.

What is the outcome of the Mills College longitudinal study on mothers?

Women who became mothers showed increases in responsibilities and changes in personality traits.

What does the term 'developmental origins' refer to in personality psychology?

The underlying mechanisms and processes that lead to the development of personality.

How can personality assessments be made more reliable?

By ensuring internal consistency, inter-rater reliability, and re-test reliability in the measures used.