Personality Psychology

What is Personality Psychology?

A branch of psychology that studies personality and its variation among individuals.

What are the main areas of focus in Personality Psychology?

Construction of a coherent picture of the individual, investigation of individual psychological differences, and investigation of human nature.

What are the Four Temperaments in personality theory?

Sanguine (optimistic and social), Choleric (short-tempered), Melancholic (analytical and quiet), Phlegmatic (relaxed and peaceful).

Who incorporated the Four Temperaments into medical theories?

Hippocrates.

What is Psychoanalysis?

A therapeutic approach founded by Sigmund Freud that explores the unconscious mind to uncover repressed feelings.

What are Freud's three parts of the psyche?

Id (instinctual drives), Ego (realistic mediator), Super-Ego (moralizing function).

What does the Id represent in Freud's theory?

The uncoordinated instinctual trends and basic drives like food, water, and sex.

What is the role of the Ego?

To please the Id's drives in a realistic manner that benefits in the long term.

What does the Super-Ego control?

Our sense of right and wrong and guilt, helping us act in socially acceptable ways.

What are defense mechanisms according to Freud?

Mental strategies used to push painful or unacceptable ideas out of consciousness.

What is the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)?

A projective psychological test where subjects tell a story based on ambiguous pictures.

What are the two phases of the Rorschach Test?

Free Association Phase (What do you see?) and Inquiry Phase (Do you still see the same object?).

What is the purpose of the Rorschach Test?

To examine a person's personality characteristics and emotional functioning through inkblot perceptions.

What are some projective psychological tests?

Rorschach Inkblot Test, Holtzman Inkblot Technique, Thematic Apperception Test, Draw-A-Person Test.

What is the Holtzman Inkblot Test (HIT)?

A standardized scoring system for analyzing responses to inkblots.

What does the Holtzman scoring criteria include?

Reaction Time, Rejection, Location, Space, Form Definiteness, Form Appropriateness, Color, Shading, Movement, Pathognomic Verbalization, Integration, Human, Animal, Anatomy, Sex, Abstract, Anxiety.

What is the significance of the Rorschach Test's validity and reliability?

It addresses the accuracy and consistency of the test results in measuring personality.

What is the Blacky Pictures Test?

A projective test developed by Gerald Blum in 1947 to assess personality.

What is the main goal of projective tests?

To reveal underlying thoughts, feelings, and personality traits through ambiguous stimuli.

How does the TAT assess a subject's personality?

By asking the subject to create a story based on pictures, revealing their thoughts and emotions.

What is the role of anxiety in Freud's defense mechanisms?

Anxiety can trigger the use of defense mechanisms to protect oneself from guilt, shame, and emotional pain.

What is a sign of hostility in projective tests?

Signs of hostility or fantasy content.

What does 'Barrier' refer to in projective tests?

A protective covering, shell, membrane, or skin symbolically related to body image boundaries.

What does 'Penetration' symbolize in projective tests?

An individual's feeling that their body exterior is of little protective value and can be easily penetrated.

What is a major criticism of projective tests?

They lack reliability (consistency of results) and validity (predicting what they are supposed to).

What does the Trait Perspective focus on?

An individual's unique constellation of durable dispositions and consistent ways of behaving (traits).

Who identified 18,000 words representing traits?

Allport & Odbert in 1936.

What is a Personality Inventory?

A questionnaire designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors to assess selected personality traits.

What are the two personality dimensions described by Hans Eysenck?

Extraversion and neuroticism.

What personality type is characterized by high neuroticism and high extraversion?

Choleric type.

What is the Lexical Hypothesis?

The idea that most socially relevant personality characteristics are encoded in natural language.

What are the Big Five personality factors?

Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, Openness to Experience.

What does high extraversion indicate?

Traits such as sociable, energetic, adventurous, enthusiastic, and outgoing.

What does high agreeableness indicate?

Traits such as forgiving, kind, appreciative, trusting, and sympathetic.

What does high conscientiousness indicate?

Traits such as organized, thorough, deliberate, responsible, and precise.

What does high neuroticism indicate?

Traits such as tense, moody, anxious, fearful, and touchy.

What does high openness to experience indicate?

Traits such as curious, imaginative, wide interests, original, and intelligent.

What is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)?

The most widely researched and clinically used personality test, originally developed to identify emotional disorders.

What is a major problem with trait inventories?

Abbreviated versions of tests may not be accurate.

How can injury to the prefrontal cortex affect personality?

It can cause profound personality changes, such as loss of inhibitions and inappropriate behavior.

What is the humanistic perspective on personality development?

It emphasizes the importance of fulfilling each layer of needs for personality development.

What does Carl Rogers emphasize in his humanistic personality theory?

The importance of the self-actualizing tendency and unconditional positive regard in forming a self-concept.

What is the person-situation debate in personality psychology?

The controversy over whether a person's traits or the situation is more influential in determining behavior.

What does the social-cognitive perspective view as influential in behavior?

The interaction between persons and their social context.

What is reciprocal determinism?

The interacting influences between personality and environmental factors.

What is individualism in the context of culture's impact on personality?

Giving priority to one's own goals over group goals and defining identity in terms of personal attributes.

What is collectivism in the context of culture's impact on personality?

Giving priority to the goals of one's group and defining identity accordingly.