UNIT 7: PERSONALITY

What is the primary reason personality is considered fixed according to psychology?

Because we are born with a certain temperament that evolves into our personality.

What are the four methods psychologists use to assess personality?

Thinking, acting, feeling, and processing information.

Who is considered the father of psychodynamic theory?

Sigmund Freud.

What key concept is central to Freud's psychodynamic theory?

The unconscious mind.

What is free association in psychodynamic therapy?

A process where patients express their thoughts freely to uncover what's in their unconscious.

What does the term 'latent content' refer to in dream analysis?

The hidden meaning behind dreams that represents our real life worries.

What are Freudian slips?

Accidental utterances that reveal unconscious thoughts.

What are the three components of the mind according to Freud?

The id, ego, and superego.

What does the id represent?

Inner desires and immediate gratification.

What role does the superego play in personality?

It acts as our conscience, guiding us towards moral behavior.

How does the ego function in Freud's model of the mind?

It balances the demands of the id and superego based on reality.

What is the reality principle?

The idea that one cannot have everything they want immediately and must find balance.

What developmental stage is strongly associated with the id?

Infancy, when immediate needs drive behavior.

At what point do we begin to develop the superego?

As we start socializing and growing older.

What can happen when the ego becomes overwhelmed by the conflicts between the id and superego?

Defense mechanisms may be employed to alleviate anxiety.

How do defense mechanisms help individuals?

They help manage anxiety and inner conflict.

What was Freud's view on the roots of psychological problems?

They originate from the unconscious mind where undesirable thoughts are repressed.

What can trigger the use of defense mechanisms?

Anxiety arising from internal conflicts between the id and superego.

What is an example of a common defense mechanism?

Repression, where unwanted thoughts are pushed out of conscious awareness.

How do Freud's theories contribute to psychoanalysis today?

They lay the groundwork for talk therapy and understanding unconscious influences.

What are the 8 defense mechanisms?

regression, displacement, projection, dissociation, sublimation, reaction formation, rationalization, and denial

What does the humanistic Approch suggest about personality?

that personality is decided based off your needs, and what may be lacking IE: hierarchy of needs

What is reciprocal determinism?

suggests perosnality is shaped by an interaction among cognitive factors, behaviors, and environmental factors

What is self concept

how one veiws themselves

what are the two parts of self concept

self efficacy and self esteem

What is trait theory?

believes personality can be described by a series of traits

What are the 5 parts of the big 5?

Openness, conscientious, extroversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability