Personality Exam 2

Which mental structure in Freudian theory represents internalized morality and conscience?

The superego

What is transference in psychoanalytic therapy?

The tendency to bring ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving developed in prior relationships into the relationship with the therapist.

What primary cognitive function is associated with the hippocampus?

Processing and consolidating memories

In psychoanalytic theory, what is compromise formation?

The ego's process of finding a practical balance between competing internal desires and external constraints, resulting in conscious thought and behavior

What is masculine protest in Adlerian psychology?

An adult's compensatory effort to become powerful and dominant to overcome childhood feelings of vulnerability and weakness

What is the defense mechanism of repression?

Preventing the recall or conscious awareness of thoughts, memories, or impulses that trigger anxiety.

What is the primary psychological theme of the oral stage of psychosexual development?

Dependency and passivity

In Freud's topographic model, how does the preconscious differ from the unconscious?

Preconscious thoughts are not currently in conscious awareness but can be easily recalled, whereas unconscious thoughts are actively kept hidden from awareness

How do Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) typically affect personality trait expression?

They reduce negative emotional intensity and irritability, lowering neuroticism while increasing agreeableness and conscientiousness

Through what process does a child resolve the phallic stage, according to Freud?

Identification, taking on the attitudes, values, and gender roles of the same-sex parent

What is the core assumption of psychic determinism?

Everything that happens in a person's mind, including thoughts and behaviors, has a specific, identifiable cause

What is the defense mechanism of denial?

The outright refusal to perceive or acknowledge an anxiety-inducing reality or piece of information

What is Carl Jung's concept of the persona?

The social mask worn in public to conform to society while keeping real aspects of the self private

What is the defense mechanism of projection?

Attributing one's own unwanted, shameful impulses or attributes onto other people

What is fixation in psychosexual development?

Leaving a portion of psychic energy behind at an unresolved developmental stage, causing ongoing characterological struggle with that stage's core issues

What is a reactive person-environment transaction?

When individuals with different genetic predispositions respond differently to the exact same environment

What two metatraits organize the Big Five personality traits?

1. Stability (Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness)

2. Plasticity (Extraversion, Openness)

How do Eros and Thanatos differ as fundamental psychoanalytic drives?

Eros is the life drive focused on creation, protection, and enjoyment; Thanatos is the death drive directed toward destruction, aggression, and disorder.

Why does a genetically fixed human trait like having two arms yield a heritability coefficient close to zero?

Heritability measures the proportion of population variance due to genetic variance; without genetic variance in arm count across individuals, heritability is zero.

What issue defines Stage 1 (0–2 years) of Erikson's psychosocial model?

Trust versus mistrust

What did early research on perceptual defense demonstrate?

Participants exhibited physiological emotional reactions and required longer presentation thresholds to consciously recognize sexually threatening or taboo words.

What is the psychoanalytic procedure of free association?

Instructing a patient to say whatever comes to mind without censorship to help uncover unconscious thoughts.

What is the defense mechanism of rationalization?

Creating a logical, socially acceptable explanation for an action or feeling without acknowledging the true motivation

What central role does the amygdala play in emotion and personality?

It processes emotional significance, fear learning, and reactions to threatening or novel stimuli

What does Freud's doctrine of opposites assert about psychological extremes?

Opposite extremes on any psychological dimension are more similar to each other than either extreme is to the middle ground.

What behavioral mechanism is activated by dopamine to reinforce reward-seeking behavior?

The Behavioral Activation System (BAS)

How did Freud define the ultimate marker of psychological health in the genital stage?

The ability "to love and to work."

According to sociometer theory, what evolutionary function does self-esteem serve?

It acts as a internal gauge that monitors the degree to which an individual is accepted and valued by others: A gauge representing relational value in sociometer theory

What hormone promotes nurturant, sociable behaviors and reduces anxiety during stress?

Oxytocin

What is an active person-environment transaction (niche picking)?

Selecting or creating environments that match and reinforce one's genetic predispositions.

What is the defense mechanism of displacement?

Redirecting an emotional impulse from a dangerous primary target to a safer, less threatening secondary target.

According to Carl Jung, what is the collective unconscious?

Innate memories and core ideas (archetypes) shared by all human beings across cultures and history

In Freudian theory, what is the primary operating characteristic of the id?

It is irrational and emotional, operating driven by immediate desire and satisfaction.

How do baseline cortisol levels typically differ between anxious/depressed individuals and sensation seekers?

High cortisol levels correlate with severe anxiety and depression, whereas low baseline cortisol levels correlate with sensation seeking and impulse control deficits.

According to Donald Winnicott, what is the primary function of the false self?

To present an agreeable persona to please others, protecting the true self from harm or exploitation.

What is the defense mechanism of sublimation?

Channeling unacceptable or problematic drives into socially constructive, creative, or noble activities

What did Alfred Adler mean by organ inferiority?

The concept that individuals are motivated to compensate for perceived physical or childhood weaknesses to achieve equality or superiority.

What is an evocative person-environment transaction?

When a genetically influenced behavior causes specific reactions from the surrounding environment that reinforce the behavior.

How does primary process thinking operate in the mind?

Unconsciously, irrationally, and driven by immediate gratification without regard to logic, time, or external reality.

How does Erik Erikson's developmental theory differ fundamentally from Freud's?

Erikson emphasized psychosocial conflicts across the entire lifespan, whereas Freud focused on psychosexual development in childhood.

How do Fast and Slow Life History Strategies differ in reproductive behavior?

Fast strategy involves reproducing early and often with low resource investment per offspring; Slow strategy involves delaying reproduction and investing heavy resources in fewer offspring.

What is the defense mechanism of reaction formation?

Protecting against a forbidden thought or impulse by actively instigating and expressing the exact opposite reaction

What is the main physiological function of the hypothalamus?

It connects to surrounding brain structures and secretes hormones that regulate metabolic processes and autonomic functions.

What is regression in psychoanalytic theory?

Retreating to an earlier psychosexual stage of development when experiencing stress.

What brain region is crucial for uniquely human cognition, including planning, impulse control, and emotional regulation?

The frontal cortex (prefrontal neocortex)

What is the primary operational difference between EEG and fMRI in brain research?

EEG measures precise timing (when the brain works) via scalp electrical activity; fMRI measures precise location (where the brain works) via blood oxygenation.

What is the core focus of object relations theory?

The analysis of interpersonal relationships through the internal mental representations ("objects") people construct of others.

What is evolutionary mismatch in evolutionary psychology?

When psychological or physical traits that evolved for survival in hunter-gatherer environments become dysfunctional in modern society.

What is the primary role of the ego in psychoanalytic theory?

To act as the rational structure of the mind that negotiates realistic compromises between the id, superego, and environmental demands.

What does the field of epigenetics investigate?

How environmental experiences determine whether or how specific genes are expressed without altering the DNA sequence itself.

What is the defense mechanism of intellectualization?

Translating a threatening, anxiety-producing situation into cold, abstract, and unemotional technical terms.

What purpose does a transitional object serve in child development according to Donald Winnicott?

It bridges the gap between private fantasy and external reality, providing emotional comfort as the child develops autonomy: A teddy bear serving as a visual anchor for a transitional object

How did Karen Horney re-evaluate why women envy men, counter to Freud's concept of penis envy?

Women envy the social power, independence, and opportunities granted to men by societal structures, not male anatomy.

How did Karen Horney define basic anxiety?

The fear of being alone and helpless in a hostile world.

What is the primary psychological theme of the anal stage of psychosexual development?

Self-control and obedience

Which Big Five personality trait is most strongly linked to dopamine system reactivity?

Extraversion

What are three major ways Neo-Freudian theorists typically departed from Freud's original framework?

1. Less emphasis on sexual drives/libido

2. Greater emphasis on conscious thought (ego psychology)

3. Greater focus on interpersonal relationships

What is splitting in object relations theory?

Dividing mental images of significant people into entirely good or bad components because holding contradictory feelings (love and hate) is stressful.

What role does the nucleus accumbens play in motivation?

It responds directly to reward processing and approach tendencies.

What psychosocial conflict occurs during adolescence in Erikson's sequence?

Identity versus identity confusion

What psychosocial conflict occurs during adolescence in Erikson's sequence?

The anima is the internal prototype of the female held in a male's mind, whereas the animus is the internal prototype of the male held in a female's mind.