4.4: Psychodynamic and Humanistic Theories of Personality

Psychodynamic Perspective

Personality is shaped by unconscious motives and childhood experiences, emphasizing the role of the unconscious mind.

Unconscious Processes

Mental activities that occur outside of our awareness, such as thoughts, desires, and memories that are hidden from conscious thought.

These processes can influence our behavior and emotions without us realizing it.

Id

Unconsious psychic energy that strives to satisfy basic needs. Pleasure seeking principle

Ego

The partly consicous reality principle that makes executive decisions, balancing the demands of the Id and Superego

Superego

Partly conscious moral principle. Focus on ideals, goals, responsibilities

Ego Defense Mechanism

Ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting memory

Denial

A defense mechanism where an individual refuses to accept reality or facts, blocking external events from awareness.

Displacement

A defense mechanism where an individual refuses to accept reality or facts, blocking external events from awareness.

Projection

A defense mechanism where individuals attribute their own unacceptable thoughts or feelings onto someone else.

Rationalization

A defense mechanism involving creating a seemingly logical reason or excuse for behaviors or feelings that are actually informed.

Reaction Formation

A defense mechanism where a person behaves in a way opposite to what they truly feel, often exaggeratedly so.

Regression

A defense mechanism where an individual faced with anxiety retreates to a more infantile psychosexual stage.

Sublimation

A defense mechanism where socially unacceptable impulses are transformed into socially acceptable actions or behavior.

Repression

A defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from conscious awareness.

Projective Tests

Personality assessments that present ambiguous stimuli to reveal hidden emotions and internal conflicts - psychodynamic perspective

Thematic Apperception Test

Assesses personality through storytelling based on ambiguous images.

Rorscharch Inkblot Test

A projective test that uses a series of inkblots to assess an individual's personality and emotional functioning. Low reliablity and validity

Humanistic Perspective

People are active agents who strive to become the best versions of themselves, rather than being passively shaped by unconscious forces or environmental factors.

Unconditional Positive Regard

Accepting and valuing a person without conditions or judgment, helping people develop a self awareness and acceptance

Self-Actualizing Tendency

The innate drive in every individual to fulfill their potential and achieve the highest human capabilities —> Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Self-Concept

All our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, central feature of personality

Self-Esteem

One's feelings of high or low self-worth.

Self-Transcendence

Going beyond one's own self-interest and seeking meaning and purpose beyond the self.

Objective Personality Test

Standardized questionnaires requiring written resposnes; assesses the ideal vs actual self