Personality Quizlet

Personality

Psychological qualities that bring a CONSISTENCY to and individuals thoughts and behaviors in different situations and times.

Type A Personality

Competitive, driven, hostile, ambitious, competitive, feel time pressured, and easily angered. WORK HARD AND PLAY HARD.

Type B Personality

Relaxed, patient, easygoing, and amicable behavior. Still are ambitious and work hard.

Social-Cognitive Theory

Derived from experiments in psychology rather than clinical work. Personality is a result of experiences, observations and society.

Trait Theory

Attempted to define personality in terms of stable, enduring behavior patterns.

Freud’s Psychodynamic Theory

Personality is created by the unconscious, hidden parts of the mind'; responsible for impulses, instincts, motives, and conflicts.

Dynamic refers to mental energy force.

Thought of it as an ice burg

Conscious Thoughts

Wishes, desires, or thoughts that we are aware of or can easily recall at any given moment. The tip of the ice burg.

Preconscious

Things we can be aware of if we think of them.

The hidden part of the ice burg, but near the surface.

Unconscious Forces

Represents wishes, desires, or thoughts that, because of their more disturbing or threatening content, we automatically repress and cannot voluntarily access.

This guides a large part of our behavior

The huge part of the hidden ice burg

Unconscious Motivation

Is a Freudian concept that refers to the influence of repressed thoughts, desires, or impulses on our conscious thoughts and behaviors

Psychoanalysis

Freud. Focuses on how the mind's energy is changed, transformed, and expressed. The "mental stream" of the sex was called Eros, and the energy behind this drive was called Libido

Eros

Greek god for passionate love

Libido

Latin for lust

Techniques to discover the unconsious

Developed by Freud

Free Association, dream interpretation, and Freudian slips

Free Association

Freud encouraged clients to talk about any thoughts or images that entered their head; the assumption is that this kind of free-flowing, uncensored talking will provide clues to unconscious material

Dream Interpretation

Freudian technique of analyzing dreams. Based on the assumption that dreams contain underlying, hidden meanings and symbols that provide clues to unconscious thoughts and desires. Latent and Manifest Content

Manifest Content

According to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream

Latent Content

According to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream

Freudian Slips

Mistakes or slips of the tongue that we make in everyday speech that expose the unconscious

The Id

Basic motives, drive and instinctive desires that determin our personality. What the person wants (including sex and aggression).

The Devil

The Superego

The police of personality. Morals and values from society. WHAT IS THE MORAL AND RIGHT THING

The angel

The Ego

Regulates conflicts between the Id and the Superego. Satisfying ones desires while abiding by a moral code

The Head

Defense Mechanisms

Freudian processes that operate at unconscious levels and that use self-deception or untrue explanations to protect the ego from being overwhelmed by anxiety

Anxiety

An uncomfortable feeling that results from inner conflicts between the primitive desires of the Id and the moral goals of the Superego

The Nine Defense Mechanisms

Rationalization, denial, repression, projection, reaction formation, displacement, sublimation, undoing, and regression

Rationalization

Covering up the true reasons for actions, thoughts, or feelings by making excuses and incorrect explanations

Denial

\n Refusing to recognize some anxiety provoking event or piece of information that is clear to others

Repression

Blocking and pushing away unacceptable or threatening feelings, wishes, or experiences into the unconscious

Projection

Falsely and unconsciously attributing ones own unacceptable feelings, traits, or thoughts onto other individuals or objects

Reaction Formation

Substituting behaviors, thoughts, or feelings that are the direct opposite of the unacceptable ones

Displacement

Transferring feelings about an object or a response to something that causes anxiety to another person or object that is less threatening

Sublimation

Channeling one's frustration towards a different goal. Sometimes a healthy defense mechanism

Undoing

A form of unconscious repentance that involves neutralizing or atoning for an unacceptable action or thought with a second action or thought

A BAD ACTION LEADS SOMEONE TO PERFORM A GOOD ONE TO MAKE UP FOR IT

Regression

Retreating to a behavior pattern characteristic of an earlier stage of development

Freud's Five Psychosexual Stages

Children pass through a series of stages, during which the Id's pleasure seeking energies focus on distinct pleasure-sensation areas of the body called erogenous zones. Oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital

Oral

0-18months. Pleasure centers on the mouth; biting, sucking, chewing...

Anal

18-36 months. Pleasure focuses on bowel and bladder elimination; coping with demands for control. Potty training

Phallic

3-6 years. Pleasure zone is in the genitals, coping with incestuous sexual feelings. Sexual attraction for opposite sex parent. Oedipus complex and electra complez

Oedipus Complex

Boys cope with incestuous feelings towards their mothers, and rival feelings towards their dads. Feel hostility and jealousy of their father, but knows their father is more powerful. A fear of castration from their fathers leads boys to imitate their fathers

Electra Comples

Girls have feelings for their fathers and compete with their mothers. Begin to imitate their mothers. Penis envy

Penis Envy

Little girls suffer from deprivation and loss and blame their mother for sending them into the world "inadequately equipped", causing them to resent their mothers

Latency

6-puberty. Dormant sexual feelings

Genital

Puberty and on. Maturation of sexual instincts

Projective Testing

A personality test (Rorschach or TAT), that provides ambiguous stimuli, presumably revealing hidden emotions and internal conflicts projected by the person into the test; assesses the unconscious

Rorschach Test

A projective test that uses inkblots as the ambiguous stimulus

TAT Test

A projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes

Problems With Projective Personality Tests

Do not meet reliability and validity standards; analysis and interpretation of responses subject to wide variation; may have limited cultural relevance

Criticisms of Freud

Many Freudian concepts are vague and only focus on what happened in the past. He is still widely popular in media and culture, but has lost most of his support in the psychological field

Neo-Freudians

Followers of Freud who developed their own theories that maintained a psychodynamic aspect

Alfred Adler

Neo-Freudian. The importance of childhood social tension. Believed the main factors that influence a child's development were siblings and child-rearing practices. Humans are motivated by social urges and each person is a social being with a unique personality. Developed the idea of the "inferiority complex". Suggested we are aware of our motives and goals, and have the capacity to guide and plan our futures (there is no unconscious)

Karen Horney

Neo-Freudian. Sought to balance Freud's masculine biases. Never followed Freud and strongly objected his views that women were dependent, vain, and submissive because of biological forces and childhood sexual experiences. Insisted that the major influence on personality development can be found in child-parent social interaction

Carl Jung

Neo-Freudian. Emphasized the collective unconscious and believed it to be the basic force in the development of personality (not sex like Freud believed)

The Collective Unconscious

According to Jung, it consists of ancient memory traces and symbols that are passed on by birth and are shared by all people in all cultures. The basic force in the development of personality

Archetypes

Jung. Models of people, behaviors, or personalities. Four major groups, but Jung believed there was no limit to the number that may exist. Many overlap

The Self

An archetype that represents the unification of the unconscious and consciousness of an individual

The Shadow

An archetype that consists of sex and life instincts

The Anima and Animus

The feminine image in the male psyche (anima) and the male image in the female psyche (animus)

The Persona

How we present ourselves to the world

Humanistic Theory

Optimistic about the core of human nature. Personality is driven by needs to adapt and learn, rather than unconscious conflicts of defense mechanisms and anxiety. Mental disorders occur when a person is in an unhealthy situation that causes low self esteem and unmet needs. Emphasize SELF

Abraham Maslow

The most famous humanistic psychologist that argues humans have to satisfy FIVE specific needs. We need something that described good mental health as more than just the absence of illness

Deficiency Needs

Physiological needs and psychological needs that we try to fulfill if they are not met

Growth Needs

The desire to row as a person. Deficiency needs must be achieved first

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Arranges needs in ascending order with biological at the bottom and social/personal needs at the top. One can only meet higher needs once the lower ones are met. Deficiency/Growth needs. Biological, safety, attachment, esteem, self-actualization

Biological

Breathing, food, water, sex, homeostasis, excretion

Safety

Security of body, employment, resources, morality, family, health, and property

Attachment (Love and Belonging)

Friendship, family, sexual intimacy

Esteem

Self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, and respect by others

Self-Actualization

Morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, and acceptance of facts. The development and fulfillment of one's unique human potential

Characteristics of Self-Actualization

Perceive reality accurately. Independent and autonomous. Prefer to have a deep loving relationship

Carl Rogers

Humanistic. Research was client centered. Healthy personalities lead to a fully functioning person. An individual who has a self-concept that is positive and congruent with reality. People are basically good and are endowed with self actualizing tendencies. People nurture our growth by being genuine when they are open with their own feelings; being transparent and self-disclosing. Evil personalities spring from toxic cultural influences, not human nature

Self Concept

l our thoughts and feelings about ourselves. Who am I/Who I think I am. Positive vs. Negative

Person-Centered Perspective

Rogers. People nurture our growth by being accepting by offering unconditional positive regard. People nurture our growth by being empathetic when sharing and mirroring our feelings and reflecting their meaning

Unconditional Positive Regard

An attitude of total acceptance towards another person

Criticisms of Humanistic Theories

Concepts are vague and subjective-what is self-actualization? Psychologists now argue that self-esteem isn't the cause of behavior but rather the product of it, unlike humanists. Humanists leave out "evil" personalities

Social Cognitive Research

Interested in how peoples behaviors and beliefs affect and are affected by their surroundings. Observe people in realistic situations. Behavior is a mix of internal and external influences. Our behavior is always influenced by biology, social experiences, cognition, and personality. Founded on research

Albert Bandura

Well known theories in observational learning. We are driven by inner and outer forces. Reciprocal determinism

Social Cognitive Perspective

Personality is driven by social context

Reciprocal Determinism

The process of interacting with our environment. Three ways: different people choose different environments, our personalities shape how we interpret and react to events, and our personalities help create situations to which we react

Social-Cognitive Psychologists

Emphasize our personal control. External/internal locus of control. Learned helplessness

External Locus of Control

The perception that chance or outside forces beyond your personal control determine your fate

Internal Locus of Control

The perception that you control your own fate

Learned Helplessness

The hopelessness an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events

Observational Learning

We learn new responses by watching others' behavior. Personality is learned behavior patterns. These cognitive processes involve an ongoing relationship between the individual and environment

Attribution Style

Your way of explaining things. Can be a window revealing how effective or helpless you feel. Optimism vs Pessimism

Excessive Optimism

Can foster feelings of invincibility that expose us to unnecessary risks

Evaluating the Social Cognitive Perspective

Critics fault this perspective for focusing so much on the situation that it loses sight of the person's inner traits. Slights the importance of unconscious dynamics

Temperament

The inherited personality dispositions that are apparent in early childhood and that establish "tempo" and "mood" in the individuals behavior. Biological dispositions that affect our basic personalities

Gordon Allport

Trait theory. Him and a colleague counted 18,000 words that relate to personality

Trait

A characteristic pattern of behavior or disposition to feel and act. Assessed by self-report inventories and peer reports. Stable personality characteristics that are presumed to exist within the individual and to guild his or her thoughts and actions under various conditions

Trait Theory of Personality

Emphasized measuring and identifying differences among personalities. Allport described individual traits. Described people using broad personality types that signal ones most noteworthy train and its associated characteristics

Five Factor Theory

A perspective studying that personality is composed of five fundamental personality traits: Conscientious, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, and extraversion. All 5 appear to be stable in adulthood, are substantially heritable, are applicable to all cultures, and are good predictors of other personal attributes

Conscientious

Organized/disorganized. Careful/careless. Disciplined/impulsive

Agreeableness

Good natured, cooperative, and trusting

Neuroticism

Degree of emotional instability or stability

Openness

Imagination, wit, originality and creativity; people low in this dimension are emotionally stable, calm and contented

Extraversion

Someone who is sociable, gregarious, and assertive

Personal Inventory

A questionnaire often with true/false or agree/disagree questions on which people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors; used to assess selected personalities

Myers Briggs Type Indicator

Taken by 2.5 million Americans per year. A national research council reported that the there is an absence in scientific worth of the test

Factor Analysis

Hans Eyseck proposed that 2 primarily genetically influenced dimensions will explain variations. Introverted vs extroverted; stable vs unstable

Biology and Personality

Brain activity scans do indicate that extroverts and introverts differ in their level of brain arousal