Personality Theories and Perspectives

These flashcards cover key concepts from personality theories and perspectives discussed in the lecture notes.

Defence mechanisms

Tactics the ego uses to reduce anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality.

Repression

The most powerful defence mechanism where unacceptable desires are pushed into the unconscious.

Projection

Seeing one's own fears or undesirable traits in others.

Erogenous zones

Parts of the body that provide strong pleasure at specific stages of development.

Oedipus complex

Boys' intense desire to replace their father and possess their mother.

Castration anxiety

Fear in boys of being mutilated by their father.

Penis envy

The concept that girls experience envy regarding male anatomy and its associated social status.

Fixation

A condition where an individual is stuck in a psychosexual stage that shapes their adult personality.

Collective unconsciousness

A concept by Carl Jung that refers to a shared layer of the unconscious mind among all humans.

Archetypes

Emotionally laden ideas and symbols shared across cultures, representing universal themes.

Unconditional positive regard

Acceptance and valuing of a person regardless of their behavior, crucial for personal growth according to Carl Rogers.

Self-efficacy

Belief in one's ability to accomplish tasks and influence outcomes.

Reciprocal determinism

Albert Bandura's concept that behavior, environment, and cognitive factors all influence one another in forming personality.

Personology

The study of the whole person, emphasizing the importance of life stories and experiences in understanding personality.

Trait theories

Perspectives that view personality as composed of broad, enduring traits leading to consistent behaviors.

Big Five factors of personality

Five key dimensions of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

The most widely used self-report personality test designed to assess various psychological conditions.

Type A behavior pattern

A cluster of traits characterized by competitiveness, impatience, and hostility.

Subjective wellbeing

An individual's assessment of their positive and negative emotional experiences and life satisfaction.

Defence mechanisms

Tactics the ego uses to reduce anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality.

Repression

The most powerful defence mechanism where unacceptable desires are pushed into the unconscious.

Projection

Seeing one's own fears or undesirable traits in others.

Erogenous zones

Parts of the body that provide strong pleasure at specific stages of development.

Oedipus complex

Boys' intense desire to replace their father and possess their mother.

Castration anxiety

Fear in boys of being mutilated by their father.

Penis envy

The concept that girls experience envy regarding male anatomy and its associated social status.

Fixation

A condition where an individual is stuck in a psychosexual stage that shapes their adult personality.

Collective unconsciousness

A concept by Carl Jung that refers to a shared layer of the unconscious mind among all humans.

Archetypes

Emotionally laden ideas and symbols shared across cultures, representing universal themes.

Unconditional positive regard

Acceptance and valuing of a person regardless of their behavior, crucial for personal growth according to Carl Rogers.

Self-efficacy

Belief in one's ability to accomplish tasks and influence outcomes.

Reciprocal determinism

Albert Bandura's concept that behavior, environment, and cognitive factors all influence one another in forming personality.

Personology

The study of the whole person, emphasizing the importance of life stories and experiences in understanding personality.

Trait theories

Perspectives that view personality as composed of broad, enduring traits leading to consistent behaviors.

Big 5 factors of personality

5 key dimensions of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

The most widely used self-report personality test designed to assess various psychological conditions.

Type A behavior pattern

A cluster of traits characterized by competitiveness, impatience, and hostility.

Subjective wellbeing

An individual's assessment of their positive and negative emotional experiences and life satisfaction.

Id

The component of personality consisting of unconscious drives and the individual's primary reservoir of sexual energy.

Ego

The Freudian structure of personality that interacts with the demands of reality to balance drives and morality.

Superego

The Freudian structure of personality that serves as the harsh internal judge of behavior; the conscience.

Reaction formation

A defense mechanism in which the ego transforms an unacceptable motive into its direct opposite.

Denial

A defense mechanism in which the ego simply refuses to acknowledge anxiety-producing realities.

Displacement

A defense mechanism that involves directing unacceptable impulses toward a less threatening or more acceptable target.

Sublimation

A defense mechanism where an individual replaces a socially unacceptable impulse with a socially useful or acceptable one.

Regression

A defense mechanism where the individual seeks the security of an earlier developmental period in the face of stress.

Projective test

A personality assessment that presents an individual with an ambiguous stimulus and asks them to describe it or tell a story.

Rorschach Inkblot Test

A famous projective test that uses an individual's perception of symmetric inkblots to determine personality features.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective test designed to elicit stories about ambiguous scenes that reveal an individual's unconscious needs and traits.

Locus of control

An individual's belief regarding the extent to which they have influence over outcomes (internal) versus external forces (external).

Type B behavior pattern

A personality pattern characterized by being relaxed, easygoing, and less competitive compared to Type A.