Unit 7: Personality, MESH, Positive Psychology

Personality

An individual’s consistent characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling and acting.

Openness

High: abstract, creative

Low: dislikes change, doesn’t enjoy new things

Conscientiousness

High: responsible, organized

Low: impulsive, lazy

Extraversion

High: outgoing, talktative

Low: shy, serious

Agreeablness

High: trusting, cooperative

Low: suspicious, argumentative

Neuroticism

High: insecure, anxious

Low: calm, even tempered

Factor Analysis

Statistical technique used to identify clusters of related info.

MMPI

The most widely researched and clinically used personality inventory; contains true/false questions that are scored on a scale used to describe a person's mental processes and how they manage stress

How do psychodynamic theories explain personality?

Unconscious drives/impulses drive personality

Id

*Primitive, instinctual component of our personality

*Fulfills our unconscious urges

*Operates on the pleasure principle (instant gratification)

Superego

*moral component of personality (values, conscience, right vs. wrong)

*learned from parents & society

Ego

*Operates on the reality principle (delay gratification until id's urges can be satisfied in a socially acceptable way = balance the 2 extremes)

Defense Mechanism

Unconscious reactions that protect a person from unpleasant emotions such as anxiety and guilt resulting from unconscious conflict. Protect the ego.

Denial

Refusal to recognize or acknowledge a threatening situation

Repression

‘Pushing’ threatening or conflicting events or situations out of conscious memory

Rationalization

Making up accptable excuses for unacceptable behavior

Projection

Placing one’s own unacceptable thoughts onto others, as if thoughts belonged to them and not to oneself

Reaction formation

Forming an emotional reaction or attitude that is opposite of one’s threatening or unacceptable actual thoughts.

Displacement

Expressing feelings that would be threateing if directed at the real target onto a less threatening substitute target.

Sublimation

Turning socially unacceptable urges into socially acceptable behavior.

Projective Tests

Participants respond to vague, ambiguous stimuli in ways that may reveal the subject’s unconscious needs, feelings, & personality traits & can be analyzed in many different way

TAT (Thematic Apperception Test)

Tell the story of a picture

Rorschach Inkblot Test

Shown a series of inkblots; respond to what you see

How do humanistic theories explain personality?

emphasizes the unique qualities in humans, especially their freedom to choose their destiny & potential for personal growth; be the best that they can be.

Unconditional Positive Regard

A caring, accepting, non judgemental attitude, which allows individuals to develop self-awareness and self-acceptance, leading to personal growth and well-being.

Self-Actualizing Tendencies

The motivation to fulfill one’s potential

How do social-cognitive theories explain personality?

Personality & behavior are influenced by the interaction between people’s traits (including their thinking) and their social context.

Reciprocal Determinism

The interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition and environment.

Self-concept

The collection of beliefs about one's own nature, human qualities, and typical behavior

Self-esteem

Our overall feelings of self-worth

Self-efficacy

One's beliefs about their ability to succeed (produce expected outcomes) in a new/different situation.

Instinct Theory

Based on survival, natural selection; reproductive capacity; automatic, involuntary, and unlearned behaviors (not often observed in humans)

Yerkes-Dodson Theory

The principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases.

Drive-Reduction Theory

We are motivated to maintain homeostasis (balance). Explains physiological needs

Homeostasis

state of physiological equilibrium or stability

Drive

internal state of tension that motivates an organism to behave in a certain way in order to restore homeostasis

Self-Determination Theory

We feel motivated to satisfy our needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness.

Intrinsic Motivation

Desire to engage in a behavior for its own sake; Desire for personal satisfaction, growth, purpose, mastery or autonomy

Extrinsic Motivation

Desire to engage in a behavior in order to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishments

Incentive Theory

Incentive = an external goal

We are motivated to obtain desirable stimuli or avoid negative stimuli

Arousal Theory

People are motivated to maintain their optimal level of arousal (which is different for everyone)

Sensation-Seeking Theory

Individuals have varying levels of desire for new and intense experiences.

Experience seeking

A preference for new and unconventional experiences, like traveling, meeting new people, or trying new foods.

Thrill/Adventure seeking

A desire to engage in physically risky activities, such as skydiving, bungee jumping, or fast driving.

Disinhibition

The desire to engage in impulsive, carefree behaviors, such as partying or socializing in uncontrolled environments.

Boredom susceptibility

A tendency to become easily bored with routine activities and a craving for constant change and excitement.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

People are motivated to fulfill certain needs that are arranged in a hierarchy; the lower needs on the hierarchy must be fulfilled before someone can be motivated by the next need on the hierarchy.

Ghrelin

Released by empty stomach = stimulates appetite; causes stomach contractions

Leptin

Released from fat cells, sends satiety signals to the brain

External Factors for Hunger

Presence of food, time of day, social gatherings

Emotion

A response involving a cognitive component appraisal), physiological component, & a behavioral component (expression)

James-Lange Theory of Emotion

The physical reactions of the body determine what emotion we experience. (Each emotion has a specific physical reaction)

Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion

The brain determines what emotion we experience. The physical reaction & emotion occur simultaneously.

Schachter-Singer Theory of Emotion

The physical reactions PLUS our appraisal of the situation determine what emotion we experience

Broaden-and-Build Theory

The broaden-and-build theory of emotion proposes that positive emotional experiences tend to broaden awareness and encourage new actions and thoughts. Negative emotions tend to reduce awareness and narrow thinking and action.

Universal Emotions

Happiness, sadness, surprise, fear, disgust, anger

Display Rules

A social group or culture's informal norms that distinguish how one should express oneself.

Health Psychology

The subfield of psychology that explores the impact of psychological, behavioral, and cultural factors on health and wellness.

What Is Stress?

The process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging.

Eustress

A form of stress having a beneficial effect on health, motivation, performance & well-being

Distress

A form of stress having a negative effect on health, motivation, performance & well-being

Acute Stressors

Threatening events that have a relatively short duration and a clear endpoint

Chronic Stressors

Threatening events that have a relatively long duration and no readily apparent time limit

Catastrophes

Unpredictable, large-scale events that create a tremendous need to adapt and adjust as well as overwhelming feelings of threat

Approach-Approach

A decision must be made between 2 (or more) attractive/desirable options

Avoidance-Avoidance

A decision must be made between 2 (or more) unattractive/undesirable options

Approach-Avoidance

A decision must be made about a single option with both desirable and undesirable aspects.

Fight or Flight

Physiological reaction to threats in which the autonomic nervous system mobilizes the organism for attacking (fight) or fleeing (flight) an enemy

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Theory that describes the body's physiological response to stress. It's a three-stage process that can occur in response to any type of stress.

Alarm Reaction

*The initial shock of the stressor; short lived, intense.

*Fight-or flight; sympathetic nervous system working hard

Resistance

*Provides the energy we need to fight the stressor (prolonged).

*Sympathetic nervous system engaged to help use resources to get us through the stressor (but not as much as in alarm)

Exhaustion

*Continual depletion of energy resources = suppression of immune system = get sick

Tend-and-Befriend

Under stress, people (especially women) may nurture themselves and others (tend) and bond with and seek support from others (befriend)

Appraisal (cognitive appraisal)

The cognitive interpretation of the stressor

Type A

Characteristics include rigidity, organization, competitiveness, impatience & time urgency, and easily aroused to anger or hostility.

Type B

Relatively relaxed, patient, easygoing, amicable behavior

Locus of Control

An individual’s beliefs about the extent to which their actions influence the outcomes/environment

Internal LOC

Believe that their actions DO have an impact on the outcome/environment

External LOC

Believe that their actions DO NOT have an impact on the outcome/environment

Fixed Mindset

Belief that intelligence, talent, and other qualities are innate and unchangeable

Growth Mindset

Belief that intelligence, talent, and other qualities can be developed with practice and effort; belief that they can change

Problem-focused coping

Focuses on the reducing stress by addressing source of the stress (dealing with the stressor itself)

Emotion-focused coping

Focuses on reducing the response (i.e. emotional arousal) to the stressor

Positive Psych

The scientific study of optimal human functioning focusing on what allows humans to thrive.

PERMA

P: Positive Emotions

E: Engagement

R: Relationships

M: Meaning

A: Achievement

Subjective Well-being

Perceived satisfaction with life (how happy do you think you are?)

Objective Well-being

physical health indicators, income, living conditions, etc.

Resilience

Resilience is the ability to adapt well in the face of challenging life experiences, such as trauma, tragedy, or significant stress.

Gratitude

involves recognizing and appreciating the positive aspects of life and the kindness of others.

Satisfaction

Feeling that one has accomplished a goal during a certain period of time

Adaptation-level principle

satisfaction is relative to their prior experience (compare present to past)

Relative deprivation principle

people’s happiness is relative to others’ attainment of happiness (so who you compare yourself to)

Wisdom

Cognitive strength that involve acquiring and using knowledge

Courage

Emotional strenght that involve the exercise of will to accomplish goals in the face of opposition

Humanity

Interpersonal strengths that involve tending and befriending others

Justice

Civic strengths that underline a healthy community life

Temperance

Strengths that protects against excess (self-control/restraint)

Transcendence

Strengths that forge connections to the larger universe and provide meaning.

Post-Traumatic Growth

refers to the positive psychological change experienced as a result of struggling with highly challenging life circumstances