AP Psychology Unit 4B Personality Review

personality

a person’s pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

psychodynamic theories

theories that focus on personality and its relation to the unconscious mind and the importance of childhood experiences

psychoanalysis

Freud’s theory of personality that relates to the unconscious motives and actions

unconscious according to Freud

according to Freud, it is a space full of unacceptable thoughts, wishes, and feelings.

unconscious according to contemporary psychologists

information of which we are unaware

free association

a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind with no judging

id

a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy which basically satisfies our basic wants and desires. It operates on pleasure principle demanding immediate gratification

ego

partly conscious, executive part of personality that satisfies the id’s desire in ways that will realistically bring pleasure instead of pain

superego

partly conscious part of personality that represents our ideals and provides standards for judgment

Defense Mechanisms

the ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously changing reality to cope

Defense Mechanism: Regression

revert to childlike behavior

Defense Mechanism: Reaction formation

act opposite of their impulses

Defense Mechanism: Projection

accuse someone/something else for your behavior

Defense Mechanism: Displacement

redirect impulse to something bad

Defense Mechanism: Sublimation

Transferring unacceptable impulses into socially valued motives

Defense Mechanism: Denial

Refusing to believe or even perceive painful realities

repression

in psychoanalytic theory, it is a basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety arousing thoughts, feelings, or memories

collective unconscious

concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species’ history

terror-management theory

a theory of death related anxiety; exploring people’s emotional and behavioral responses of reminders of their impending death

humanistic theories

theories that view personality with a focus on potential healthy growth

hierarchy of needs

Maslow’s levels of human needs that starts with the base and needs nearer the base take priority until satisfied

self-actualization

one of the ultimate psychological needs that arises after basic physical and psychological needs are met and self-esteem is achieved; the motivation to fulfill one’s own potential

self-transcendence

according to Maslow, the striving for identity meaning, and purpose beyond the self

unconditional positive regard

a caring, accepting, nonjudgmental attitude, which Rogers believed would help people develop self-awareness and self-acceptance

self-concept

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, “Who Am I?"

trait

patterns of certain behaviors or dispositions to act or feel certain ways about different things

personality inventory

a questionnaire on which people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors; determines someone’s personality

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

most widely researched personality inventory test, used for screening for personality traits

empirically derived test

a test created by selecting a pool of items that discriminate other groups

Big Five Factors

The five traits that describe personality

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism

Openness

how open-minded, imaginative, creative, and insight a person is/can be

conscientiousness

being responsible, careful, and hard-working

extraversion

characterized by outgoingness, high energy, and/or talkativeness

agreeableness

cooperative, polite, kind, and friendly

neutroicism

tendency towards experiencing negative emotions like anxiety, worry, and sadness

Does personality change as you age?

No

Do traits change as you get older?

yes

social-cognitive perspective

a view of behavior influenced by the interaction between people’s traits and their social context

behavioral approach

focuses on the effects of learning on our personality development

reciprocal determinism

personal factors and environmental influences all interact & influence each other bidirectionally (both ways)

self

in modern psychology, we are the center of our personality and the organizer of our thoughts, feelings, and actions

spotlight effect

overestimation others’ noticing and evaluation our appearance, performance, and blunders (as if we assume people are always paying attention to us)

self-esteem

our feelings of high or low self-worth

self-efficacy

our sense of competence and effectiveness

self-serving bias

a readiness to perceive ourselves favorably

narcissism

excessive self-love and self-absorption

individualism

a cultural pattern that emphasizes people’s own goals over group goals and defines identity based on our unique personal attributes

collectivism

a cultural pattern that prioritizes goals of important groups (often one’s extended family or work group)