Unit 4.1 Part 2 - Personality Psych

Personality

our consistent thoughts, feelings, and behaviors

Personality traits

specific characteristics that define your behavior

ex: someone who is outgoing, is (almost) always outgoing

Psychoanalysis

studying the unconscious to understand behavior

Unconscious

the part of your mind that holds thoughts, feelings, and memories you’re not aware of

• very unaccessible, mostly inappropriate

Id

the part of personality that operates on instant pleasure and basic urges

Pleasure principle

seeking pleasure, avoiding pain

• do what feels good now

• Little Devil on shoulder

Superego

the part of personality that follows rules, morals, and social standards

• Angel on your shoulder

Ego

YOU, the decision-maker → tries to balance the id and the superego

Free association

a method of exploring the unconscious by relaxing and letting any thought come to mind, no matter how random or embarrassing

Projective tests

personality tests that use random or unclear stimuli (like pasta or pictures) to reveal inner thoughts and feelings

Defense mechanisms

unconscious strategies used by the ego to reduce anxiety or mental discomfort

Denial

refusing to accept the truth because it’s too uncomfortable

Projection

projecting or directing weaknesses and thoughts onto other people

ex: bullying someone for a trait that's you have

Regression

retreating to earlier, childlike behaviors consciously to cope with stress

ex: sleeping with childhood stuffed animal because you’re stressed about school

Repression

unconsciously pushing away painful or unwanted thoughts so you don’t have to deal with them

ex: “I don’t know why I keep flinching at this'“

Reaction formation

saying or doing the opposite of what your are actually thinking, often over dramatically

Displacement

taking out anger or feelings on a less threatening target, someone or something that cannot fight back

Rationalization

using excuses to make behaviors or thoughts acceptable

ex: student who failed a test may provide excuses (“It was too hard’) to make themselves feel better

Sublimation

turning unacceptable impulses into acceptable actions

ex: being more aggressive when playing soccer

Humanistic approach

emphasizes all the ways people strive for personal growth, free will, and reaching your full potential

Self-Actualization

the accomplishment of human potential and personal satisfaction

Actualizing tendency

the drive to grow, develop, and become your best self

• that “drive” is like a “little voice” telling us to try harder

Genuineness

openness and self-disclosure

Acceptance

being seen with “unconditional positive regard” (unconditional love)

Empathy

being listened to and understood

Self-concept

your ideas and feelings about who you are

Conditional positive regard

when people show love/affection or support for others only when certain conditions or requirements are met or satisfied

ex: only being proud of A’s

Unconditional positive regard

when a person expresses their love and affection for others without any conditions being met → no string attached

ex: wanting your kids to do their best in school, not just get A’s

Congruent

when a person’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors match

ex: I want to be successful and I AM successful

Incongruent

If your real self and ideal self are different → creates negative self-concept

ex: wanting to be a selfless person, but keep making selfish decisions → feel bad/incongruent

Trait

a specific characteristics that makes up part of your personalty

ex: a caring person would act in a caring way

Personality inventory

a method used to see which personality traits naturally go together

Big Five theory of personality

• Openness

• Conscientiousness

• Extraversion

• Agreeableness

• Neuroticism (emotional stability)

What is OPENNESS in theBe Big Five?

Being open to new experiences, ideas, and creativity

What is CONSCIENTIOUSNESS in the Big Five?

Being organized, responsible, and reliable

What is EXTRAVERSION in the Big Five?

Being outgoing, sociable, and energetic

What is AGREEABLENESS in the Big Five?

Being friendly, kind, and cooperative

What is NEUROTICISM in the Big Five?

Tendency to experience negative emotions like anxiety or sadness

Person-situation controversy

The debate over whether behavior is mainly influenced by a person’s traits or by the situation they are in

Barnum Effect

Tendency for test results to be too vague

Social-cognitive perspective

A view that personality is influenced by learning, thinking, and observing others’ behaviors

Reciprocal determinism

The idea that your behavior, personality traits, and environment all influence each other

ex: Don’t like school → act out → teachers dislike → create a more restrictive environment, which affects other students → more acting out

Self-efficacy

believing that you can succeed at something

• Those with high SE = more intrinsically motivated, more likely to set and achieve goals, more likely to bounce back from setbacks

• Those with low SE = more likely to to become overwhelmed or give up, less likely to be involved/ take on responsibilities

Self-esteem

Our feelings of high or low self-worth

Self-personal control

the degree to which you feel in charge of your own life and outcomes

External Locus

when you believe outside forces, luck, or fate control what happens in your life

Internal Locus

believe that you control your own fate