PSYC 1520 Module 2 Chapter 11

Consistency

Explains the stability in a person's behavior over time and across situations

Distintiveness

Explains behavioral differences among people reacting to the same situation

Five-factor model

most personality traits are derived from just five higher-order traits

Personality trait

A durable disposition to behave in a particular way in a variety of situations

Extraversion

Outgoing, sociable, upbeat, friendly, positive outlook, motivated to pursue social contact, intimacy, and interdependence.

Neuroticism

Anxious, hostile, self-conscious, insecure, and may exhibit more impulsiveness and emotion.

Openness to experience

Curiosity, flexibility, imaginativeness, intellectual pursuits, unconventional attitudes. Tend to be tolerant of ambiguity.

Agreeableness

Warm, sympathetic, trusting, compassionate, cooperative, modest, straightforward. Correlated with empathy and helping behavior.

Conscientiousness

Diligent, well-organized, punctual, dependable. Associated with strong self-discipline and ability to regulate oneself effectively.

id

primitive, instinctive component of personality that operates according to the pleasure principle

pleasure principle

demanding immediate gratification of urges

ego

decision-making component of personality that operates according to the reality principle

reality principle

delays gratification of the id's urges until appropriate outlets and situations can be found

superego

moral component of personality that incorporates social standards about what represents right and wrong

conscious

consists of whatever one is aware of at a particular point in time

preconscious

contains material just beneath the surface of awareness that can easily be retrieved

unconscious

contains material well below the surface of conscious awareness that exert great influence on behavior

rationalization

creation of false but plausible excuses to justify unacceptable behavior

repression

keeping distressing thoughts and feelings buried in the unconscious

projection

attributing one's own thoughts, feelings, or motives to another

displacement

diverting emotional feelings from their original source to a substitute target

reaction formation

behaving in a way that's exactly the opposite of one's true feelings

regression

reversion to immature patterns of behavior

identification

bolstering self-esteem by forming an imaginary or real alliance with some person or group

fixation

failure to move forward from one stage to another, as expected

collective unconscious

storehouse of latent memory traces inherited from people's ancestral past

archetype

emotionally charged image and thought form that have universal meaning

compensation

efforts to overcome imagined or real inferiorities by developing one's abilities

Oral stage

Psychosexual stage from age 0-1, erotic focus on mouth

Anal stage

Psychosexual stage age 2, erotic focus on anus

Phallic stage

Psychosexual stage age 3-5, erotic focus on genitals

Latency and genital stages

Psychosexual stage age 5-end of puberty, sexuality is largely suppressed/latent, focus on expanding social contracts

Psychodynamic approach (Adv/Disadv)

Unconscious forces, childhood experiences, defense mechanisms, poor testability, unrepresentative sample, sexism

behaviorism

theoretical orientation based on the premise that scientific psychology should study only observable behavior

model

person whose behavior is observed by another

self-efficacy

one's belief about one's ability to perform behaviors that should lead to expected outcomes

response tendencies

according to behaviorism, personality is a collection of these.

operant conditioning

shapes human responses using rewards and punishments

Behaviorist approach (Adv/Disadv)

Approach to personality firmly grounded in empirical data from animals, personality as a collection of response tendencies, lacks unified personality theory (fragmented)

Observational Learning/Social Cognitive Theory

An individual's responses are influenced by observation of another person's behavioral outcomes

Mischel Person-Situation

how much situational factors govern behavior.

humanism

theoretical orientation that emphasizes the unique qualities of humans, such as freedom and personal growth

self-concept

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

incongruence

degree of disparity between one's self-concept and one's actual experience

hierarchy of needs

systematic arrangement of needs, according to priority

self-actualization

need to fulfill one's potential, is the highest need in Maslow's hierarchy

Humanism (Adv/Disadv)

Optimistic, health-oriented approach, not connected to unconscious or animal research, difficult to put to a scientific test, unrealistically optimistic

Biological perspective

personality is shaped by one's genes

Eysenck's model of personality

personality as a hierarchy of traits

Biological (Adv/Disadv)

Twin studies and personality, shared family environment has meager effects on personality development, Too much emphasis on heritability estimates

national character

the idea that various cultures have widely recognized prototype personalities

interdependent view of the self

Emphasizes the fundamental connectedness of people to each other

independent view of the self

define oneself in terms of personal attributes, abilities, accomplishments, and possessions

Personality

refers to an individual's unique set of consistent behavioral traits

sex and aggression

according to the psychodynamic perspective, these are two common causes of intrapsychic conflict

defense mechanisms

Unconscious reactions that protect a person from unpleasant emotions.

psychosexual stages

Developmental periods characterized by a distinct sexual focus

Oedipal crisis

purging the sexual longings for the opposite-sex parent and by crushing the hostility felt toward the same-sex parent

inferiority complex

exaggerated feelings of weakness and inadequacy

overcompensation

efforts to overcome imagined or real inferiorities by developing one's abilities

conditional affection

parental feelings that depend on the child's behaving well and living up to expectations

physiological needs

Level of hierarchy of needs emphasizing hunger and thirst

safety and security needs

Level of hierarchy of needs emphasizing long-term survival and stability

belongingness and love needs

Level of hierarchy of needs emphasizing affiliation and acceptance

esteem needs

Level of hierarchy of needs emphasizing achievement and gaining of recognition

cognitive needs

Level of hierarchy of needs emphasizing knowledge and understanding

aesthetic needs

Level of hierarchy of needs emphasizing order and beauty

hierarchy of traits

few higher-order traits determine a host of lowerorder traits, which determine a person's habitual responses