Chapter 12

- Compare and contrast the psychodynamic, humanistic, trait / Big Five, and social–cognitive theories of personality. - Psychodynamic: main idea regarding the importance of the unconscious; id, ego, superego; therapeutic implications; psychosexual stages; defense mechanisms; newer models; limitations - Humanistic: compare the contributions of Maslow and Rogers regarding the idea that humans have an innate capacity for growth; the idea of unconditional positive regard; limitations - Trait/Big 5: define what we mean by traits and how they influence behavior; what are the Big 5? - Social-Cognitive: define how this model relates to personality – what is unique about this model relative to others? - What are the main issues regarding the validity of self-report inventories versus projective tests as measures of personality? - Differentiate and illustrate several distinct aspects of self (self-concept, self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-regulation) in terms of their content, sources, and implications. - Analyze evidence for the biological bases of personality and the self, especially regarding the role of temperament and self-regulation. What do we know about the genetics of personality (esp. the Big 5)? - Distinguish between the personal and interpersonal self, and relate these to cultural differences in individualistic versus collectivistic aspects of self-concept. Some key terms & definitions: Agreeableness: A Big Five personality trait characterized by trustworthiness, altruism, trust, compliance, modesty, and tender mindedness. Big Five theory: A trait theory that identifies five main characteristics that account for most individual differences in personality. Conscientiousness: A Big Five personality trait characterized by competence, order, dutifulness, achievement striving, self-discipline, and deliberation. Defense mechanism: In Sigmund Freud’s personality theory, a protective behavior that reduces anxiety. Ego: The component of Sigmund Freud’s personality theory that is the self that others see. Extroversion: One of the Big Five traits characterized by warmth, gregariousness, assertiveness, activity, excitement seeking, and positive emotion; opposite of introversion. Id: The component of Sigmund Freud’s personality theory containing primitive drives present at birth. Interpersonal self: The self we are in the presence of other people. 5 Introversion: One of the Big Five traits characterized by coolness, reserve, passivity, inactivity, caution, and negative emotion; opposite of extroversion. Locus of control: A cognitive expectancy featured in social–cognitive learning theories of personality about the source of individual outcomes; an external locus of control sees outcomes as resulting from luck or chance, while an internal locus of control sees outcomes as the result of individual effort. Neo-Freudian: A theorist who attempted to update and modify Sigmund Freud’s original theory of personality. Neuroticism: A Big Five personality trait characterized by anxiety, angry hostility, depression, selfconsciousness, impulsivity, and vulnerability. Openness: A Big Five personality trait characterized by an appreciation for fantasy, feelings, actions, ideas, values, and aesthetics. Personality inventory: An objective test, often using numbered scales or multiple choice, used to assess personality. Projective test: A test of personality based on Freudian theory that provides an ambiguous stimulus onto which test takers “project” their personality. Psychoanalysis: Sigmund Freud’s treatment approach based on his psychodynamic theory. Psychodynamic: A theory put forward by Sigmund Freud in which psychic energy moves among the compartments of the personality: id, ego, and superego. Psychosexual stage: A stage in Sigmund Freud’s theory of the developing personality. Reciprocal determinism: A social–cognitive learning theory of personality that features the mutual influence of the person and that of the situation on each other. Self: Patterns of thought, feelings, and actions we perceive in our own minds. Self-concept: People’s description of their own characteristics. Self-esteem: A judgment of the value of the self. Self-schema: A cognitive organization that helps us think about the self and process self-relevant information. Social–cognitive learning theory: A theory of personality that features cognition and learning, especially from the social environment, as important sources of individual differences in personality. Superego: The component of Sigmund Freud’s personality theory that internalizes society’s rules for right and wrong, or the conscience. Temperament: A child’s pattern of mood, activity, or emotional responsiveness linked to later personality. Trait: A stable personality characteristic. Unconscious mind: The part of mental activity that cannot be voluntarily retrieved