Flashcards of Theories of Personality

Mnemonics & Acronyms

  • Creating simple phrases to help recall key concepts:
    • Freud’s Psychosexual Stages:
      • Mnemonic: Old Age Pensioners Love Grapes
      • Stages:
        • Oral
        • Anal
        • Phallic
        • Latency
        • Genital
    • The Big Five Personality Traits (OCEAN):
      • Acronym: OCEAN
      • Traits:
        • Openness
        • Conscientiousness
        • Extraversion
        • Agreeableness
        • Neuroticism

Visualization Techniques

  • Imagine Freud’s iceberg model:
    • Tip of the iceberg = Conscious mind (thoughts you’re aware of).
    • Middle of the iceberg = Preconscious (memories that surface).
    • Deepest part of the iceberg = Unconscious (hidden drives & desires).

Real-Life Associations

  • Bandura’s Social Learning Theory → Think of a child mimicking a dance they saw on TikTok!
  • Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs → Compare it to leveling up in a video game (starting with basic needs and advancing to self-actualization).

Storytelling Method

  • Create stories using theorists’ principles:
    • Jung believed in archetypes → Imagine a movie where characters fit the Hero, the Wise Mentor, or the Trickster!
    • Adler focused on birth order → Picture siblings competing in sports, reinforcing his ideas on personality shaping.

More Mnemonics & Acronyms

  • Freud’s Defense Mechanisms:
    • Mnemonic: Repression Really Projects Dreams and Rationalizing Sentiments
    • Mechanisms:
      • Repression
      • Reaction Formation
      • Projection
      • Displacement
      • Rationalization
      • Sublimation
  • Jung’s Archetypes:
    • Mnemonic: Healers Thrive Seeing Troubled People
    • Archetypes:
      • Hero
      • Trickster
      • Sage
      • The Great Mother
      • Persona

More Visualization Techniques

  • Freud’s Personality Structures → Think of a traffic light!
    • Id = Red (Stops rational thought, demands pleasure NOW!)
    • Ego = Yellow (Cautious, deciding what action to take)
    • Superego = Green (Ethical decisions, always trying to follow rules)
  • Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs → Imagine climbing a ladder
    • Each step represents an essential need: food, security, relationships, self-esteem, personal growth.

More Real-Life Associations

  • Bandura’s Social Learning Theory → Think of social media influencers
    • People model behaviors they see online, just like Bandura’s theory of observational learning.
  • Adler’s Birth Order Theory → Compare it to a competitive family game night
    • Oldest = Rules-oriented leader
    • Middle = Diplomatic negotiator
    • Youngest = Attention-seeker
    • Only child = Independent thinker

More Storytelling Techniques

  • Jung’s Introversion vs. Extraversion → Think of different party guests
    • Introvert → Observing quietly, enjoying deep talks
    • Extravert → Mingling, making jokes, leading the conversation
  • Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages → Imagine someone going through life like a movie
    • Childhood = Developing trust (infancy), independence (toddlerhood), confidence (school-age).
    • Adolescence = Finding identity, testing boundaries, forming deeper relationships.
    • Adulthood = Seeking purpose, legacy, and meaning.

Flashcard Set: Freud’s Classical Psychoanalysis & Jung’s Analytical Psychology

  • Card 41 Front: What is psychic determinism in Freud’s theory?
    • Back: The idea that all human behavior is influenced by unconscious psychological forces, rather than free will or rational choice.
  • Card 42 Front: What are the three levels of consciousness in Freud’s Iceberg Model?
    • Back:
      • Conscious Mind – Thoughts and memories we are aware of.
      • Preconscious Mind – Stored memories that can surface.
      • Unconscious Mind – Repressed desires and conflicts influencing behavior.
  • Card 43 Front: How does Freud define repression?
    • Back: A defense mechanism that pushes unacceptable thoughts or desires into the unconscious to reduce anxiety.
  • Card 44 Front: What is the difference between the unconscious and nonconscious mind?
    • Back:
      • Unconscious (Freud) → Hidden psychological forces influencing behavior.
      • Nonconscious → Automatic bodily functions like breathing and reflexes.
  • Card 45 Front: What are Freud’s three structures of personality?
    • Back:
      • Id – Pleasure-seeking, impulsive urges.
      • Ego – Rational self, balancing between the id and superego.
      • Superego – Moral compass, enforcing societal rules.
  • Card 46 Front: What is conversion hysteria in Freud’s theory?
    • Back: The idea that unconscious conflicts manifest as physical symptoms (e.g., paralysis, blindness) without medical cause.
  • Card 47 Front: How did Freud view dreams?
    • Back: As a “royal road to the unconscious,” revealing hidden desires in symbolic form.
  • Card 48 Front: What is the difference between manifest and latent dream content?
    • Back:
      • Manifest Content → The story remembered from the dream.
      • Latent Content → Hidden, unconscious meaning behind the dream.
  • Card 49 Front: How did Freud’s view on hypnosis influence his theory?
    • Back: Freud observed that hypnosis could induce psychiatric symptoms, leading him to believe unconscious forces shape behavior.
  • Card 50 Front: What is Freud’s Hedonic Hypothesis?
    • Back: The idea that people seek pleasure and avoid pain, leading to repression of painful thoughts.
  • Card 51 Front: How do Freud’s personality structures interact?
    • Back: The id demands gratification, the superego enforces morality, and the ego mediates between them.
  • Card 52 Front: What are examples of Freud’s defense mechanisms?
    • Back:
      • Repression → Blocking distressing thoughts from awareness.
      • Reaction Formation → Expressing opposite emotions.
      • Projection → Attributing personal impulses to others.
      • Displacement → Redirecting impulses to a safer target.

Flashcard Set: Jung’s Analytical Psychology

  • Card 53 Front: What is Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious?
    • Back: A universal level of unconscious containing shared mental patterns and symbols called archetypes.
  • Card 54 Front: How did Jung differ from Freud regarding personality motivation?
    • Back: Jung believed that personality is shaped by future growth and self-realization, while Freud emphasized early childhood conflicts.
  • Card 55 Front: What are Jung’s two fundamental personality orientations?
    • Back:
      • Extroversion – Focused outward on social connections.
      • Introversion – Focused inward on personal thoughts and reflection.
  • Card 56 Front: What are Jung’s four psychological functions?
    • Back:
      • Thinking – Logical reasoning.
      • Feeling – Emotion-driven decisions.
      • Sensation – Focus on concrete details.
      • Intuition – Grasping broader meanings beyond logic.
  • Card 57 Front: What is individuation in Jung’s theory?
    • Back: The process of integrating conscious and unconscious elements to achieve psychological wholeness.
  • Card 58 Front: What are Jung’s major archetypes?
    • Back:
      • The Hero – Represents courage and mastery.
      • The Wise Sage – Symbolizes wisdom and guidance.
      • The Trickster – Challenges norms, bringing humor and chaos.
      • The Great Mother – Represents nurturing and destruction.
  • Card 59 Front: How does Jung’s concept of the persona relate to personality?
    • Back: The persona is the social mask individuals wear, shaped by societal expectations and roles.
  • Card 60 Front: What is Jung’s concept of the shadow?
    • Back: The shadow represents repressed aspects of the psyche that conflict with an individual’s self-concept.
  • Card 61 Front: How do the anima and animus shape personality in Jungian theory?
    • Back:
      • Anima → Feminine traits in a man’s unconscious.
      • Animus → Masculine traits in a woman’s unconscious.
  • Card 62 Front: How does projection work in Jung’s theory?
    • Back: The unconscious anima or animus is projected onto romantic partners, influencing attraction and emotions.
  • Card 63 Front: What does Jung’s concept of the mandala represent?
    • Back: Mandalas symbolize psychological wholeness and self-integration—found in spiritual traditions worldwide.

Flashcard Set: Freud’s Psychoanalysis

  • Card 1 Front: What is psychic determinism?
    • Back: Freud’s idea that all human actions are driven by unconscious psychological forces rather than rational choice.
  • Card 2 Front: What are the three levels of consciousness in Freud’s model?
    • Back:
      • Conscious Mind – Thoughts and memories we are aware of.
      • Preconscious Mind – Stored memories that can surface.
      • Unconscious Mind – Repressed desires and conflicts influencing behavior.
  • Card 3 Front: What are Freud’s three personality structures?
    • Back:
      • Id – Pleasure-seeking, impulsive urges.
      • Ego – Rational self, balancing between the id and superego.
      • Superego – Moral compass, enforcing societal rules.
  • Card 4 Front: What are Freud’s psychosexual development stages?
    • Back:
      • Oral (0–1 year) – Focus on mouth (sucking, biting).
      • Anal (1–3 years) – Focus on control (toilet training).
      • Phallic (3–6 years) – Oedipus/Electra complex, gender identity.
      • Latency (6–12 years) – Dormant sexual instincts, social growth.
      • Genital (12+ years) – Mature sexual relationships.
  • Card 5 Front: What are defense mechanisms?
    • Back:
      • Repression → Blocking distressing thoughts from awareness.
      • Reaction Formation → Expressing opposite emotions.
      • Projection → Attributing personal impulses to others.
      • Displacement → Redirecting impulses to a safer target.

Flashcard Set: Jung’s Analytical Psychology

  • Card 6 Front: What is the collective unconscious?
    • Back: A universal level of unconscious containing shared mental patterns and symbols called archetypes.
  • Card 7 Front: What are Jung’s fundamental personality orientations?
    • Back:
      • Extraversion – Energized by social interaction.
      • Introversion – Energized by inner psychic activity.
  • Card 8 Front: What is individuation in Jung’s theory?
    • Back: The process of integrating conscious and unconscious elements to achieve psychological wholeness.
  • Card 9 Front: What are Jung’s major archetypes?
    • Back:
      • The Hero – Represents courage and mastery.
      • The Wise Sage – Symbolizes wisdom and guidance.
      • The Trickster – Challenges norms, bringing humor and chaos.
      • The Great Mother – Represents nurturing and destruction.

Flashcard Set: Adler’s Individual Psychology

  • Card 10 Front: What is Adler’s concept of inferiority and compensation?
    • Back: Individuals compensate for feelings of inferiority by striving for personal growth and superiority.
  • Card 11 Front: What are Adler’s three fundamental social tasks?
    • Back:
      • Occupational – Career and success.
      • Societal – Building friendships and community.
      • Love – Romantic and intimate relationships.
  • Card 12 Front: How does Adler’s theory differ from Freud’s?
    • Back:
      • Freud – Emphasized sexual motivation and unconscious conflict.
      • Adler – Focused on conscious motivation and striving for personal growth.
  • Card 13 Front: How does birth order influence personality, according to Adler?
    • Back:
      • Oldest → Leader, responsible, may feel dethroned.
      • Middle → Diplomatic, independent, competitive.
      • Youngest → Attention-seeker, spoiled, creative.
      • Only Child → Mature, independent, prefers adult company.

Flashcard Set: Erikson’s Psychosocial Development

  • Card 14 Front: What is Erikson’s epigenetic principle?
    • Back: Personality develops in sequential stages, influenced by biological and social factors.
  • Card 15 Front: What are Erikson’s eight psychosocial stages?
    • Back:
      • Trust vs. Mistrust (Infancy) – Learning to trust caregivers.
      • Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt (Toddlerhood) – Developing independence.
      • Initiative vs. Guilt (Preschool) – Exploring personal abilities.
      • Industry vs. Inferiority (School Age) – Building competence.
      • Identity vs. Identity Confusion (Adolescence) – Finding self.
      • Intimacy vs. Isolation (Young Adulthood) – Forming deep relationships.
      • Generativity vs. Stagnation (Adulthood) – Creating purpose beyond self.
      • Integrity vs. Despair (Old Age) – Reflecting on life’s meaning.
  • Card 16 Front: How does Erikson’s theory differ from Freud’s?
    • Back:
      • Freud – Focused on childhood and unconscious desires.
      • Erikson – Emphasized lifelong personality development and social relationships.

Flashcard Set: Horney’s Interpersonal Psychoanalysis

  • Card 17 Front: What is basic anxiety in Horney’s theory?
    • Back: Feelings of insecurity and isolation resulting from unmet childhood needs.
  • Card 18 Front: What are Horney’s three coping styles for anxiety?
    • Back:
      • Moving Toward People – Seeking love and approval (dependency).
      • Moving Against People – Seeking power and mastery (aggression).
      • Moving Away from People – Seeking independence and isolation (withdrawal).
  • Card 19 Front: How did Horney challenge Freud’s views on gender?
    • Back:
      • Rejected penis envy, arguing that women envy male social privilege rather than anatomy.
      • Proposed womb envy, suggesting men compensate through career achievements.
  • Card 20 Front: What is object relations theory?
    • Back: A psychoanalytic approach focusing on early relationships shaping personality, rather than unconscious drives.

Flashcard Set: Freud’s Psychoanalysis

  • Card 21 Front: What is Freud’s concept of transference?
    • Back: The unconscious redirection of feelings from past relationships onto the therapist, often resembling parental dynamics.
  • Card 22 Front: What is countertransference in therapy?
    • Back: The therapist’s unconscious emotional reaction to the patient, influenced by the therapist’s own unresolved conflicts.
  • Card 23 Front: What is Freud’s pleasure principle?
    • Back: The id operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of desires without concern for reality or consequences.
  • Card 24 Front: What is the reality principle?
    • Back: The ego operates on the reality principle, balancing the id’s impulses with rational decision-making and social rules.
  • Card 25 Front: What are projective tests?
    • Back: Psychological assessments used to explore the unconscious mind, such as the Rorschach Inkblot Test and the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).

Flashcard Set: Jung’s Analytical Psychology

  • Card 26 Front: What is Jung’s concept of the self?
    • Back: The self represents the total integrated personality, balancing conscious and unconscious elements through individuation.
  • Card 27 Front: What is Jung’s idea of ego inflation?
    • Back: A psychological state where an individual overidentifies with their conscious ego, leading to arrogance or unrealistic self-importance.
  • Card 28 Front: What is Jung’s transcendent function?
    • Back: A process where the psyche integrates different aspects, including conflicts between ego and unconscious, to achieve balance.
  • Card 29 Front: What role do dreams play in Jung’s theory?
    • Back: Dreams are symbolic messages from the unconscious, revealing unresolved personal and collective archetypal conflicts.
  • Card 30 Front: How does Jung’s anima/animus projection affect relationships?
    • Back: People project unconscious gendered traits onto romantic partners, influencing attraction and emotional dynamics.

Flashcard Set: Adler’s Individual Psychology

  • Card 31 Front: What is Adler’s concept of organ inferiority?
    • Back: The idea that individuals compensate for physical weaknesses by developing strengths in other areas, shaping personality.
  • Card 32 Front: What is Adler’s striving for superiority?
    • Back: The drive for self-improvement and achievement, central to personality development.
  • Card 33 Front: How does social interest influence psychological health in Adler’s theory?
    • Back: High social interest leads to healthy relationships and well-being, while low social interest contributes to neurosis.
  • Card 34 Front: What parenting styles did Adler warn against?
    • Back:
      • Pampering → Overprotects child, creating dependency and insecurity.
      • Neglect → Fails to provide emotional support, leading to distrust and avoidance.
  • Card 35 Front: What are Adler’s three major social tasks?
    • Back:
      • Occupational – Career and success.
      • Societal – Friendships and community.
      • Love – Intimate relationships.

Flashcard Set: Erikson’s Psychosocial Development

  • Card 36 Front: What is Erikson’s epigenetic principle?
    • Back: The belief that personality develops in a structured, stage-based process, with each stage building on the previous one.
  • Card 37 Front: What happens if a psychosocial stage is unresolved?
    • Back: Failure to resolve a stage leads to difficulties in future stages, affecting identity, relationships, and emotional development.
  • Card 38 Front: What is a moratorium in identity development?
    • Back: A period of exploration, where adolescents delay committing to a single identity to test different paths.
  • Card 39 Front: What is generativity vs. stagnation?
    • Back: In middle adulthood, individuals either contribute to society (generativity) or experience self-absorption and stagnation.
  • Card 40 Front: What is wisdom in Erikson’s final stage?
    • Back: Wisdom comes from reflecting on life with acceptance, leading to peace and understanding rather than despair.

Flashcard Set: Horney’s Psychoanalytic Social Theory

  • Card 41 Front: What is Horney’s concept of basic anxiety?
    • Back: The deep fear of isolation and helplessness that arises when childhood emotional needs are unmet.
  • Card 42 Front: How does basic hostility develop?
    • Back: When a child’s needs are neglected, they repress anger, leading to inner conflict and neurotic behaviors.
  • Card 43 Front: What are Horney’s three neurotic solutions?
    • Back:
      • Moving toward people – Seeking love and approval excessively.
      • Moving against people – Aggressive, domineering behavior to gain power.
      • Moving away from people – Detachment, avoiding relationships to protect oneself.
  • Card 44 Front: How did Horney challenge Freud’s views on gender?
    • Back: She rejected penis envy, arguing that women envy social privileges, not anatomy.
  • Card 45 Front: What is womb envy?
    • Back: Horney’s theory that men unconsciously envy women’s ability to give birth, leading them to compensate through career achievements.

Bonus Flashcards: Therapy Applications

  • Card 46 Front: What is free association in psychoanalysis?
    • Back: A technique where patients say whatever comes to mind, allowing unconscious conflicts to surface.
  • Card 47 Front: How does transference aid therapy?
    • Back: By projecting old emotional conflicts onto the therapist, patients reveal unresolved issues that can be addressed.
  • Card 48 Front: What is cognitive restructuring?
    • Back: A modern therapy approach where patients reframe negative thoughts, replacing them with healthier beliefs.
  • Card 49 Front: What is sublimation in Freud’s theory?
    • Back: Transforming unacceptable impulses into socially beneficial activities (e.g., aggression → sports, desire → art).
  • Card 50 Front: How does Erikson’s theory apply to therapy?
    • Back: Therapists help clients resolve past developmental conflicts, strengthening ego strengths like identity or intimacy.

Flashcard Set: Theories of Personality Pre-Assessment Review (Updated)

  • Card 1 Front: What is motivation in the context of personality?
    • Back: The stimuli that encourage one to start or stop a particular behavior.
  • Card 2 Front: Which model studies the components of personality in individuals one at a time?
    • Back: The idiographic approach.
  • Card 3 Front: How does a case study function in personality research?
    • Back: It involves intensive and direct investigations of single individuals.
  • Card 4 Front: What are innate tendencies toward certain personality aspects called?
    • Back: Temperament.
  • Card 5 Front: Which term describes a group who display common personality characteristics?
    • Back: A type.
  • Card 6 Front: Which important criterion does a theory lack if its basic tenets cannot be demonstrated as false using scientific approaches?
    • Back: Verifiability.
  • Card 7 Front: Which fundamental aspect of personality focuses on motivation?
    • Back: Dynamics.
  • Card 8 Front: Which personality functions did Jung refer to as "rational functions"?
    • Back: Thinking and feeling.

Flashcard Set: Theories of Personality Pre-Assessment Review (Continued)

  • Card 9 Front: What are Freud's three levels of consciousness?
    • Back: Conscious, preconscious, unconscious.
  • Card 10 Front: Who proposed the concept of the inferiority complex?
    • Back: Alfred Adler.
  • Card 11 Front: Which person suggested that men have womb envy because of their inability to give birth?
    • Back: Karen Horney.
  • Card 12 Front: Which of the five psychosexual stages is associated with the development of orderliness?
    • Back: The anal stage.
  • Card 13 Front: Which theory of psychodynamics used psychological conflict and defense mechanisms to explain psychological problems in adjustment?
    • Back: Classical psychoanalysis.
  • Card 14 Front: How does Adler's theory address individual differences?
    • Back: Individuals differ in their goals and how they pursue them based on their style of life.
  • Card 15 Front: Whose theory states that social interest, rather than selfishness, is required for health, involving love, work, and social interaction?
    • Back: Alfred Adler.
  • Card 16 Front: How does Adler’s theory address the issue of culture?
    • Back: Society—especially through schools—shapes people through social roles, including gender roles.
  • Card 17 Front: What is an example of a male person embracing anima traits, according to Jung?
    • Back: Integrating emotional and nurturing characteristics.
  • Card 18 Front: How does Jung’s theory of personal unconsciousness explain behavior?
    • Back:Through involving the anima/animus, the shadow, family conflicts, and past experiences that shape behavior.
  • Card 19 Front: What is an example of an experience stimulating a child’s social interests and first memories?
    • Back: A supportive community where the child remembers making friends on their first day of school.
  • Card 21 Front: A person prioritizes love while minimizing selfish needs that interfere with being loved. Which theorist proposed this as the self-effacing solution?
    • Back: Karen Horney.
  • Card 22 Front: A parent consistently caters to their child’s demands. Which theorist criticized this parenting style?
    • Back: Alfred Adler.
  • Card 23 Front: What is one of the three pillars of positive psychology?
    • Back: Positive states.
  • Card 24 Front: Who described personality as the product of heredity and the environment?
    • Back: Gordan Allport.

Flashcard Set: Theories of Personality Pre-Assessment Review (Continued)

  • Card 25 Front: Which personality aspect was proposed as an evolved psychological mechanism by David Buss?
    • Back: Behavioral imitation.
  • Card 26 Front: Why is it challenging to evaluate the validity of concepts in Rogers's theories of personality?
    • Back: They exist within an individual and are not directly observable.
  • Card 27 Front: What is the purpose of prizing in client-centered therapies?
    • Back: It allows a therapist to withhold judgment about someone's behavior and help them accept themselves.
  • Card 28 Front: How does Rogers's actualizing tendency contrast with Freud's perspective on human motivation?
    • Back: Rogers's humanistic view is more positive than Freud's psychoanalytic view.
  • Card 29 Front: What is true regarding similarity among people's needs?
    • Back: People have similar level-one needs but different level-five needs.
  • Card 30 Front: Who described types of traits as abilities, temperaments, and dynamics?
    • Back: Raymond Cattell.
  • Card 31 Front: How does Maslow's hierarchy of needs lead to happiness and serenity?
    • Back: By easing stagnation through striving toward new levels.
  • Card 32 Front: How would a store use Maslow's hierarchy of needs to sell high-end luxury products?
    • Back: Focus on mid-level esteem needs.
  • Card 33 Front: Which trait of intelligence is the innate ability to learn, according to Cattell?
    • Back: Fluid intelligence.
  • Card 34 Front: What characterizes the HEXACO model of personality?
    • Back: It adds a sixth factor related to modesty to the Five-Factor Model.
  • Card 36 Front: What type of dynamic trait is demonstrated by a person who values higher education, according to Cattell?
    • Back: Metaerg.
  • Card 37 Front: Which Five-Factor Model trait is low in an individual when they avoid conflict because they do not want to engage in an argument?
    • Back: Extraversion.