Untitled Flashcards Set

1. Personality – A unique and consistent pattern of thinking, feeling, and behavior.

2. Personality Theories – Explanations of how personality develops and is structured.

Types vs. Traits

3. Type – A broad personality classification made up of a collection of traits.

4. Trait – A stable and measurable characteristic of an individual’s personality.

Ancient Personality Types (Four Humors Theory)

5. Choleric – Irritable; associated with yellow bile (fire element).

6. Melancholic – Depressed; associated with black bile (earth element).

7. Sanguine – Optimistic; associated with blood (air element).

8. Phlegmatic – Calm; associated with phlegm (water element).

Jung’s Personality Theory

9. Introversion – A personality type focused on internal thoughts and feelings.

10. Extroversion – A personality type focused on external interactions and the environment.

11. Feeling Function – Evaluates the worth of conscious activities.

12. Thinking Function – Understands the meaning of information.

13. Sensation Function – Recognizes physical existence and reality.

14. Intuition Function – Gains knowledge without conscious reasoning.

Trait Theories

15. Gordon Allport – Identified three levels of traits: cardinal, central, and secondary.

16. Cardinal Trait – A dominant trait that shapes a person’s behavior (e.g., Mother Teresa’s altruism).

17. Central Trait – A general characteristic that influences behavior (e.g., cheerfulness, shyness).

18. Secondary Trait – A characteristic that appears only in specific situations (e.g., fear of confined spaces).

19. Hans Eysenck – Identified three major personality dimensions:

• Introversion/Extroversion – Social vs. solitary behavior.

• Neuroticism – Emotional stability vs. instability.

• Psychoticism – Tough-mindedness vs. empathy.

20. Factor Analysis – A statistical method used to identify personality traits.

21. Cattell’s 16 Personality Factors – A model identifying 16 core traits.

Big Five Personality Traits (OCEAN Model)

22. Openness – Creativity and willingness to try new experiences.

23. Conscientiousness – Organization, discipline, and responsibility.

24. Extraversion – Sociability, energy, and assertiveness.

25. Agreeableness – Compassion, cooperativeness, and trustworthiness.

26. Neuroticism – Emotional instability, anxiety, and moodiness.

Personality Tests

27. Objective Tests – Standardized self-report inventories (e.g., MMPI, Cattell 16PF).

28. Projective Tests – Ambiguous stimuli used to assess personality (e.g., Rorschach Inkblot Test, TAT).

29. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) – A widely used test with 567 true/false questions to diagnose psychological disorders.

30. Rorschach Inkblot Test – A projective test where individuals interpret inkblots.

31. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) – A projective test where individuals create stories based on ambiguous images.

32. Barnum Effect – The tendency to believe vague, general personality descriptions.