Personality

Psychoanalytic Theory – Freud’s theory that personality is shaped by unconscious motives, childhood experiences, and conflicts between different parts of the mind.

Sigmund Freud – The founder of psychoanalysis who developed theories about the unconscious mind, psychosexual development, and defense mechanisms.

Free Association – A method used in psychoanalysis where a person says whatever comes to mind to uncover unconscious thoughts.

Unconscious – The part of the mind that holds thoughts, memories, and desires that are not in conscious awareness but still influence behavior.

Id – The primitive part of personality that seeks immediate gratification of basic drives, operating on the pleasure principle.

Ego – The rational part of personality that mediates between the id, superego, and reality, operating on the reality principle.

Superego – The moral part of personality that represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment.

Psychosexual Stages of Development – Freud’s theory that personality develops through stages based on different pleasure-seeking focuses.

Oral Stage – The first stage (0-18 months), where pleasure is focused on the mouth (e.g., sucking, biting).

Anal Stage – The second stage (18-36 months), where pleasure is focused on bowel and bladder control.

Phallic Stage – The third stage (3-6 years), where pleasure is focused on the genitals and children develop unconscious desires for the opposite-sex parent.

Oedipus Complex – A boy’s unconscious desire for his mother and rivalry with his father, occurring in the phallic stage.

Latency Stage – The fourth stage (6-puberty), where sexual impulses are dormant, and children focus on social interactions.

Genital Stage – The final stage (puberty onward), where sexual interests mature and focus on relationships outside the family.

Defense Mechanisms – The unconscious strategies the ego uses to reduce anxiety by distorting reality.

Repression – Blocking anxiety-provoking thoughts from conscious awareness.

Projection – Attributing one’s own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to someone else.

Rationalization – Justifying behaviors or thoughts with logical but false reasons.

Sublimation – Redirecting unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable behaviors (e.g., channeling aggression into sports).

Regression – Reverting to an earlier stage of development when faced with stress (e.g., a stressed adult sucking their thumb).

Reaction Formation – Acting in the opposite way of one’s true feelings (e.g., pretending to dislike someone you actually admire).

Displacement – Shifting aggressive or sexual impulses toward a less threatening object or person.

Denial – Refusing to acknowledge painful realities.

Psychodynamic Theory – The modern adaptation of Freud’s ideas, emphasizing unconscious motives but placing less focus on sexual drives.

Neofreudians – Psychologists who modified Freud’s theories, focusing more on social and cultural influences.

Carl Jung – A Neofreudian who introduced the concept of the collective unconscious and archetypes.

Collective Unconscious – Jung’s idea that humans share inherited memories and instincts from ancestral experiences.

Archetypes – Universal symbols and themes found in myths, stories, and dreams across different cultures.

Alfred Adler – A Neofreudian who emphasized the importance of social relationships and overcoming feelings of inferiority.

Inferiority Complex – Adler’s concept that people strive to overcome childhood feelings of weakness or inadequacy.

Karen Horney – A Neofreudian who countered Freud’s male-centered theories and emphasized the role of childhood anxiety.

Childhood Anxiety – Horney’s belief that insecurity in childhood leads to neurosis in adulthood.

Projective Tests – Personality tests that use ambiguous stimuli to uncover unconscious thoughts.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) – A projective test where people make up stories about ambiguous pictures.

Rorschach Inkblot Test – A projective test where people describe what they see in inkblots to reveal unconscious thoughts.

False Consensus Effect – The tendency to overestimate how much others share our beliefs and behaviors.

Terror-Management Theory – The idea that fear of death influences human thoughts and behaviors.

Traditional Birth Order Theory (Old Theory, No Longer Valid) – The outdated idea that birth order affects personality.

First Born – Thought to be responsible and achievement-oriented.

Middle Born – Thought to be peacemakers and socially skilled.

Last Born – Thought to be attention-seeking and outgoing.

Only Child – Thought to be independent and mature for their age.

Humanistic Theory – A perspective that focuses on free will, personal growth, and self-fulfillment.

Self-Concept – A person’s overall sense of who they are.

Ideal Self – The person one strives to be.

Actual Self – The person one currently is.

Carl Rogers' Person-Centered Perspective – A theory emphasizing that personal growth requires an environment of genuineness, acceptance, and empathy.

Genuineness – Being open and honest with oneself and others.

Acceptance – Being valued unconditionally by others.

Unconditional Positive Regard – Loving and accepting someone without conditions.

Empathy – Understanding and sharing another’s feelings.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – A motivational theory outlining a progression of human needs.

Physiological – Basic survival needs (e.g., food, water, sleep).

Safety – The need for security and stability.

Love and Belonging – The need for relationships and social connection.

Esteem – The need for self-respect and recognition from others.

Self-Actualization – The need to reach one’s full potential.

Self-Transcendence – The need to go beyond oneself and contribute to a greater purpose.

Criticisms of Humanistic Theory – It is seen as overly optimistic, vague, and lacking scientific basis.

Trait Theory – A perspective that personality is made up of stable, measurable traits.

Personality Inventories – Questionnaires used to assess personality traits.

Minnesota Multiphasic Inventory (MMPI) – A widely used personality test that measures psychological disorders.

Conscientiousness – Being organized, responsible, and dependable.

Agreeableness – Being kind, cooperative, and compassionate.

Neuroticism – Being anxious, moody, and emotionally unstable.

Openness to Experience – Being curious, imaginative, and open to new ideas.

Extraversion – Being outgoing, energetic, and social.

Social-Cognitive Theory – A perspective that personality is shaped by interactions between thoughts, behaviors, and the environment.

Albert Bandura – A psychologist who developed social-cognitive theory and studied observational learning.

Reciprocal Determinism – The idea that personality is influenced by the interaction of behavior, personal factors, and the environment.

Self-Efficacy – A person’s belief in their ability to succeed.

Locus of Control – The degree to which people believe they control their own fate.

Learned Helplessness – A sense of powerlessness that develops after repeated failures or negative experiences.

Optimism vs. Pessimism – A person’s general tendency to expect positive or negative outcomes.