Theories of Personality

Question 1

Psychodynamic Theory

Answer 1

Sigmund Freud
Three processes to personality
1. Id- Pleasure Principle
Eros- the sex drive
Thanatos- the aggressive drive
Unconscious
2. Ego- Reality principle
Mostly conscious, it mediates demands of id and constraints of
superego
3. Superego-
Mostly unconscious; Applies morals and standards of the parents to
Ego.
Because of the inadequate mediation of the ego (leaving either id or superego
“dissatisfied”), anxiety is created. We deal with it through the

Question 2

Defense Mechanisms

Answer 2

Operate on an unconscious level to help the ego reduce
anxiety through deception.

Question 3

Repression

Answer 3

the fundamental DM

Question 4

Rationalization

Answer 4

Making up acceptable excuses.

Question 5

Reaction Formation

Answer 5

Turning unacceptable feelings into opposite ones

Question 6

Displacement

Answer 6

Transferring feelings from their true source to another
source that is less threatening (Kicking the dog instead of the boss)

Question 7

Projection

Answer 7

Transferring unacceptable thoughts or feelings onto another
person or object.

Question 8

Sublimation

Answer 8

Redirecting threatening desires, usually sex, into a socially
acceptable form

Question 9

Stages of Psychosexual Development

Answer 9

ORAL
ANAL
PHALLIC
LATENCY
GENITAL

Question 10

Fixation

Answer 10

person becomes locked into a particular stage because he or she was
under- or overgratified.

Question 11

Oral

Answer 11

incorporative (smoker, drinker, kisser)
sadistic (biting sarcasm)

Question 12

Anal

Answer 12

retentive (overly tidy)
expulsive (overly messy)

Question 13

Phallic

Answer 13

Oedipus complex

Question 14

Latency

Answer 14

Sublimation

Question 15

Genital

Answer 15

If no fixation occurs

Question 16

Freuds Influence

Answer 16

1. Catharsis: Does acting out aggression reduce it?
   NO: expressing anger makes you angrier, establishes habitual anger and
   makes future aggression more likely.
2. Importance of early childhood experience
3. Unconscious reasons for mistakes, slips of the tongue, being late to class
4. The destructive motives behind risk-taking and dangerous behavior
5. If you’ve ever said that someone was anal or in denial
6. Parental/abuse role in homosexuality or MPD
7. Sexual symbolism of buildings, trains, tunnels, snakes; of dreams and their
   meaning
8. Repressed memories
9. LOW self esteem causes violent aggression ( No, it’s SELF-EFFICACY)
10. “Real” reason why someone has said or done something that we don’t
    understand

Question 17

Modern Views

Answer 17

Study of personality is an attempt to explain
–1. Consistency (why someone acts in the same way across different situations)
–2. Distinctiveness (why people act differently in the same situation)
Skinner: No such thing, just discriminative stimuli

Question 18

Trait Theory

Answer 18

A relatively enduring and stable tendency to behave in a particular way
The 5 factor theory of personality (“Big Five, Supertraits”)
O- Openness to new experience -creative, imaginative, intellectual v opposite
C- Conscientiousness- organized, neat, tidy v opposite
E- Extraversion- outgoing, gregarious, social v opposite
A- Agreeableness-sympathetic, kind, warm v opposite
N-Neuroticism- anxious, irritable, stressed-out v opposite

Question 19

What’s the Controversy

Answer 19

. Do traits exist even if we don’t “see” them?
They are “causes” of behavior
OR
2. Just a “summary” of behaviors
They are not causes