Behavioral Sciences Chapter 6: Identity and Personality Flashcards
(40 cards)
What is the self-concept?
The self-concept is the sum of who we think we were, who we think we currently are, and who we think we may be in the future.
What is identity and how is it related to the self-concept?
Identity is defined as the individual components of our self-concept related to the groups of which we belong (religous affiliation, sexual orientation, personal relationships, etc).
- Our individual identities do not always need to be compatible as our identities take on particular identities in different social sitations.
What is gender identity?
Gender identity describes a person’s appraisal of him- or herself on scales of masculinity and femininity.
- Androgeny
- Undifferentiated
What is androgyny?
Androgyny is defined as the state of being simutaneously very masculine and very feminine.
- A type of gender identification
What is undifferentiated in terms of gender identity?
Undifferentiated is defined as the state of being simutaneously low in masculinity and low in femininity.
At what age is gender identity usually established?
Gender identity is usually established by the age of 3.
- However, gender identity may change and morph over time.
What is ethnic identity and how is it different from national identity?
Ethnic identity is prodominantly determined by birth and refers to the part of one’s identity associated with membership in a particular racial/ethnic group.
Nationality is based on political borders and the symbols and customs associated with a nation.
What are three factors that contribute to a person’s ethnic identity, and how are these factors different from those that determine national identity?
Ethnic identity is determined by common ancestory, cultural heritage, language, and other similarities. Rather than being determined by birth, national identity is determined by the political borders of where one lives and the cultural identity of that nation.
What is the hierarchy of salience and how does it relate to identity?
The hierarchy of salience states that the situation dictates which identity holds the most importance for us at any given moment.
- Salience of identities (importance/necessity to be noticed) is determined by the amount of work we have invested into the identity, the rewards and gratification associated with the identity, and the amount of self-esteem we have associated with the identity.
What is the self-discrepancy theory?
The Self-Discrepancy Theory states that each person has three selves (the actual self, the ideal self, and the ought self) and that the perceived difference between these selves lead to negative feelings.
What is the actual self?
The actual self is the way we view ourselves currently.
What is the ideal-self?
The ideal-self is the person we would like to be.
What is the ought self?
The ought self is our perception of how others think we should be.
What happens when there is little discrepancy between our actual self, ideal self, and ought self?
Generally, the closer the three selves (actual, ideal, ought) are to one another, the higher our self-esteem or self-worth will be.
What happens when there is a large discrepancy between our three selves?
If there is a large discrepancy between our actual, ideal, and ought selves, our self-esteem will be low. Those with low self-esteem will be far more critical of themselves, which, as a result, causes them to take criticism from others poorly and believe that people will only accept them if they are successful.
What is self-efficacy?
Self-efficacy is our belief in our ability to succeed.
What is learned helplessness?
Learned helplessness occurs when an individual develops a perceived lack of control over the outcome of a situation.
- Learned helplessness has been found to be strongly related to clinical depression.
What qualitities do they happiest people have in common?
The happiest people are those ho have high self-esteem, have high self-efficacy, have an internal locus of control believing they control their own destinies, and see themselves living up to their own expectation of who they would like to be.
What is the difference between self-concept and identity?
Self-concept describes the sum of all the phases that come to mind when we think of who we were in the past, who we currently are, and who we may become in the future. Identity describes a set of behaviors and labels we take on when in a specific group/situation.
What did Sigmund Freud believe were the main forces accounting for human psychological processes?
Sigmund freud believed that libidinal energy and the drive to reduce libidinal tension were the underlying dynamic forces that accounted for human psychological processes.
What are the 4 identity development theories and who were they created by?
- Psychosexual Development theory- Sigmund Freud
- Involves sexual conflict and our attempt to resolve our libidinal tension
- Psychosocial Development theory - Erik Erikson
- Involves internal conflict which can be positively or negatively resolved
- Failure to develop does not inhibit progressing into the next stage. It can later be learned in a later stage in life.
- Theory of Moral Reasoning - Kohlberg
- Morality behind decision making at different stages in life.
- Cultural and Biosocial Development - Vygotsky
- Involves Zone of Proximal Development
What is Erikson’s Theory of psychosocial development?
Erik Erikson’s theory of pyschosocial development theorizes that personality development is driven by the successful resolution of a series emotional and social conflicts.
There are 8 conflicts:
- Trust vs Mistrust (0 - 1 year)
- Autonomy vs Shame & Doubt (1 - 3 years)
- Initiative vs Guilt (3 - 6 years)
- Industry vs Inferiority (6 - 12)
- Identity vs Role Confusion (12 - 20 years)
- Intimacy vs Isolation (20 - 40 years)
- Generativity vs Stagnation (40 - 65 years)
- Integrity vs Despair (65 - Death)
What are the first two stages of Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development and what occurs during theses stages?
The first two stages of the psychosocial development theory proposed by Erikson were 1. Trust vs Mistrust and 2. Autonomy vs Shame and Guilt
- In trust vs mistrust stage the child is figuring out if it can trust the world it lives in and more importantly the people in the child’s life (caregivers specifically).
- Positive resolution results in trust and negative resolution results in mistrust.
- In autonomy vs shame & guilt, the child is discovering their surroundings and developing its interests.
- Positive resolution results in the child feeling capable of exerting control over the world and the ability to exercise choice as well as self-restraint.
- Negative resolution results in the child feeling overly controlled and criticized, causing a sense of doubt and a persistant external locus of control (doubt and shame in their autonomy).
What is the third and fourth stage of Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development?
The 3rd and 4th stages of Erikson’s theory of pscychosocial development are 3: Initiative vs Guilt and 4: Industry vs Inferiority.
- In initiative vs guilt, the child learns basic cause and effect principles in physics, and starting and finishing out tasks for a purpose.
- Positive resolution results in a sense of purpose, the ability to initiate activities, and the ability to enjoy accomplishments
- Negative resolution results in the child feeling fear of punishment that may either be self restrictive or may overcompensate by showing off.
- In Inferiority vs Industry, the child asks itself can I make it in the world of people and things?
- Positive resolution resluts in the child feeling capable being able to utilize and apply their skill set to affect the world in the way the child desires.
- Negative resolution results in a sense of inadequency, low self-esteem, and incompetence.
