PSY 1 Flashcards
(72 cards)
Define Personality.
A pattern of enduring, distinctive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that characterize the way a person adapts to the world.
Describe the 4 methods of assessing personality.
- Observations: direct behavioral observations with a set of evaluation guidelines.
- Interviews: Can be either structured or unstructured.
- Objective tests: Participants self-report on paper and pencil questionnaires.
- Projective tests: Participants respond to ambiguous stimuli.
What is the purpose of measuring personality through self-report tests and projective tests?
Projective tests use ambiguous stimuli, allowing the test taker to project unconscious thoughts onto the test material.
Examples include the Rorschach Inkblot Test and Thematic Apperception Test.
What is the psychodynamic perspective of personality?
Developed by Sigmund Freud, it emphasizes the influence of unconscious psychological processes and early childhood experiences in shaping adult personality.
What are the three structures that comprise a person according to psychodynamic theory?
- Id: The primitive part of personality that seeks immediate gratification.
- Superego: The moral part of personality that incorporates parental and societal standards.
- Ego: The rational part that operates according to the reality principle.
Define defense mechanism.
The ego’s protective method of reducing anxiety by distorting reality and/or through self-deception.
What is rationalization?
Distorts the facts; unacceptable behaviors may be reinterpreted as socially acceptable.
Example: Cheating on an exam and thinking it’s acceptable because ‘everyone does it.’
What is displacement?
Desires that cannot be fulfilled in one context may be displaced onto another, usually a less threatening person or object.
Example: Unfulfilled aggression at work may reveal itself at home.
What is projection?
Attributes one’s own unacceptable thoughts, motives, or impulses to others.
Example: Denying your own attraction to others by becoming unreasonably jealous of your partner.
What is reaction formation?
Transforming unacceptable motives into the opposite.
Example: Promoting a petition against an adult bookstore while secretly fascinated by pornography.
What is intellectualization?
Ignoring the emotional aspects of a painful experience by focusing on abstract thoughts.
Example: Someone diagnosed with cancer may read extensively about the disease while ignoring emotional pain.
What is regression?
Reverting to immature ways of responding.
Example: Throwing a temper tantrum when a friend doesn’t want to do what you would like.
What is denial?
Refusing to acknowledge anxiety-producing realities.
Example: Not believing a loved one has a serious illness.
What are Freud’s 5 stages of Psychosexual Development?
- Oral: Mouth, major task is weaning.
- Anal: Anus, task is toilet training.
- Phallic: Genitals, task is overcoming the Oedipus complex.
- Latency: No focus on pleasure, interacting with same-sex peers.
- Genital: Genitals, establishing intimate relationships.
What are the strengths of the psychodynamic theory of personality?
- Emphasis on the unconscious and its influence on behavior.
- Conflict among the id, ego, and superego.
- Encouraged open talk about sex.
- Development of psychoanalysis.
What are the limitations of the psychodynamic theory?
- Inadequate empirical support.
- Many concepts cannot be empirically supported.
- Overemphasis on sexuality and unconscious forces.
- Underestimation of learning and culture.
What is the humanistic perspective of personality?
Personality and behavior depend on how we perceive and interpret the world; people are naturally good.
Define unconditional positive regard.
Love and acceptance with no contingencies.
What is self-concept?
All the information and beliefs individuals have about their own nature, qualities, and behavior.
What is trait theory of personality?
Views individuals as having distinct, stable personality traits that influence behavior across various situations.
What are the Big Five factors of personality?
- Openness: Curious vs. practical.
- Conscientiousness: Organized vs. careless.
- Extraversion: Outgoing vs. reserved.
- Agreeableness: Trusting vs. critical.
- Neuroticism: Anxious vs. calm.
What is reciprocal determinism?
Cognitions, behaviors, and the environment interact to produce personality.
What is self-efficacy?
Learned expectation of success; affects choices and efforts in reaching goals.
What is Walter Mischel’s CAPS model?
Argues that behavior and personality vary considerably across contexts, emphasizing stability over time rather than across situations.