Personality Theories Overview

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following correctly defines traits in the context of trait theories?

Traits are inherited from parents and remain unchanged.

Traits are primarily influenced by environmental factors.

Traits are relatively stable and consistent personal characteristics. (correct)

Traits are temporary feelings that change frequently.

What is the function of the ego in Freud's personality structure?

To mediate between instinctual drives and reality. (correct)

To represent unconscious desires.

To enforce moral standards.

To operate on the pleasure principle.

Which level of consciousness contains thoughts that are not currently accessible but can easily become conscious?

Unconscious

Preconscious (correct)

Subconscious

Conscious

In humanistic theories, personality is primarily shaped by what factor?

Unique perceptions and interpretations of the world Signup and view all the answers

Which defense mechanism involves transferring unacceptable motives to others?

Projection Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT one of the five dimensions in the Five Factor Model of personality?

Ambiguity Signup and view all the answers

What is a criticism of psychoanalytic theories of personality?

They overemphasize biology and unconscious forces. Signup and view all the answers

During which psychosexual stage does a child develop a sense of identity and begin to form relationships outside of the family?

Genital stage Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following traits is characterized by being responsible, organized, and efficient?

Conscientiousness Signup and view all the answers

What does rationalization, as a defense mechanism, typically involve?

Finding socially acceptable reasons for unacceptable actions. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of Rogers' theory regarding self-concept?

The match between self-concept and real-life experiences Signup and view all the answers

Which type of regard is characterized by positive behavior contingent on specific behaviors?

Conditional Positive Regard Signup and view all the answers

What best describes self-actualization according to Maslow?

The realization of one's highest potential Signup and view all the answers

What is a common criticism of humanistic theories in psychology?

They have naive assumptions about human nature. Signup and view all the answers

Which factors have been identified as major contributors to personality from a biological perspective?

Brain structures, neurochemistry, and genetic factors Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between sex and gender in the context of personality development?

Sex relates to physical characteristics while gender pertains to sociocultural meanings. Signup and view all the answers

How do individualistic cultures typically influence personality?

They emphasize personal needs and goals. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of behavioral assessment in psychology?

To record the frequency of specific behaviors. Signup and view all the answers

What is the 'halo effect' in personality assessment?

A tendency to generalize a positive first impression to other unrelated traits. Signup and view all the answers

What does reliability refer to in the context of psychological testing?

The ability of a test to produce consistent results over time. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Personality

Personality is defined as an individual's unique, relatively stable, and enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Lecture Overview

Covered topics include: Trait Theories, Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories, Humanistic Theories, Biological Theories, and How Sex, Gender, and Culture Affect Personality.

Trait Theories

Traits are relatively stable and consistent personal characteristics.
Early trait theorists include Allport, Cattell, and Eysenck.
A modern trait theory is the five-factor model (FFM) by McCrae & Costa.
The FFM explains personality in terms of five dimensions: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

Trait Dimensions

Openness: Ranges from original and imaginative to conventional and down-to-earth.
Conscientiousness: Ranges from responsible and organized to irresponsible and lazy.
Extraversion: Ranges from talkative and outgoing to quiet and passive.
Agreeableness: Ranges from trusting and good-natured to suspicious and ruthless.
Neuroticism: Ranges from worried and moody to calm and even-tempered.

Evaluating Trait Theories

Pro: Describes and organizes personality characteristics using the fewest number of traits (FFM).
Con: Fails to explain why traits develop, change, and which ones change; ignores situational effects.

Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories

Psychoanalytic theories explain individual differences by examining how unconscious mental forces interplay with thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Freud is the founding father of psychoanalytic theory.

Levels of Consciousness

Conscious: Thoughts in one's current mind.
Preconscious: Thoughts that might become conscious easily.
Unconscious: Thoughts beyond a person's normal awareness.

Personality Structures

Id: Innate, operates on the pleasure principle.
Ego: Rational part of the psyche; operates on the reality principle.
Superego: Conscience; operates on the morality principle.

Defense Mechanisms

The ego's protective methods of reducing anxiety by distorting reality.
Examples include repression, rationalization, and projection.

Psychosexual Stages of Development

Oral stage: Birth to 18 months (focus on the mouth).
Anal stage: 18 months to 3 years (toilet training).
Phallic stage: 3 to 6 years (developing a sense of self).
Latency stage: 6 years to puberty (interacting with same-sex peers).
Genital stage: Puberty to adulthood (developing intimate relationships).

Evaluating Psychoanalytic Theories

Pro: Proposes that the unconscious influences behavior and developed defense mechanisms.
Con: Difficult to test, overemphasizes biology and unconscious forces, has inadequate empirical support, is sexist, and lacks cross-cultural support.

Humanistic Theories

Each individual's personality is created out of his or her unique way of perceiving and interpreting the world.

Rogers: The Self-Concept

Emphasized the importance of the self-concept.
Concerned with a match between the self-concept and actual experiences with life.

Rogers: Positive Regard

Conditional Positive Regard: Positive behavior toward a person is contingent on behaving in certain ways.
Unconditional Positive Regard: Positive behavior toward a person with no contingencies attached.

Maslow: The Search for Self-Actualization

Self-actualization is the innate tendency toward growth that motivates all human behavior and results in the full realization of a person's highest potential.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Physiological needs: Hunger, thirst, body maintenance.
Safety needs: Security, safety.
Belonging and love needs: Affiliation, acceptance, attention.
Esteem needs: Achievement, competence, approval.
Self-actualization needs: Self-fulfillment, realizing potential.

Evaluating Humanistic Theories

Pro: Many concepts are incorporated into therapy.
Con: Has naive assumptions, poor testability, and inadequate evidence; narrowness.

Biological Theories

Three major contributors to personality include brain structures (like frontal lobes), neurochemistry, and genetic factors.

Biopsychosocial Model

Personality is influenced by genetics (40-50%), nonshared environmental factors (27%), shared environmental factors (7%), and unknown factors (16-26%).

How Sex, Gender, and Culture Affect Personality

Sex: Biological dimensions of maleness and femaleness, including physical anatomy, secondary sex characteristics, and brain differences.
Gender: Psychological and sociocultural meanings added to sex, influencing almost every aspect of life and personality formation.
- Examples of differences: Males may be slightly better at math and more aggressive; females may be cuddled more by parents.
- Gender role: Societal expectations of appropriate male and female behavior.
Culture: Influences personality.
- Individualistic cultures emphasize individual needs and goals.
- Collectivistic cultures emphasize group needs and goals.

Personality Assessment

Interview (personality): Face-to-face meeting to gain information about personality, psychological state, or history.
Types of interviews: Unstructured (conversational) and structured (prearranged questions).
Limitations: Halo effect (generalizing first impressions).
Direct Observation: Assessing behavior through direct surveillance.
Other methods: Behavioral assessment (recording frequency of behaviors) and situational tests (simulating real-life situations).
Personality Questionnaire: Paper-and-pencil measure with questions to reveal personality aspects. Example: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2).
Reliability: A test consistently giving the same score to the same person.
Validity: A test measuring what it claims to measure.
Projective Tests: Tests using ambiguous or unstructured stimuli to reveal personality through individual responses. Example: Rorschach Technique (inkblots) and Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).

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Description

This quiz explores various personality theories including Trait, Psychoanalytic, Humanistic, and Biological perspectives. You'll delve into the dimensions of the five-factor model and understand how factors like sex, gender, and culture influence personality. Test your knowledge on key theorists and fundamental concepts in personality psychology.