Psychology Chapter 11 Flashcards

Personality Concepts

• Personality: Unique and stable patterns in thinking, feeling, and behaving.
• Character: Moral and ethical assessments of a person's behavior.
• Temperament: Innate characteristics such as irritability or adaptability.

Theories of Personality

• Psychodynamic Perspective: Founded by Freud, it emphasizes the unconscious mind's role and biological factors in personality differences.
• Behaviorist Perspective: Concentrates on environmental influences on behavior.
• Humanistic Perspective: Focuses on conscious experiences and personal choices, emphasizing unique human aspects like freedom and choice.
• Trait Perspective: Studies the traits themselves rather than formation processes, assuming some traits may be biologically based.

Freud's Model of the Mind

• Mind divided into three parts: Conscious, Preconscious, and Unconscious.
• Personality consists of: Id (innate, instinctual), Ego (reality-driven), and Superego (moral center).

Id, Ego, and Superego Functions

• Id: Operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate satisfaction.
• Ego: Functions on the reality principle, balancing the demands of the id with reality.
• Superego: Develops from societal norms and morals, influencing feelings of guilt through the conscience.

Psychological Defense Mechanisms

• Mechanisms to reduce anxiety and alter reality perceptions, including:
  • Denial: Refusing to acknowledge threatening situations.
  • Repression: Pushing distressing memories out of consciousness.
  • Rationalization: Creating excuses for unacceptable behavior.
  • Projection: Attributing one's unacceptable impulses to others.
  • Displacement: Redirecting feelings to a less threatening target.
  • Sublimation: Channeling unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable behaviors.

Psychosexual Development Stages

• Oral Stage: First year, with the mouth as the focus.
• Anal Stage: Ages 1-3, focus on toilet training and control.
• Phallic Stage: Ages 3-6, sexual feelings towards opposite-sex parent emerge.
• Latency Stage: School years, sexual feelings repressed.
• Genital Stage: Post-puberty stage, focus on relationships with others, redirecting sexual urges.

Personality Assessment Methods

• Interviews: Structured or unstructured conversations to assess personality.
• Projective Tests: Ambiguous stimuli assessments like Rorschach Inkblot and Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).
• Rating Scales and Frequency Counts: Evaluate behaviors quantitatively.

Personality Inventory

• Standardized tests for assessing personality traits through specific statements.

Intelligence and Traits

• g Factor: General intelligence encompassing reasoning and problem-solving.
• s Factor: Specific abilities within areas of intelligence.
• Intelligence Quotient (IQ): Derived by comparing mental age with chronological age.
• Giftedness: Identified by an IQ of 130 or above; accounts for 2% of the population.
• Intellectual Disability: Below-average cognitive functioning, affecting daily living skills, with an IQ score below 70.

Self-Concept and Personal Growth

• Self: Awareness of personal characteristics and functioning levels.
• Real Self: Real traits and abilities.
• Ideal Self: Aspirational perception of oneself.
• Unconditional Positive Regard: Acceptance without conditions, fostering personal growth.
• Fully Functioning Person: Acknowledges and trusts inner feelings; requires unconditional positive regard for development.

Trait Theories

• Trait: Consistent way of thinking, feeling, or behaving.
• Surface Traits: Observable traits seen in outward behavior.
• Source Traits: Fundamental traits that shape surface traits, forming core personality.

Five-Factor Model (Big Five)

• Personality dimensions include:
  • Openness: Willingness to try new experiences.
  • Conscientiousness: Reliability and organization.
  • Extraversion: Need for social interaction.
  • Agreeableness: Emotional style ranging from friendly to unpleasant.
  • Neuroticism: Emotional stability vs. instability.

Locus of Control

• Internal: Belief in personal control over outcomes.
• External: Belief that external forces govern life events.

Reliability and Validity in Assessments

• Reliability: Consistency of test results over time.
• Validity: The extent to which a test measures what it intends to measure.