Psychology Personality Theories Overview

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following dimensions is NOT part of the Five Factor Model?

Neuroticism

Conscientiousness

Openness

Introversion (correct)

What is the primary focus of psychoanalytic/pyschodynamic theories of personality?

Genetic predispositions

Conscious decision-making processes

Unconscious mental forces (correct)

Social and cultural influences

Which component of personality operates on the pleasure principle according to Freud?

Id (correct)

Conscious mind

Ego

Superego

Which of the following is considered a limitation of trait theories?

Failing to explain the development of traits Signup and view all the answers

What mechanism does the ego use to reduce anxiety by distorting reality?

Rationalization Signup and view all the answers

Which stage is NOT one of Freud's psychosexual stages of development?

Adolescent stage Signup and view all the answers

Which trait from the Five Factor Model reflects one's ability to be organized and responsible?

Conscientiousness Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the criticisms of psychoanalytic theories?

They lack empirical support Signup and view all the answers

How do humanistic theories view personality?

As shaped by individual perception and interpretation Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a defense mechanism?

Repression Signup and view all the answers

What does unconditional positive regard refer to?

Acceptance without conditions attached Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best defines self-actualization?

The innate drive toward personal growth and potential Signup and view all the answers

What is one criticism of humanistic theories of personality?

They may have naive assumptions about human behavior Signup and view all the answers

How do individualistic cultures primarily influence personality?

By highlighting the importance of personal goals and achievements Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic is often associated with males from an early age?

Higher levels of aggression Signup and view all the answers

Which interviewing method is characterized by a structured series of questions?

Structured interview Signup and view all the answers

What does the halo effect influence in personality assessments?

Generalization of impressions to unrelated traits Signup and view all the answers

What is a key feature of behavioral assessment?

Recording the frequency of specific behaviors Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is NOT considered a major contributor to personality in biological theories?

Cultural expectations Signup and view all the answers

What is a major difference between individualistic and collectivistic cultures in terms of personality?

Individualistic cultures emphasize personal achievements Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Personality Overview

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

Lecture Overview

Trait Theories
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories
Humanistic Theories
Biological Theories
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.

Five-Factor Model (FFM)

The table shows low and high scorers for each trait.
Information on what men and women want in a mate is also included.

Evaluating Trait Theories

Pro: Descriptions and organization of personality characteristics using the fewest traits.
Con: Fails to explain why traits develop, change, and why some traits change while others remain constant. Also disregards situational effects.

Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories

These theories explain individual differences by examining unconscious mental forces.
The founding father is Freud.

Levels of Consciousness

Conscious: Thoughts in the present moment.
Preconscious: Thoughts that could easily become conscious.
Unconscious: Thoughts beyond a person's normal awareness.

Personality Structures

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

Defense Mechanisms

The ego uses defense mechanisms to reduce anxiety by distorting reality.
- Examples include:
  - Repression
  - Rationalization
  - Projection

Psychosexual Stages of Development

Oral (birth-18 months): Focus is on the mouth.
Anal (18 months-3 years): Focus is on bowel and bladder elimination.
Phallic (3-6 years): Focus is on the genitals.
Latency (6 years-puberty): Sexual feelings are dormant
Genital (puberty-adulthood): Maturation of sexual interests

Evaluating Psychoanalytic Theories

Pro: Highlights the influence of the unconscious and developed defense mechanisms.
Con: Difficult to test, overemphasizes biology and unconscious forces, lacks adequate empirical support, is sexist, and lacks cross-cultural support.

Humanistic Theories

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

Rogers: The Self-Concept

Emphasized the importance of the self-concept.
Concerned with the 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 without any contingencies attached.

Maslow: Self-Actualization

Inherent tendency toward growth is a major motivator for behavior, and leads to full potential.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Self-actualization
Esteem
Belonging and love
Safety
Physiological

Evaluating Humanistic Theories

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

Biological Theories

Three main contributors are brain structures, neurochemistry, and genetic factors.

Biopsychosocial Model

Shows the combined percentages of genetic, shared environment, non-shared environment, and unknown factors that impact individual personality differences.

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 biological sex.
Culture: Individualistic cultures emphasize individual needs and goals, whereas collectivistic cultures emphasize group needs and goals.

Personality Assessment

Interview: Face-to-face meeting to gather information on personality, psychological state, or personal history.
- Unstructured: Informal conversation.
- Structured: Pre-arranged questions.
Limitations: Halo effect
Direct Observation: Observing behavior through direct surveillance.
Behavioral Assessment: Recording frequency of specific behaviors.
Situational Test: Simulating real-life situations to observe someone's reactions

Personality Questionnaires

Paper-and-pencil measures with questions about personality aspects.
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2): A widely used objective personality questionnaire.

Reliability and Validity

Reliability: Consistency of test scores for the same person.
Validity: Accurately measuring what the questionnaire intends to measure.

Projective Tests

Use ambiguous or unstructured stimuli.
People describe the stimuli or make up stories about them.

Rorschach Technique

Developed by Hermann Rorschach.
Uses 10 standardized inkblots.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Developed by Henry Murray.
Uses 20 black and white cards of various situations.
People create stories about the drawings.

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Description

This quiz covers various theories related to personality, including trait, psychoanalytic, humanistic, and biological theories. You'll explore the impact of sex, gender, and culture on personality and learn about the five-factor model by McCrae & Costa. Test your knowledge of the key traits and their dimensions in personality psychology.