PSCL 313 Exam 1 PDF - Personality Psychology

Intro -​ Personality = underlying characteristics that account for consistent patterns of behavior and experience -​ Personality profile = graphic representation (uniqueness of personality, fingerprint) -​ MMPI-2 -​ Personality theory -​ Nomothetic (studying all pe...

Intro -​ Personality = underlying characteristics that account for consistent patterns of behavior and experience -​ Personality profile = graphic representation (uniqueness of personality, fingerprint) -​ MMPI-2 -​ Personality theory -​ Nomothetic (studying all people, “universals”) -​ Not idiographic (case studies, retrospective psychobiographies) -​ Description: describes personality using… -​ Types: categories of people with similar characteristics (Type A vs B) -​ Con = all or non categorization (limit in # of variables) -​ Traits: common sense descriptors, distinguishes one from another and causes consistent behavior -​ Pros: quantitative/dimensional -​ Cons: redundant, way too many trait words -​ Factors: statistically derived, quantitative (but dimension broader than trait) -​ Raymond cattell’s 16 personality factors -> BIG FIVE (OCEAN) -​ Openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism -​ Dynamics: how is personality expressed and modified -​ Development: how does personality develop? -​ Zeitgeist: when the material is there and the time is right, someone will propose the idea (Alfred wallace, evolution) -​ Ortgeist: ideas reflect the place where they were proposed ​ (following examples reflect psychological ideologies) -​ German: mind (emphasis on language -> better description of mental states) -​ English: classification and testing (influenced by evolutionary theories) -​ French: emotion (focused on abnormal psych) -​ American: pragmatic (focused on applied psych) -​ Experimental psychology -​ Structuralism: Wilhelm Wundt (Germany, late 19th century) -​ Study structure of mind using introspection (telling others what’s inside of you) -​ Paved the way for other movements -​ Gestalt psychology: Kurt Lewin and Max Wertheimer -​ The whole is greater than the sum of its parts -​ Focus on individuals in concrete situations -​ Psych should focus on human problems, like addictions -​ Functionalism: William James -​ Reacted against static elements within the environment -​ Interested in individual differences (e.g. between types) -​ Behaviorism: Watson -​ Against introspection and consciousness -​ Cons: fails to explain personality  -​ Based on environment, specific, and changing behavior is easy while personality is individual, there are general characteristics, and changing one’s personality is difficult -​ Germ model: treat disorder like a medical disease -​ For each disease there’s a germ, identification of germ depends on careful description and classification, treatment to remove germ, immunization resulting from prior infection of low intensity germ -​ Led to physical inquiry -​ Hysterics (now called conversion disorder) -​ Mesmer: body fluids are unbalanced -​ Charcot: expectations cause hysteria (worked with glove anesthesia) -> paralysis, mutism, deafness, tics -​ Psychodynamic germ: mental conflicts -​ Cognitive germ: low self-esteem -​ Behavioral germ: poor learning history -​ Measurement techniques -​ Self-report -​ MMPI-2: Minnesota multiphasic inventory 2 -​ Differentiates those with psychological difficulties from those without such difficulties -​ 567 t/f questions -​ 3 validity scales (F: faking bad, L: lying, K: faking good) Examples:  -​ “I feel useless at times” -> looks at feelings -​ “People should try to understand their dreams” -> motivations -​ “I have headaches 3x a week” -> somatic complaints -​ Behavioral assessments -​ Projectives -​ Ambiguous stimuli -> interpreted in QUANTITATIVE manner -​ Color, form, movement -​ Validity by norming data -​ Rorschach Inkblot Test -​ Thematic Apperception Test -​ Describe what is happening in the picture -​ Recurrent themes indicate central personality structures, maybe issues -​ Validity -​ Construct: when a test actually measures what it intends to measure -​ Predictive: the test predicts future behavior/illness (CMHO -> CHD) -​ CMHO = cook-medley hostility outcomes -​ Reliability -​ Tests should yield similar scores over time (test-retest reliability) -​ Alternate forms reliability = b/w 2 different forms of same test  -​ Direct observation: direct measure of behavior used to describe characteristics indicative of personality -> good for behaviorists (who believe behavior IS personality) Freud (1856-1939) -​ Moved to Vienna from czech at young age, spoiled by mother, father was very strict -​ Bookworm, 6 languages and shakespeare -​ Studies with Ernest Brucke (fetal brains) -> early structures persist and influence long-term -​ Works with Joseph Breur on conversion disorder (hypnosis -> talking cure -> free association) -​ At 41, illness made him fear death -> dream analysis -​ Daughters and sons list in WWI -> Thanatos: death instinct, a destructive force leading to death -​ 33 operations for cancer -> Eros: Life instinct -> motivation for life-maintaining behavior and love -​ Nazis burned his books -> attempted suicide w/ morphine -> n/a but died of mouth cancer -​ Topographical theory: Conscious, preconscious, unconscious -​ repression, neurosis -​ The Motivated Unconscious: dreams, dreamwork, humor -​ Keeping things unconscious requires much energy  -​ Keeping unacceptable (threatening or aggressive) ideas from the conscious mind -​ Neurosis = energy crisis (when too much is kept unconscious) -​ Dreamwork -​ Dreams are illogical -> mind hides true content of dreams -​ Condensation: 2+ images that combined to form an image thatr merges meanings and drives -​ Annie Hall example from Woody Allen (commentary + dissent = dysentery) -​ Displacement: distorts object of the drive (e.g. sex drive = food drive) -​ Symbolism: Makes content of impulse -​ Manifest content -> latent content -​ Manifest -> actual recalled dream -​ Latent -> hidden meaning or interpretation of dream -​ Structural theory of the mind -​ Id: earliest to form, wish fulfillment, instincts/libido, conforms to pleasure principle (unconscious) -​ Ego: 2nd to develop, rational, reality principle, takes into account external forces and internal needs, helps lower tension, but results in anxiety (conscious) -​ Superego: last to form (5/6), initially from rules of parents (introjection -> absorbing parent’s values) -> eventually create own morals/values (preconscious) -​ Anxiety -​ Objective: fear of real things, if extreme -> phobia  -​ Neurotic: based on childhood conflict b/w gratification and reality -> from punished for id -​ Moral: shame and guilt originating from punishment for violating moral codes -​ Defense Mechanisms for Anxiety: -​ Repression: involuntary removal from consciousness (ego denies id) -​ Reaction formation: express opposite (if you hate your brother, you show love) -​ Projection: project feelings onto others, might say “you can never trust anyone” -​ Denial: lowest form of defense mechanisms -​ Rationalization: disguise motives to be acceptable to superego -​ Displacement: put feelings onto another object (frustration with boss -> puts frustration on less threatening other) -​ Sublimation: “highest” defense mechanism, form of compromise where id needs are filled in a socially acceptable way (e.g. aggression -> football) -​ Regression: movement back to a psychological time when there was less stress -​ Psychosexual development: develops through stages corresponding to most sensitive body part at that time -​ Fixation: when one fails to effectively move through stages -> potential personalities -​ Oral (0-2):  -​ Erotic: too much gratification from 0-2 -> excessive, optimistic, gullible, dependent -​ Sadistic: not enough gratification -> stubborn, stingy, materialistic neat -​ Anal (2-4): from too harsh of a toilet training experience -​ Expulsive: defies regulation, hostile aggressive, cruel, destructive/messy -​ Retentive: stubborn, stingy, materialistic, neat -​ Phallic (4-5): genital exploration and questions about marriage/relationships -​ Oedipus complex: son’s sexual feelings towards mother, sees father as rival -​ Castration anxiety: father will punish son via castration of balls -​ Defensive ID: identify with father -​ Electra complex: daughter’s sexual feelings towards father, mother is rival -​ Penis envy: sexual inhibition, -​ Masculinity complex: striving for achievement, which is inappropriate for women -​ Normal femininity: passive and childbearing -​ Latency (5-6): work on same-sexed relationships -​ If successful -> long-term relationships with same sex, with further refinement of ID -​ Genital (puberty): work on sexual desire, sexual relationships -​ If successful -> socialization, genuine friendships, mature long-term relationships -​ Instincts: basic unit of personality -​ Bridge b/w physical needs, wishes, and behavior -​ Aimed at relieving tension in body (hunger -> food -> eat) -​ Source: all psychic energy is derived from biological processes in some organ -​ Pressure: essentially, the strength of the impulse -​ Aim: maintains homeostasis -​ Object: thing that is desired so that instinct may be satisfied -​ Eros: life instincts (most importantly, sex, then air, food,water) -​ Thanatos: death instinct, unconscious wish to die (suicide is wish to kill turned inward) -​ ALL mental work influenced by wishes/impulses -> 2 forms: -​ Primary pleasure principle: present in infancy, in unguarded moments of adulthood (also in dreams and times of fear) -​ Secondary reality principle: oriented toward demands of real world -​ Freudian slips: fabricated excuse, feared others would think it’s a lie, repressed guilt, linguistic confusion -​ DISMISSED, UNTESTABLE -​ Subliminal advertising -​ Vicary, peak in 1950s, popcorn and coke profits both up -​ Embedding -​ See-through illusion -​ Freudian case studies: Anna O. -> hallucinations, paralysis, etc. from repressed memories and trauma -> formed the basis of psychoanalysis -​ Keys to psychotherapy: -​ Relaxed therapeutic environment -​ Free association -> once relaxed, conflicts will become available to discuss -​ Recognition of resistance -> what patient finds threatening -​ Transference -> therapist may act as object of emotion towards important others (e.g. patient feels like they are talking to their father) -​ Countertransference -> therapist reciprocates (responds to patient as father, treats them like their child) -​ Necessary -​ Catharsis: outpouring of emotion when trauma is recalled -​ Insight: becoming aware of trauma, or the source of difficulties (help patient get there on own, don’t tell them yourself) -​ Freudian ideas that reverberate/last: Language, abnormality, hysteria, effective psychoanalytic techniques, advertising -​ Energy flow: fixed amount of energy that motivates behavior -​ Biological emphasis: drives and needs -​ Conflicts: between person and environment -​ Developmental perspective: stages; explains problems with reference to past history -​ Clinicians: theories based on observation of people’s problems -​ Projective drawing: widely believed to represent self-perception and body image. Interpretations: -​ Erasing -​ For improvement -> well-adjusted and flexible  -​ Excessive -> anxious, indecisive -​ Placement -​ Center -> secure (most-common) -​ Right -> intellectualizing tendencies -​ Left -> impulsive, extravert, self-oriented -​ High -> high aspirations -​ Low -> defeatist attitude -​ Pressure -​ Consistent -> well-adjusted, stable -​ Heavy -> tense -​ Light -> timid, low energy -​ Size -> Average = 7 inches -​ Large -> aggressive -​ Small -> anxious -​ Head -> Site of intellectual and fantasy activity -​ Control of impulses/emotions and socializing needs -​ Hair -> Sexual relationship -​ Facial features -> Sensory satisfaction and dissatisfaction -​ Eyes -> View of self and others -​ Nose -> Displaced phallic symbol or associated with social attitudes -​ Body -​ Associated with basic drives -​ Shoulders -> need for power  -​ Arms, hands, fingers -> social adjustment -​ Legs/feet -> feelings of security Carl Jung: Analytical Psychology -​ Born in 1875 in Switzerland, went to many funerals -> death was very present in childhood, close to his father -​ Mother had emotional disorders -> he distrusted women -​ Had visions, thought he was becoming psychotic -> led Jung against the church, and seek “god within” -​ Broke off from freud because of basic disagreements and refusal to be analyzed -​ Suffered a neurotic episode -> self-analysis of dreams, study of eastern/western traditions, introspection -​ 3 differences from Freud: 1.​ Development persists past adolescence 2.​ Jung developed personality typologies 3.​ First to break from him, start of revolution against some Freud’s ideas -​ Jung’s libido: neutral form of general psychic energy that may be manipulated for various purposes -​ Creative life force (if blocked -> replaced with unconscious substitute or symbol) -​ The Self -​ Total personality, includes all current + potential aspects of personality contained within -​ Individuation: restoring wholeness to the psyche in adult development -​ In childhood: psyches are whole (unconsciously) -> acknowledge strengths and ignore shortcomings -​ In adulthood: attempt to re-unify the psyche and work on strengths and weaknesses -​ Ego inflation: in childhood -> over-acknowledge consciousness (social identity or strengths) -​ Mid-life crises occur when we become more aware of our limitations -​ Structure of Personality -​ Conscious ego -​ Personal unconscious -​ compensatory (may balance one-sided attitude in dreams to emphasize opposite) projecting your shadow (cause of out-group bias) -​ Demons/devil representation -​ Anima: Man’s undeveloped feminine qualities -> men overly moody/emotional  -​ Animus: Woman’s undeveloped masculine qualities -> opinionated, seek power -​ Promotes understand of opposite sex (+) -​ Stereotypical (-) -​ Projection: can only accept the opposite sex when one accepts their own anima/us -> if not, one gender will belittle characteristics of opposite -​ Falling in love: feeling complete by having anima/us represented by partner -​ Persona: often don’t reveal to others our true selves, a “mask” -​ The front we present (+/-) -​ Can mislead perception of ourselves (-) -​ Hero: conquers enemies, wins battles, takes many risks, physically weak -​ Trickster: outwitted, but often produces positive results (laughter) -​ Mandala: order, seen symbolically (often found in dreams during conflict) -​ Psychosis: Hallucination/delusions -​ Direct experience with collective unconscious (may be promoted by drugs to “reduce conscious ego”) -​ Word association test -​ Demonstrates unconscious mental processes -​ “Answer as quickly as possible with 1st word that comes to mind” -​ Complexes: collection of thoughts/ideas connected by common feeling-tone or theme (evidenced by rxn time, mishearing, repetition, rhyming, body language) -​ Words which trigger hesitation/inability to response = linked to emotionally painful ideas/experiences  -​ Family members found to have similar patterns of response -> similar issues -​ Freud & Jung -​ Jung questioned the relationship b/w sexual motives and neurosis (not always -) -​ Personality Typology -​ Fundamental Attitudes: where does libido/energy/attention turn? -​ Extravert (75%): libido is turned outward -​ Introvert (25%): libido is turned inward -​ Functions: -​ “Basic 4” = S, I, F, J -​ Sensing vs Intuiting: ways of gathering info -​ S (75%) = pays attention to details through 5 senses -​ I (25%) = grasps big picture, but unsure how -​ Thinking vs Feeling: ways of forming judgments and making decisions -​ T (rational) -> 75% M, 25% F -​ F (rational) -> 25% M, 75% F -​ Judging vs Perceiving: information required to make decisions -​ J (50%) = careful, perhaps inhibited -> wait until last minute to decide -​ P (50%) = more spontaneous, perhaps careless -> make decision quicker and feel anxious until they make the decision -​ Dominant Function = extrovert w/ outward libido, introvert w/ inward libido -​ Primary preference  -​ Auxiliary Function = opposite, when extrovert prefers inward libido (and vice versa) -​ Secondary preference, often used to balance dominant function -​ Dream breakdown 1.​ Recalling dream 2.​ Amplification -> dreamer elaborates on details to foster more complete understanding 3.​ Active imagination -> dreamer continues dream in waking imagination, adding new scenes and symbols to aid in personal growth Into parts of greek play: -​ Dramatis personae -> scene, characters -> shows who/what you care about -​ Exposition -> statement of problem -​ Peripety -> backbone of dream, action reaches climax -> presents dreamer w/ solutions -​ Lysis -> solution of dream w/ meaningful conclusion -> “what should you do?” Personality Trauma disorders -​ DSM = diagnostic and statistical manual for mental disorders -​ General effects of trauma: -​ Physiological = hyperarousal, sensitivity to stress, shutdown -​ Cognitive = thoughts of evil in the world, self-blame, dissociation, “splitting” -​ Emotional = anger, depression, fear -​ Behavioral = withdrawal, avoidance, aggression -​ Spirit/self = loss of dignity/self-respect, feelings of powerlessness, isolation/alienation -​ Factors that increase traumatic impact of SA -​ Environment prior to abuse -> supportive vs unsupportive network, emotional/physical neglect -​ Nature of trauma -> degree of familiarity, force/coercion, more often/longer, and # of perpetrators all increase the trauma -​ Initial response -​ Parent -> unsupportive, doesn’t cope with child’s trauma well themselves -​ Child -> internal, stable, global attributions (bad) (good is external blame, one-time occurrence, happened locally/won’t happen everywhere) -​ Personality disorder = display of inflexible and maladaptive personality traits that impair social or occupational functioning and cause internal distress -​ Formerly “Axis II” disorders -​ Pervasive (must have lasted at least 1 year) -​ Typically developed by adolescence and continue into adulthood -​ Classifications come from: -​ Theory -> deduced basic “non-normal” personalities -> dependent, obsessive-compulsive -​ Clinical observation -> witnessing problematic personalities -> antisocial -​ Confusion -> BPD from observation that patients vacillate b/w neurotic (over in-touch) to psychotic (out of touch) -​ Deviates from expectations of one's culture and is manifested in 2/4 ways below: -​ Cognition -​ Affectivity  -​ Interpersonal control -​ Impulse control -​ Personality disorder must: be pervasive, lead to clinical distress, not be accounted for by another mental/physical disorder, not be due to a substance -​ DSM-V -​ Uses a categorical perspective of mental disorders -​ Can lead to stereotyping -​ Pros: ease in conceptualization/communication, familiarity, consistency in clinical decisions -​ Cons: unclear boundaries b/w normal and abnormal, diagnostic criteria can be complex -​ Alternative view would use Dimensional perspective -​ Pros: avoid classificatory dilemmas, retention of info, flexible -​ Cons: Lack of clinical utility, impedes discovery of discrete syndromes, specific etiologies and treatment -​ Can be later categorized but categorical data can’t be turned into dimensional -​ 93 ways to be diagnosed with BPD -​ 848 ways to be diagnosed with Antisocial PD -​ Ways to classify -​ Cluster A: Eccentric -​ Paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal -​ Cluster B: Dramatic  -​ Histrionic, narcissistic, antisocial, BPD -​ Cluster C: Anxious/fearful -​ Dependent, obsessive-compulsive, passive-aggressive, avoidant -​ Basic 8 PDs: histrionic, antisocial, narcissistic, dependent, schizoid, obsessive-compulsive, avoidant, passive-aggressive (HAND SOAP) -​ Milton’s classification -​ Reinforcements: R+ (+ good stimulus) and R- (- bad stimulus) -​ Strategy for getting reinforcement (active, passive) -​ Sources: -​ Self -> Depend on and promote oneself for reinforcement -​ Other -> Depends on and nurtures/manipulates others for reinforcement -​ Ambivalent -> vacillate between the two (indecisiveness) -​ Detached -> withdraw from society -​ Borderline personality disorder -​ Disorder of stability -​ >60% ave been sexually abused (16% of males, 38% of females) -​ History of trauma -​ Must show 5 of the following: -​ frantic effort to avoid abandonment -​ intense interpersonal relationships which alternate between idealization/devaluation -​ unstable sense of self  -​ impulsivity that is self-damaging -​ recurrent suicidal behavior/threats, inappropriate/intense anger -​ Stress-related paranoia -​ Dissociative identity disorder (previously multiple personality disorder) -​ History of trauma -​ Characterized by existence of 2 or more distinct personalities -​ Take full control over person’s behavior -​ Personalities may or may not be aware of each other BASIC 8 -​ Histrionic -> Cluster B -> R-, others, active (2-3%, F>M) -​ Attention seeking to avoid boredom and pain of emotional emptiness (R-) -​ Interactions characterized by inappropriate sexually seductive behavior -​ Uses physical appearance to draw attention to self -​ Speech is excessively impressionistic and prosodic (falls up and down) -​ Suggestible (easily influenced by others), thinks relationships are more intimate than they are -​ Antisocial -> Cluster B -> R+, self, active (3% males, 1% females) -​ Pervasive disregard of people’s rights since age 15 ( conduct disorder) -​ Lack of remorse -​ Doesn’t inclusively happen during maniac or schizophrenic episode -​ Lots of short-lived pleasures, can’t plan or foresee consequences -​ Narcissistic -> Cluster B -> R+, self, passive (1% of population -> 60% male) -​ Persistent grandiosity, need for admiration, lack of empathy  -​ Preoccupied with fantasies of success, power, etc. -​ Requires excessive admiration -​ Exploitative, arrogant, haughty behavior (condescending) -​ Dependent -> Cluster C -> R-, others, passive (4%, F>M) -​ Need to be taken care of -> submissive and clinging behavior fearing separation -​ Difficulty w/ everyday decisions on own, others must assume responsibility -​ Will not express disagreement for fear of losing support/approval -​ Has difficulty initiating projects (lack of self-confidence) -​ Excessive lengths to obtain nurturance (e.g. volunteers for unpleasant work) -​ Does not feel that he/she can take care of self -​ R- = avoid pain of losing support -​ Schizoid -> Cluster A -> R-, detached, passive (very uncommon, M>F) -​ Detachment from social relationships and restricted range of emotional expression -​ Neither desires nor enjoys relationships -> always chooses solitary activities -​ Little, if any, interest in sexual experiences w/ another -​ Lacks close friends, emotional coldness, detachment -​ Indifferent to praise and criticism -​ Obsessive-compulsive -> Cluster C -> R-, ambivalent, passive (1%, M = 2x>F) -​ Orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency -​ Perfectionism that interferes with task completion -​ Overconscientious -​ Reluctant to delegate tasks unless they are formed with precision  -​ Ambivalent = 2-way expectations b/w self and expecting perfection from others -​ Avoidant -> Cluster C -> R-, detached, active (1%, M=F) -​ Social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, hypersensitivity to negative evaluation -​ Avoid occupational activities with interpersonal contact bc of fear of criticism -​ Unwilling to get involved with people unless certain of being liked -​ Views self as socially inept, unappealing, or inferior to others -​ Doesn’t take risks bc of fear of embarrassment -​ Passive-Aggressive -> Cluster C -> R-, ambivalent, active (2%, M=F) -​ Negativistic attitudes and passive resistance to demands for adequate performance and fulfilling routine social and occupational roles -​ Complains of being misunderstood/underappreciated -​ Argumentative and criticizes authority a lot (actively) -​ Expresses envy/resentment toward apparently “more fortunate” others -​ Complaints of personal misfortune -​ R- = avoiding pain of having to confront suspicion that they are inferior