Psychoanalytic theory – Freud’s theory of personality
- Unconscious
- Eros
- Thanatos
Oral Stage
Anal Stage
Phallic Stage--Oedipus complex
Latency Stage
Genital Stage
Ego defense mechanisms
- Repression
- Projection
- Denial
- Rationalization
- Reaction formation
- Displacement
- Regression
- Sublimation
Rorschach Inkblot Test
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
Carl Jung
Personal unconscious – Portion of the unconscious corresponding roughly to Freud’s id
Collective unconscious – Jung’s addition to the unconscious, involving a reservoir for instinctive “memories” including the archetypes, which exist in all people
Archetypes
- Shadow
Karen Horney
- Basic anxiety
- Neurotic needs
Humanistic theories
Abraham Maslow
Self-actualizing personalities – Healthy individuals who have met their basic needs and are free to be creative and fulfill their potentials
Carl Rogers
Fully functioning person – Term for a self-actualizing individual who has a self-concept that is both positive and congruent with reality
Unconditional positive regard – Love or caring without conditions attached
Denial is the refusal to accept reality and to act as if a painful event, thought or feeling did not exist. It is considered one of the most primitive of the defense mechanisms because it is characteristic of very early childhood development.
Displacement is the redirecting of thoughts feelings and impulses from an object that gives rise to anxiety to a safer, more acceptable one. Being angry at the boss and kicking the dog can be an example of displacement.
Projection is the attribution of one's undesired impulses onto another. Thus, an angry spouse accuses their partner of hostility.
Rationalization is the cognitive reframing of ones perceptions to protect the ego in the face of changing realities. Thus, the promotion one wished fervently for and didn't get becomes "a dead end job for brown nosers and yes men".
Reaction Formation is the converting of wishes or impulses that are perceived to be dangerous into their opposites. A woman who is furious at her child and wishes her harm might become overly concerned and protective of the child's health.
Regression is the reversion to an earlier stage of development in the face of unacceptable impulses. For an example an adolescent who is overwhelmed with fear, anger and growing sexual impulses might become clinging and begin thumb sucking or bed wetting.
Repression is the blocking of unacceptable impulses from consciousness.
Sublimation is the channeling of unacceptable impulses into more acceptable outlets.
Introversion – The Jungian dimension that focuses on inner experience–one’s own thoughts and feelings, making the introvert less outgoing and sociable than the extrovert
Extraversion – The Jungian personality dimension involving turning one’s attention outward, toward others
Jung’s principle of opposites portrays each personality as a balance between opposing pairs of unconscious tendencies, such as introversion and extroversion
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Positive psychology – Movement within psychology focusing on the desirable aspects of human functioning, as opposed to an emphasis on psychopathology
Observational learning – Process of learning new responses by watching the behavior of others
Reciprocal determinism – Process in which the person, situation and environment mutually influence each other
Locus of control – An individual’s sense of where his or her life influences originate
Temperament – Basic, pervasive personality dispositions that are apparent in early childhood and establish the tempo and mood of an individual’s behaviors
Traits – Stable personality characteristics that are presumed to exist within the individual and guide his or her thoughts and actions under various conditions
The “Big Five” traits
Extraversion: This trait includes characteristics such as excitability, sociability, talkativeness, assertiveness, and high amounts of emotional expressiveness.
Agreeableness: This personality dimension includes attributes such as trust, altruism, kindness, affection, and other prosocial behaviors.
Neuroticism: Individuals high in this trait tend to experience emotional instability, anxiety, moodiness, irritability, and sadness.
Openness to experience: This trait features characteristics such as imagination and insight, and those high in this trait also tend to have a broad range of interests.
Conscientiousness: Common features of this dimension include high levels of thoughtfulness, with good impulse control and goal-directed behaviors. Those high in conscientiousness tend to be organized and mindful of details.
Personality Type – Especially important dimensions or clusters of traits that are not only central to a person’s personality but are found with essentially the same pattern in many people
Person-situation controversy – Theoretical dispute concerning the relative contribution of personality factors and situational factors in controlling behavior
Implicit personality theories – Assumptions about personality that are held by people to simplify the task of understanding others
Fundamental attribution error – Assumption that another person’s behavior (especially undesirable behavior) is the result of a flaw in the personality, rather than in the situation
