personality
all the consistent ways in which the behavior of one person differs from that of others, especially in social situations
psychodynamic theory
relates personality to the interplay of conflicting forces, including unconscious ones, within the individual
catharsis
a release of pent-up emotional tension
psychoanalysis
method of explaining and dealing with personality, based on the interplay of conscious and unconscious forces
unconscious
a repository of memories, emotions, and thoughts, many of them illogical, that affect our behavior even though we cannot talk about them
Oedipus complex
when a boy develops a sexual interest in his mother and competitive aggression towards his father
psychosexual pleasure
all strong, pleasant excitement arising from body stimulation
libido
psychosexual energy
fixation
continuing to be preoccupied with the pleasure area associated with one stage
oral stage
the infant derives intense psychosexual pleasure from stimulation of the mouth, particularly while sucking at the mother's breast
anal stage
getting psychosexual pleasure from the sensations of bowel movements
phallic stage
when they play with genitals
latent period
suppression of their psychosexual interest
genital stage
take a strong sexual interest in other people
id
sexual and other biological drives
ego
the rational, decision-making aspect of personality
superego
the memory of rules and prohibitions we learned from our parents and others
defense mechanisms
the ego defends itself against anxieties by regulating unpleasant thoughts and impulses to the unconscious mind
repression
motivated removal of something to the unconscious
denial
the refusal to believe unpleasant information
rationalization
attempt to prove that actions are justifiable
displacement
diverting a behavior or thought away from its natural target toward a less threatening target
regression
a return to a more immature level of functioning
projection
attributing one's own undesirable characteristics to other people
reaction formation
presenting oneself as opposite of what he/she is
sublimation
the transformation of sexual or aggressive energies into culturally acceptable, even admirable behaviors
neo-Freudians
psychologists who keep parts of Freud's theory while modifying other aspects
collective unconscious
Jung- the cumulative experience of preceding generations
archetypes
vague images that have always been part of the human experience
individual psychology
a psychology of the person as a whole rather than parts
inferiority complex
adler- an exaggerated feeling of weakness, inadequacy, and helplessness
striving for superiority
adler- a desire to seek personal excellence and fulfillment
social interest
adler- a sense of solidarity and identification with other people
gender role
the pattern of behavior that a person is expected to follow because of being male or female
humanistic psychology
deals with consciousness, values, and abstract beliefs, including spiritual experiences and the beliefs that people live and die for
self-concept
an image of what people really are
ideal self
an image of what people would like to be
unconditional positive regard
the complete, unqualified acceptance of another person as he or she is
self-actualization
Maslow- the achievement of one's full potential
nomothetic approach
seeks broad, general principles of personality
idiographic approach
concentrates on intensive studies of individuals
trait
a consistent tendency in behavior, such as shyness, hostility, or talkativeness
state
a temporary activation of a particular behavior
trait approach to personality
people have consistent characteristics in their behavior
belief in a just world
maintaining that life is fair and people usually get what they deserve
self-esteem
the evaluation of one's own abilities, performance, and worth
big five personality traits
neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to new experience
neuroticism
a tendency to experience unpleasant emotions frequently
extraversion
a tendency to seek stimulation and to enjoy the company of other people
agreeableness
a tendency to be compassionate toward others
conscientiousness
a tendency to show self-discipline, to be dutiful, and to strive for achievement and competence
openness to experience
a tendency to enjoy new intellectual experiences and new ideas
unshared environment
the aspects of environment that differ from one individual to another, even within a family
Barnum effect
the tendency to accept vague descriptions of our personality
standardized test
a test that is administered according to rules that specify how to interpret the results
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
true-false questions intended to measure certain personality dimensions and clinical conditions
NEO PI-R
includes 240 items to measure neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
a test of normal personality, loosely based on Carl Jung's theories
projective techniques
designed to encourage people to project their personality characteristics onto ambiguous stimuli
Rorschach inkblots
a projective technique based on people's interpretations of 10 ambiguous inkblots
Thematic apperception test (TAT)
the person is asked to make up a story for each picture, describing what events led up to this scene, what is happening now, and what will happen in the future
implicit personality test
measures some aspect of your personality without your awareness