assessment
process of evaluating individual differences among human beings by means of tests, interviews, observations, and recordings of physiological processes
objective personality tests
most widely given personality tests; generally consist of true/false or multiple choice questions; also known as personality inventories
MMPI-2
567 true/false statements that focus on the test taker's attitudes, feelings, motor disturbances, and bodily complaints
projective tests
devices or instruments used to assess personality, in which examinees are shown a standard set of ambiguous stimuli and asked to respond to the stimuli in their own way
rorschach inkblot test
a test taker is shown ten inkblots, the examinees tell the clinician what they see in the design, and a detailed report of the response is made for later interpretation
TAT
consists of black and white pictures each depicting one or more people in an ambiguous situation, examinees tell a story describing the situation
psychic determinism
the psychoanalytic assumption that all feelings, thoughts, and actions have a purpose and are determined by past events
unconscious motivation
the psychoanalytic assumption that behavior is determined by desires, goals, and internal states of which an individual is unaware, because they are buried deep within the unconscious
libido
in freud's theory, the instinctual and sexual life force that, working on the pleasure principle and seeking immediate gratification, energizes the id
conscious
freud's first level of awareness, consisting of the thoughts, feelings, and actions of which people are aware
preconscious
Freud's second level of awareness, consisting of mental activities of which people can become aware by attending to them
unconscious
freud's third level of awareness, consisting of mental activities beyond people's normal awareness
Id
in Freud's theory, the source of a person's instinctual energy, which works mainly on the pleasure principle
Ego
In Freud's theory, the part of the personality that seeks to satisfy instinctual needs in accordance with reality
Superego
In freud's theory, the moral aspect of mental functioning, comprising the ego ideal (what a person would ideally like to be) and the conscience and taught by parents and society
Erogeneous Zones
areas of the body that give rise to erotic or sexual sensations when they are stimulated
Oral Stage
freud's first stage of personality development from 0-2 during which an infant instinctually focuses on the mouth as a prime pleasure center
anal stage
Freud's second stage of personality development from 2-3 when children learn to control immediate gratification they obtain through defecation and to become responsive to the demands of society
phallic stage
Freud's third stage of development from 4-7 during which children obtain gratification primarily from genitals
oedipus complex
feelings of rivalry with the parent of the same sex and love of the opposite sex, occurring during the phallic stage and ultimately resolved through identification with the parent of the same sex
electra complex
the girl version of the oedipus complex; furthermore, when a young girl realizes that she has no penis, she develops penis envy
latency stage
Freud's 4th stage of personality development, from 7-puberty, during which sexual urges are inactive
genital stage
freud's last stage of personality development, from the onset of puberty through adulthood, during which sexual conflicts of childhood resurface (at puberty) and are often resolved (during adolescence)
fixations
an excessive attachment to some person or object that was appropriate only at an earlier stage of development
defense mechanisms
an unconscious way of reducing anxiety by distorting perceptions of reality
repression
defense mechanism by which anxiety-provoking thoughts and feelings are totally relegated to the unconscious
projection
defense mechanism by which people attribute their own undesirable traits to others
denial
defense mechanism by which people refuse to accept reality or recognize the true source of their anxiety
reaction formation
defense mechanism by which people behave in a way opposite to what their true but anxiety-provoking feelings would dictate
sublimation
defense-mechanism by which people redirect socially unacceptable impulses toward acceptable goals
rationalization
defense mechanism by which people reinterpret undesirable feelings or behaviors in terms that may appear acceptable
identification
defense mechanism by which a person attributes to oneself (consciously or unconsciously) of the characteristics of another person (or group of persons)
regression
defense mechanism by which one assumes a more infantile state
intellectualism
defense mechanism by which one avoids the painful/emotional aspect of a situation by thinking about events in a cold, clinical way
displacement
defense mechanism by which feelings of anger and frustration are taken out on less threatening objects
neo-freudians
personality theorists who have proposed variations on Freud's basic ideas, usually attributing a greater influence to cultural and interpersonal factors than Freud did
collective unconscious
in Jung's theory, a shared storehouse of primitive ideas and images that reside in the unconscious and are inherited from one's ancestors
archetypes
in Jung's theory, the emotionally charges ideas and images that are rich in meaning and symbolism and exist within the collective unconscious
inferiority complex
Adler's conception of a basic feeling of inadequacy stemming from childhood experiences
fictional finalism
the effort to accomplish life goals that are unrealistic and unlikely to be achieved by most people
birth order
The idea that place in the family constellation (the youngest child for ex.) can have an impact on one's later personality and functioning.
self-actualization
the process of growth and the realization of individual potential in the humanistic view, a final level of psychological development in which a person attempts to minimize ill health, be fully functioning, have a superior perception of reality, and feel a
fulfillment
in Roger's theory of personality, an inborn tendency directing people toward actualizing their essential nature and thus attaining their potential
self-concept
how people see their own behavior and internal characteristics
self
in roger's theory of personality, the perception an individual has of himself or herself and of his or her relationships to other people and to various aspects of life, In Roger's theory of personality, the perception an individual has of himself or herse
ideal self
in roger's theory of personality, the self a person would ideally like to be
trait
any readily identifiable stable quality that characterizes how an individual differs from other individuals
types
personality categories in which broad collections of traits are loosely tied together and interrelated
self-efficacy
a person's belief about whether he or she can successfully engage in and execute a specific behavior
assessment
process of evaluating individual differences among human beings by means of tests, interviews, observations, and recordings of physiological processes
self-monitoring
an assessment procedure in which a person systematically counts and records the frequency and duration of his or her own specific behaviors