Theories of Personality-Feist, Feist, Roberts (9th Edition)

Terms Details
Personality a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique
characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to
a person's behavior.
Traits contribute to individual differences in behavior, consistency of
behavior over time and stability of behavior across situations.
May be unique, common to some group or shared by the
entire species, but pattern is different.
Characteristics unique qualities of an individual that include attributes as
temperament, physique and intelligence.
Theory set of related assumptions that allows scientists to use logical
deductive reasoning to formulate testable hypotheses. Deals
with IF-THEN statements. Relies on speculation.
5-Parts of Theory 1. set of assumptions.
2. a related set of assumptions.
3. assumptions, theories are accepted as if they were true.
4. logical deductive reasoning.
5. includes qualifier testable.
Logical Deductive used by the researchers to formulate hypothesis.
Reasoning
Philosophy means love of wisdom.
Philosophers people who pursue wisdom through thinking and reasoning.
Epistemology the nature of knowledge. Theory relates most closely to this
branch of philosophy. A tool used by scientist to pursue
knowledge.
Science branch of study concerned with observation and classification
of data and with the verification of general laws through the
testing of hypothesis.
Hypothesis an educated guess or prediction specific enough for its
validity to be tested through use of the scientific method. Not
a component of a theory.
Deductive Reasoning going from the general to the specific. by using deductive
reasoning a scientist can derive testable hypothesis from a
useful theory and then test these hypothesis
Taxonomy classification of things according to their natural relationships.
Psychology of Science studies both science and behavior of scientists. Investigates the
impact of an individual scientist's psychological processes and
personal characteristics on development of his or her scientific
theories and research.
What makes a theory 1. generates research.
useful? 2. is falsifiable
3. organizes data.
4. guides action.
5. is internally consistent 6. parsimonious
Generates research most important criterion of a useful theory. theories generate
descriptive research which expands an existing theory, and
hypotheses testing, which leads to an indirect verification of
the usefulness of the theory.
Falsifiable theory must be precise enough to suggest research that may
 either support or fail to support its major tenets.
Organizes Data useful theory should be able to organize research data that are
not incompatible with each other.
Guides action guides the practitioner over the rough course of day to day
problems. example-teachers are asked lots of questions which
they try to find workable answers for. A good theory provides
structure for finding those answers.
Internally consistent does not need to be consistent with other theories, but must be
consistent with itself. Will also contain an operational
definition-one that defines units in terms of observable events
or behaviors that can be measured.
Parsimonious when two theories are equal in their ability to generate
research, be falsified, give meaning to date, guide the
practitioner and be self-consistent, the simpler one is
preferred.
6 dimensions for a 1. determinism versus free choice.
concept of humanity 2. pessimism versus optimism.
3. causality versus teleology.
4. conscious versus unconscious determinants of behavior.
5. biological versus social influences on personality.
6. uniqueness versus similarities.
Causality holds that behavior is a function of past experiences.
Teleology explanation of behavior in terms of future goals or purposes.
reliablity and validity Instruments must have to be useful
Reliability the extent to which it yields consistent results.
Validity the degree to which an instrument measures what it is
supposed to measure.
Construct Validity the extent to which an instrument measures some hypothetical
construct. Three types of construct validity are convergent,
divergent and discriminant.
Convergent Validity degree to which two measures of construct that theoretically
should be related, are in fact related.
Divergent Validity tests to make sure concepts that are supposed to be unrelated
are in fact unrelated.
sex and aggression Freud's twin cornerstones of psychoanalysis
Freud insisted psychoanalysis could not be subjected to eclecticism,
relied more on deductive reasoning.
Hysteria a disorder typically characterized by paralysis or the improper
functioning of certain parts of the body.
Catharsis process of removing hysterical symptoms through "talking
them out". While using catharsis, Freud discovered the free
association technique, which soon replaced hypnosis as his
principal therapeutic technique.
Physical analysis Freud's approach which he later termed psycho-analysis
Creative illness condition characterized by depression, neurosis,
psychosomatic ailments and an intense preoccupation with
some form of creative activity.
Interpretation of Dreams. Freud’s greatest work
(book)
unconscious and Freud's Two levels of mental life
conscious
Unconscious all drives, urges or instincts that are beyond our awareness
but that nevertheless still motivate most of our words, feelings
and actions. Originate from repression or phylogenetic
endowment.
Phylogenetic inherited experiences that lie beyond an individual's personal
endowment experience.
Repression blocking out of anxiety filled experiences.
Preconscious elements that are not conscious but can become conscious
either quite readily or with some difficulty.
conscious perception and Two sources of preconscious
unconscious.
Consciousness plays a relatively minor role in psychoanalytic theory and
defined as mental elements in awareness at any given point in
time.
id, ego, superego. Freud’s model of the mind
Id, pleasure principal completely unconscious. no contact with reality. strives to
reduce tension by satisfying basic desires.
Ego, or I only regions of the mind in contact with reality. Governed by
the reality principle. partly conscious party preconscious. Can
make decisions on all three levels.
Super ego, or above I represents moral and ideal aspects of personality and is
guided by the moralistic and idealistic principles. Two
subsystems are conscience ad ego-ideal. The conscience and
ego-ideal
Trieb Freud's term to refer to a drive or stimulus within the person.
Instinct. drive or impulse. a constant motivational force.
Libido sex drive. energy from the aggressive drives remains nameless
every basic drive is impetus, a source, an aim and an object.
characterized by
Impetus amount of force it exerts
Source region of the body in a state of excitation or tension
Aim to seek pleasure by removing that excitation or removing that
tension.
Object person or thing that serves as the means through which the
aim is satisfied.
Erogenous zones genitals, mouth, anus. Freud believed entire body is invested
in the libido.
Primary narcissism infants are primarily self centered, with their libido invested
almost exclusively on their own ego.
Secondary narcissism when adolescents redirect their libido back to the ego and
become preoccupied with personal appearance and self
interests.
Love second manifistation of eros
Anxiety a felt, affective, unpleasant state accompanied by a physical
sensation that warns the person against impending danger.
Produced and felt only by the ego. Anxiety is ego preserving.
Three types of Anxiety neurotic, moral and realistic
Neurotic anxiety apprehension about an unknown danger
Moral Anxiety conflict between the ego and the superego.
Realistic Anxiety closely related to fear. unpleasant, non-specific feeling
involving a possible danger.
Defense mechanisms established by ego. Normal, but can be taken to extreme.
repression, reaction formation, displacement, fixation,
regression, projection and sublimation.
Repression mechanisms forces threatening feelings into the unconscious.
Reaction Formation identified by its exaggerated character and by its obsessive
and compulsive form. Example. A woman hates her mother
but shows it through over the top love for her mother.
Displacement redirecting unacceptable urges onto a variety of people or
objects so that the original impulse is disguised or concealed.
Fixation when the prospect of taking the next step becomes too anxiety
provoking, the ego ay resort to the strategy of remaining at the
present, more comfortable psychological stage.
Regression during stress or anxiety, reverting back to an earlier stage
Projection when too much anxiety, the ego may project unwanted
impulse to an external object, usually another person.
Paranoia mental disorder characterized by a powerful delusion of
jealousy and persecution.
Introjection people incorporate positive qualities of another person into
their own egos.
Sublimation repression of the genital aim of eros by substituting a cultural
or social aim.
stages of development infantile- first 4 or 5 years. three phases
Phases of infantile oral, anal, phallic.
Male Oedipus complex when an infant boy forms an identification with his father and
wants to be his father. He later develops a sexual desire for his
mother. Then wants to get rid of father to have his mother.
Castration anxiety when a boy notices girls are different and believes they were
bad and had "it" removed.
Latency period 4th or 5th year until puberty
Gentile period reawakening of sexual aim during puberty.
Maturity puberty throughout life.
Psychological maturity a stage attained after a person has passed through the earlier
developmental periods in an ideal manner.
Free association verbalize every thought that enters their mind.
Transference strong sexual or aggressive feelings. positive or negative, that
a patient develops toward their analyst during treatment.
Freudian slips Parapraxes
95% behaviors are unconsciously determined.
Core consciousness state of not being aware or awake.
Extended consciousness state of being aware.
Dopamine system id's seeking or wanting tendencies. the give me
Opiod systems pleasure we experience when id is satisfied. the ahhh