AP Psych Unit 10 Personality

Sigmund Freud

Who developed the 1st comprehensive theory of personality?

1. Freund's Psychosexual Stage Theory of Personality

2. "Parts of the Mind" (Id, Ego, & Superego)

3. Freudian Defense Mechanisms

What are the three components of Sigmund Freund's comprehensive theory of personality?

Free Association

In psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing

Think "COMMON" therapy approach except extreme - hesitations regarded as sexual unconscious undesirable feelings

"Slips of the tongue"/"Freudian Slips"

Hesitations, mumblings, accidental missaid words that can be psychoanalyzed to have an alternative unconscious meaning and unconscious tensions

Manifest Content

According to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream

Latent Content

According to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream; reveals unconscious tension

Psychosexual Stage Theory of Personality

Freund's belief that failure to resolve a significant conflict during one of the psychosexual stages results in FIXATION in a singular stage; may be caused by under-gratification OR over-gratification

Fixation

According to Freud, a lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at an earlier psychosexual stage, in which conflicts were unresolved

Libido

Pleasure seeking energies (i.e. sexual desire)

1. Oral

2. Anal

3. Phallic

4. Latency

5. Genital Stages

What are the 5 psychosexual stages of personality according to Freund?

Oral Stage

Freud's first stage of psychosexual development during 0-18 months in which pleasure is centered in the mouth (sucking and biting); appears as oral fixation

Oral Fixation

i.e. overeating, smoking, and a childlike dependence on things and people

Anal Stage

Freud's second stage of psychosexual development during 18-36 months in which a child learns to control his bodily excretions

Anal Retentive

A fixation that develops during the anal stage if a child's freedom to have bowel movements is restricted; results in obsessively organized and meticulous personality traits

i.e. your parents placed a lot of pressure on you to become potty trained → YOU CRAVE CONTROL

Anal Expulsive

A fixation that develops during the anal stage if a child is allowed to have bowel movements too freely; results in cruel, overemotional, and disorganized personality traits

i.e. your parents put NO/hardly any pressure on you to become potty trained → YOU ARE OUT OF CONTROL

Phallic Stage

Freud's third stage of development during 3- 6 years when sexual gratification moves to the genitalia; children realize their gender and this causes conflict in the family

Penis envy, castration anxiety, and the Oedipus and Electra complexes develop during this time

Penis Envy

Part of the Electra complex; females WANT a penis because they understand that a penis = power; females are envious of men and attempt to undermine them

Castration Anxiety

Fear in young boys that they will be mutilated genitally because of their lust for their mothers

Oedipus Complex

According to Freud, a boy's sexual desires toward his mother and feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival father

Electra Complex

According to Neo-Freudians, a girl’s sexual desires toward her father and feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival mother

Identification

The process by which children incorporate the same-sex parent’s values into their developing superegos; emulating and attaching themselves to the “threatening parent”; encourages detachment from the other parent

"If you can't be them, join them"

People who appear excessively sexually assured/aggressive or, alternatively, consumed by their perceived sexual inadequacies

What is the result of fixation in the phallic stage?

Latency Stage

The fourth psychosexual stage during age 6 to puberty in which the primary focus is on the further development of intellectual, creative, interpersonal, and athletic skills; DO NOT focus on sex

Genital Stage

Freud's stage of psychosexual development from puberty and on when adult sexuality is prominent; people enter this stage and remain in it for the rest of their lives, seeking sexual pleasure and intimacy through sexual relationships

NORMAL sexual behavior

What is fixation in the genital stage?

Unconscious Mind

a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, feelings, wishes, and memories (we do NOT have access to it on our own without Freud)

Eros and thanatos

Within the unconscious mind, what two instincts exist?

Eros

Romantic love; life; the libido (sexual drive) and sex

Thanatos

Death; aggression

Conscious Mind

What we are presently aware of; Freud’s "tip of the iceberg” for what is in your mind

Preconscious Mind

What is stored in one's memory that one is not presently aware of but can access; i.e. what you ate yesterday

Id, ego, and superego

What are the three parts personality consists of?

Id

A reservoir of unconscious psychic energy from birth that strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives; operates on the pleasure principle, demanding immediate gratification

UNCONSCIOUS

THINK "devil on your shoulder"

Ego

The largely conscious, "executive" part of personality that mediates among the demands of the id, superego, and reality from 2-3 years old and after; operates on the reality principle, satisfying the id's desires in ways that will realistically bring pleasure rather than pain.

PARTLY CONSCIOUS/PARTLY UNCONSCIOUS

THINK "person"

Pleasure Principle

The id's desire to maximize pleasure and minimize pain in order to achieve immediate gratification.

Reality Principle

The ego negotiates desires of the id and environmental limitations (reality).

Defense Mechanisms

The ego's protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality; the "toolbox" of the ego to prevent knowledge of how messed up you actually are by protecting the conscious mind from threatening thoughts

Superego

The part of personality that represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and for future aspirations that develops around age 5; strives for PERFECTION

PARTLY CONSCIOUS/PARTLY UNCONSCIOUS

THINK "angel on your shoulder"

it can create problems due to perfectionist tendencies

ex: If you get a 98 on a test, you start beating yourself up and getting upset and degenerating yourself because you are not perfect

Why shouldn't the superego be the most prominent part of personality?

• Strong superegos lead to virtuous behavior and guilt

• Weak superegos lead to self-indulgence and remorselessness

What is the impact of weak versus strong superegos?

• Repression

• Denial

• Displacement

• Projection

• Reaction Formation

• Regression

• Rationalization

• Sublimation

• Intellectualization

What are the types of defense mechanisms?

Repression

Defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories

i.e. not "remembering" an ex-partner after a break-up

Denial

Defense mechanism where people refuse to believe/perceive painful realities; not accepting the ego-threatening truth

i.e. acting like a couple is still together despite a break-up (denial of breakup); NOT accepting you’re wrong

Displacement

Defense mechanism that shifts sexual or aggressive impulses toward a more acceptable/less threatening object or person; redirecting anger toward a safer outlet

i.e. instead of hitting an ex-partner, you take out your anger on a weaker target (bully a freshman)

Projection

Defense mechanism where people disguise their own threatening impulses by attributing them to others

"a liar thinks everyone is a liar, a thief thinks everyone is a thief, a racist thinks everyone is a racist"

i.e. acting like an ex-partner wants to get back together, when it’s really YOU who wants to

Reaction Formation

Defense mechanism where the ego unconsciously switches unacceptable impulses into their opposites. Thus, people may express feelings that are the opposite of their anxiety-arousing unconscious feelings.

"we're all hypocrites"

i.e. acting like you loathe/hate your ex-partner, when really you love them

Regression

Defense mechanism when an individual faced with anxiety retreats to a more infantile psychosexual stage, where some psychic energy remains fixated

i.e. sucking your thumb whenever you see their ex-partner

i.e. cleaning your room to elicit sense of control and comfort instead of facing problem

*NOTE: BASIS FOR OCD!

Rationalization

Defense mechanism where an individual comes up with a beneficial result of an undesirable occurrence

i.e. acting like the break-up is an opportunity to date someone better

Sublimation

Defense mechanism that channels one’s frustration towards a different, “healthy” goal (i.e. working out, trying to play guitar, etc)

Intellectualization

Defense mechanism that attempts to avoid expressing actual emotions associated with a stressful situation by using the intellectual processes of logic, reasoning, and analysis

i.e. after a break-up, conducting unemotional research about why relationships fail

1. Little empirical evidence to support it

2. Little predictive power

3. Overestimates the importance of early childhood and sex

4. Objectionable to feminists (Karen Horney & Nancy Chodorow)

What are the four major criticisms of Freudian psychoanalysis?

• Challenged concept of "penis envy" with "womb envy"

• Disagreed with Freud's belief that women have a weaker superego than men

  • Instead, proposed women AND men experience the SAME weight of superego (devil and angel on the shoulder)

How did Karen Horney & Nancy Chodorow challenge Freudian psychoanalysis?

Womb Envy

Horney and Chodorow's concept that women do not suffer from "penis envy;" INSTEAD men are jealous of women bc women can reproduce, giving them power over life.

1. Moved away from emphasis on childhood sexuality; INSTEAD focused on SOCIAL factors (i.e. powerdynamics that exist as a child--do you have a say in your family?)

2. Believed in the unconscious, but placed more weight into the CONSCIOUS mind (i.e. sometimes you consciously understand why you are acting on a defense mechanism)

How are the Neo-Freudians (psychodynamic theorists) different from Freund's psychoanalysis?

• Alfred Adler

• Karen Horney

• Carl Jung

3 Neo-Freudians we need to know?

Inferiority Complex

Adler's conception of a basic feeling of inadequacy stemming from childhood experiences; on a unconscious level you are driven to be BETTER than others (one-up) due to unresolved inferiority you experienced in a critical period

Think “Napolean Complex”--I’m short, so I will conquer the world!!

Collective Unconscious

Jung's theory that we ALL SHARE an inherited memory that contains our culture's most basic elements

i.e. knowing Luke Skywalker is the hero, Darth Vader is the bad guy, Leia is the princess, etc.

Jung’s “Split of Consciousness”

Persona (ego) → SELF → Shadow (anima-anamus)

*evenly split

Anima

men’s feminine side

Animus

women’s masculine side

Projective Tests

Personality tests that provide ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics

Think “psychological X-ray” (showcasing the unconscious, including hidden conflicts and impulses)

Rorshack Inkblot Test

The most widely used projective test designed by Herman Rorshcack; people assess what they see in a set of 10 inkblots; seeks to identify peoples inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective test designed by Henry Murray; people create stories based on a series of 20 photos; seeks to identify peoples inner feelings by analyzing their made-up stories about the pictures.

Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers

2 humanistic psychologists we need to know?

Humanistic Psychology

Historically significant perspective that emphasized the positive growth potential of healthy people; emphasizes the role of FREE WILL = an individual's ability to CHOOSE his or her own destiny (PEOPLE CAN CHANGE if they dislike themselves)

Determinism

Every event, action, and decision results from something independent of the human will (applies to psychoanalysis and behaviorism)

*opposite of humanism

Psychoanalysis = "first force"

Behaviorism = "second force"

Humanism = "third force"

What are the first 3 "forces"/waves of psychology?

1. People are innately good and able to determine their own destinies

2. Stressing the importance of a person's subjective experience and feelings (success is subjective!)

3. Focused on the importance a person's self-concept ("Who am I?") and self-esteem (self-worth)

4. People are motivated to reach their full potential or self-actualize

What are the 4 main components of humanistic psychology?

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

physiological needs (i.e. air, water, food) → safety needs (i.e. personal security, employment, resources) → love & belonging (i.e. friendship, family, intimacy)→ esteem (i.e. respect, self-esteem) → self-actualization

Abraham Maslow

Humanistic psychologist known for his "Hierarchy of Needs" and the concept of "self-actualization"

Carl Rogers

Humanistic psychologist known for his person-centered/client-centered perspective and unconditional positive regard attitude

Client-Centered Perspective

A humanistic therapy, developed by Carl Rogers, in which the therapist uses techniques such as active listening within a genuine, accepting, empathic environment to facilitate clients' growth; CLIENT-LED meeting w/ therapist providing guidance

1. Genuineness

2. Acceptance

3. Empathy

What are the 3 conditions for growth-promoting climate according to Carl Rogers?

Genuineness

people are transparent, self-disclosing, and open about their feelings; people drop their facades

Acceptance

people offer unconditional positive regard (an attitude of total acceptance toward another person); you need someone to give you UNCONDITIONAL LOVE and ALWAYS stay by your side (no matter what)

Empathy

people share and mirror other’s feelings and reflect their meanings; putting yourself in someone else’s shoes

Used questionnaires; asked them to describe their ideal self compared to their actual self

How did Rogers gauge the self-concept of his clients?

1. Too vague and subjective - no empirical measurement; each person’s “self-actualization” varies

2. Encourages self indulgence, selfishness, and erosion of moral restraints - lack of structure; it’s ALL ABOUT YOU, no matter who you affect/hurt

3. Naive - fails to appreciate the reality of our human capacity for evil (i.e. Putin is self-actualized!)

What are the 3 points of criticism for humanistic perspective?

Gordon Allport

Developed trait theories focused on describing people’s personalities through the use of traits, NOT explaining them (unlike Freud)

Traits

A characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act

stable; consistent

According to trait theorists, our characteristics are thought to be ______ and ______ across different situations and times

Factor Analysis

A statistical procedure used to identify clusters

i.e. identifying many traits to narrow down the “Big 5 Traits” or main trait categories

Nomothetic Approach

The SAME basic traits can be used to describe ALL people

i.e. Hans and Sybil Eysenck classify people along an introversion-extroversion scale & a stable-unstable scale

Stable?

Sanguine, Phlegmatic

Unstable?

Choleric, Melancholic

Introverted?

Phlegmatic, Melancholic

Extroverted?

Sanguine, Choleric

PHLEGMATIC

calm, even-tempered, controlled, peaceful, thoughtful, careful, passive

MELANCHOLIC

quiet, unsociable, reserved, pessimistic, sober, rigid, anxious, moody

SANGUINE

leadership, carefree, lively, easygoing, responsive, talkative, outgoing, sociable

CHOLERIC

active, optimistic, impulsive, changeable, excitable, aggressive, restless, touchy

Raymond Cattell

Who developed the 16 PF test?

PF (personality factor) test

measures the 16 basic traits present in all people

The Big 5!!!

What is the MOST COMMON trait test?

Paul Costa and Robert McCrae

Who came up with the Big 5 personality traits?

1. Openness

2. Conscientiousness

3. Extraversion

4. Agreeableness

5. Neuroticism

*think O-C-E-A-N

What are the Big 5 Traits?

Idiographic Approach

A thorough, intensive study of a single person or case in order to obtain the most IN-DEPTH understanding

**Using the same terms to classify ALL people is IMPOSSIBLE!!

Although common traits are useful in describing all people, a FULL understanding of someone’s personality requires looking at his/her personal traits

What did Gordon Allport believe about trait theories?

1. Cardinal dispositions

2. Central dispositions

3. Secondary dispositions

What are Allport’s 3 types of personality traits?

Cardinal dispositions

ONE trait that plays a pivotal role in virtually everything a person does

i.e. Sociability & Oprah Winfrey