Chapter 13 Personality

possible selves

People's specific goals for the future are a reflection of their:

genetically determined temperament

biological influence in the biopsychosocial approach to the study 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

humanistic theories

view personality with a focus on the potential for healthy personal growth.

psychodynamic theories

view personality with a focus on the unconscious and the importance of childhood experiences.

personality inventory

A questionnaire on which people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors and is used to assess selected personality traits is known as a(n) _____.

extraversion-introversion

According to Hans Eysenck and Sybil Eysenck, the individual variation that is apparent across people can be reduced to several dimensions, including:

achieved self-actualization

Ashley feels that she has reached her full potential as a physician. According to Maslow, Ashley has:

reaction formation

Bryce often acts overly confident and daring. Few people realize he is actually riddled with unconscious insecurity and self-doubt. Bryce BEST illustrates the use of a defense mechanism known as:

collective unconscious

Carl Jung's concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species' history.

Psychoanalysis

Freud's theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts; the techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions.

certain consistencies in a person's behavior may reflect some sort of inner psychological quality

Gordon Allport was the first to determine that: A. certain consistencies in a person's behavior may reflect some sort of inner psychological quality. B. environment has a profound influence on personality traits. C. a model with five individual differences does the best job of describing main personality traits. D. personal traits can be described according to two primary variations in extraversion and neuroticism.

self-concept

Jace believes that he is funny, smart, tough, and persistent. These qualities make up his:

personality

Jason is an introverted, quiet, and conscientious. These characteristics would define his:

psychodynamic

Jung, Adler, and Horney are the key proponents of which personality theory?

unconditional positive regard

Kate comes home with three As and two Bs, to which her mother replies, "Is that the best you could do?" This attitude is the opposite of Rogers' concept of:

self-actualized

Most of Lakota's friends look at him with respect. He is self-aware, self-accepting, and open. He is spontaneous and caring, and he does not worry about other people's opinions. According to Abraham Maslow, it is likely that Lakota is:

genuineness

Rachel is a manager at a large department store. She is popular with her staff. Many of her employees like her because she is honest, frank, and open without any facade. Carl Rogers would argue that Rachel would score highly on:

gene-environment interactions related to aggression

Researchers have found that those who possess a specific gene associated with aggression and were raised in a difficult environment are more likely to exhibit antisocial behaviors as an adult. These findings support:

Electra complex

Samantha is 4 years old and seems jealous of her mother. Every time her parents go to hug each other she pushes her mother away from her father and says No. Samantha then hugs her father and sticks her tongue out at her mother. According to Freud, Samantha is demonstrating the:

Alfred Adler

Steve struggles with feelings of inferiority that in turn drive him to seek power. Which of the following theorists was most concerned with feelings such as Steve's?

studies show that these descriptions show up over a wide range of cultures.

The Big Five model seems to best capture personality because: A. studies show that these descriptions show up over a wide range of cultures. B. All of these choices are true. C. studies show that these descriptions vary according to a person's age. D. genetic differences are more important than environmental influences.

openness

The Big Five personality factor that involves the endpoints imaginative versus practical and independent versus conforming is called:

Agreeableness

The Big Five personality factor that involves the endpoints softhearted versus ruthless, trusting versus suspicious, and helpful versus uncooperative is called ____.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

The _____ includes a lie scale that is designed to assess the extent to which a person is faking to make a good impression.

Big Five

The _____ personality factors include conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, and extraversion.

Psychoanalytic

The _____ perspective attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts.

social-cognitive

The _____ perspective views behavior as influenced by the interaction between people's traits and their social context.

projection

The defense mechanism in which people disguise their own threatening impulses by attributing them to others is known as:

neurotic

The maturity principle is the idea that we become more conscientious and agreeable and less ____ up to age 40.

reciprocal determinism

The social-cognitive perspective highlights the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment, a process that Albert Bandura called ____.

extraversion

The tendency to be social, happy, and cheerful is an example of which of the factors in the Big Five model of personality? A. agreeableness B. extraversion C. openness to experience D. conscientiousness

spotlight effect

Trenady's friend is giving a speech tomorrow and is worried because she just got an unflattering haircut. She is convinced everyone will stare at her bangs and focus on her unattractive hair. Her overestimation of people's reactions is known as _____.

humanistic

Which theoretical perspective has influenced counseling, education, child raising, and management?

projective test

a personality test, such as the Rorschach, that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one's inner dynamics.

Thematic Apperception Test

a projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes

id

a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that, according to Freud, strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives. It operates on the pleasure principle, demanding immediate gratification.

Oedipus complex

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

fixation

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

unconscious

according to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories. According to contemporary psychologists, information processing of which we are unaware.

self-actualization

according to Maslow, one of the ultimate psychological needs that arises after basic physical and psychological needs are met and self-esteem is achieved; the motivation to fulfill one's potential.

self-concept

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, "Who am I?"

personality

an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.

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.

repression

in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories.

defense mechanisms

in psychoanalytic theory, the ego's protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality.

Conscientiousness

personality tendency to act in careful, responsible ways and to value achievement

Openness

personality tendency to appreciate new imaginative ideas and creative actions

Agreeableness

personality tendency to be compassionate and cooperative toward others

Extraversion

personality tendency to prefer social interaction and a high level of activity

Neuroticism

personality tendency toward negative emotions (anger, anxiety, depression), emotional instability, along with an inability to cope with stress

individualist

someone oriented toward maximizing personal gains, without regard to the rest of the group

psychosexual stages

the childhood stages of development (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital) during which, according to Freud, the id's pleasure-seeking energies focus on distinct erogenous zones.

ego

the largely conscious, "executive" part of personality that, according to Freud, mediates among the demands of the id, superego, and reality. It operates on the reality principle, satisfying the id's desires in ways that will realistically bring pleasure rather than pain.

Rorschach inkblot test

the most widely used projective test, a set of 10 inkblots, designed by Hermann Rorschach; seeks to identify people's inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots.

superego

the part of personality that, according to Freud, represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and for future aspirations.

identification

the process by which, according to Freud, children incorporate their parents' values into their developing superegos.