I. Personality chapter 2

Defining personality and traits Personality Distinctive and relatively stable pattern of behaviors, thoughts, motives, and emotions that characterizes an individual [p42] Trait A characteristic of an individual, describing a habitual way of behaving, thinking, and feeling [p42]

Are you introverted or extraverted?

Big Five [pp50-51] Openness vs resistance Openness vs resistance Conscientiousness vs impulsiveness Conscientiousness vs impulsiveness Extroversion vs introversion Extroversion vs introversion Agreeableness vs antagonism Agreeableness vs antagonism Neuroticism vs emotional stability Neuroticism vs emotional stability chapter 2

II. The biological contribution

Heredity and temperament Temperaments [p54] Physiological dispositions to respond to the environment in certain ways Present in infancy, assumed to be innate Relatively stable over time IncludesReactivitySoothability Positive and negative emotionality chapter 2

Genes [p53] Made up of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) Made up of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) Units of heredity that make up the chromosomes Units of heredity that make up the chromosomes

Twins [p56] Identical twins develop from a single fertilized egg Identical twins develop from a single fertilized egg –AKA: monozygotic twins Fraternal twins develop from two separate eggs that have each been fertilized by a sperm cell Fraternal twins develop from two separate eggs that have each been fertilized by a sperm cell –AKA: dizygotic twins

III. The learning contribution

B.F. Skinner Radical behaviorism Radical behaviorism Personality is ones behavior Personality is ones behavior Change environment to change behavior Change environment to change behavior

Albert Bandura’s social cognitive perspective Reciprocal determinism Two-way interaction between aspects of the environment and aspects of the individual in the shaping of personality traits [p59] chapter 2

IV. The cultural contribution

Culture, values, and traits Culture [p61] A program of shared rules that govern the behavior of members of a community or society A set of values, beliefs, and attitudes shared by most members of that community chapter 2

Culture, values, and traits Individualist cultures Cultures in which the self is regarded as autonomous, and individual goals and wishes are prized above duty and relations with others [p62] Collectivist cultures Cultures in which the self is regarded as embedded in relationships, and harmony with one’s group is prized above individual goals and wishes [p62] chapter 2

V. The humanist contribution

Humanists—the inner experience [p66]  capacity for personal growth  freedom to choose  positive qualities chapter 2

Carl Rogers Unconditional positive regard A situation in which the acceptance and love one receives from significant others is unqualified [p66] Conditional positive regard A situation in which the acceptance and love one receives from significant others is contingent upon one’s behavior [p66] chapter 2

Carl Rogers [p66] Self concept: an individual’s overall perceptions of their abilities, behaviors, and personality Self concept: an individual’s overall perceptions of their abilities, behaviors, and personality The self and the ideal self The self and the ideal self

Evaluating humanist approaches [p67] Hard to operationally define many of the concepts Added balance to the study of personality Encouraged others to focus on “positive psychology” Fostered new appreciation for resilience chapter 2

VI. The psychodynamic contribution

Psychodynamic theories [p42] Theories that explain behavior and personality in terms of unconscious dynamics within the individual, with a focus on:  Early life experiences  Stages of psychological development  Fantasies  Symbolic meanings chapter 2

Sigmund Freud

The structure of personality [p43] Id: operates according to the pleasure principle Primitive, unconscious part of personality Ego: operates according to the reality principle Mediates between id and superego Superego: moral ideals, conscience chapter 2

Defense mechanisms Methods used by the ego to to prevent unconscious anxiety or threatening thoughts from entering consciousness [p43] chapter 2

Defense mechanisms [pp43-44] Repression Repression Rationalization Rationalization Displacement Displacement Sublimation Sublimation Projection Projection Reaction formation Reaction formation Denial Denial Regression Regression chapter 2

Repression The basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness [p43] chapter 2

Rationalization The defense mechanism that offers self- justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening, unconscious reasons for one’s actions [not in textbook] chapter 2

Displacement A defense mechanism that shifts sexual or aggressive impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object or person [p44] chapter 2

Sublimation Occurs when the ego replaces an unacceptable impulse with a socially acceptable one [not in textbook] chapter 2

Projection A defense mechanism by which people disguise their own threatening impulses by attributing them to others [p44] chapter 2

Reaction Formation A defense mechanism by which the ego unconsciously switches unacceptable impulses into their opposites [p44] chapter 2

Denial Occurs when the ego refuses to acknowledge anxiety-producing realities [p44] chapter 2

Regression A defense mechanism in which an individual faced with anxiety retreats to a more infantile stage of development [p44] chapter 2

Identifying defense mechanisms in everyday life

Personality development Freud’s 5 stages of psychosexual development [pp44-45]OralAnalPhallicLatencyGenitalFixationoccurswhenstagesaren’tresolvedsuccessfully chapter 2

Evaluating psychodynamic theories [p48] Three scientific failings 1. Violating the principle of falsifiability 2. Drawing universal principles from the experiences of a few atypical patients 3. Basing theories of personality development on retrospective accounts and the fallible memories of patients chapter 2