Terms/concepts Definitions/examplesPersonality characteristics, emotions, thoughts, behaviors that are relatively stable over time and across circumstancesPersonality traits - smaller aspects of who we are- characteristics of the person- a dispositional tendency to act in a certain way over time - e.g. introvertedHow have scientists studied personality- What is unconscious (psychodynamic theories)- Personal experience (humanistic approaches)- Social cognitive approach (how people act on a social level and how they think)- Type and trait approaches (approaches describing behavioral dispositions)o Type = broadero Traits = smaller units of behavior that make up personalityFreudian or psychodynamic approach- Influence on how we think about ourselves & personality- Practiced through the 1930s- Thought the role of unconscious influences personalityo E.g. lay on couch, talk about your life, psychologist would give insight into what problems you are experiencing- Struggle between id, superego, and ego- Introduced concept of unconscious defense mechanismsFreud’s topographical model- Thought ~2/3 of our lives is unconscious (almost everything that’srelevant)- Small amount preconscious (that we may be able to access)- Very small amount conscious (things we are aware of)Id, superego & ego - Id = unconscious, seeking pleasure- Superego = dictates moral and behavioral messages from society and parents- Ego= mediates between Id & SuperegoWhy Freud became unpopular- “Female Sexuality” booko “Penis envy” theoryo Females are “inferior” and are jealous of males- Developed idea of phallic symbol (things that resemble a penis) that symbolize male powerDefense mechanism - Freudian concept- it’s unconscious- you defend your emotions to make yourself feel betterCommon defense mechanisms- Denial- something is making us anxious or uncomfortable and ignore it to feel better, can be the source of a problem b/c don’t cope with issue& can still affect life- Repression- not remembering unpleasant memories, also can be a problem- Projection- something about self that makes you uncomfortable; you focus on that quality in other people and criticize them- Reaction formation-deal with a discomfort of self by emphasizing the opposite extreme (such as extreme homophobic preacher who turnsout to be gay himself)o Study: the likelier people are to say homophobic statements, the more they are aroused by images representing the same sex- Rationalization- rationalizing your behavior, justifying it; you know you are doing something wrong so you give yourself a reason why you are doing it (e.g. lying on your taxes and telling yourself everyone does it)- Displacement- taking your emotions out on others (e.g. kicking your dog)- Sublimation- using a socially acceptable path to take out unacceptable emotions (e.g. becoming a surgeon to inflict pain on others)- Regression- you become immature or act younger to deal with internalconflict- Identification- coping by assuming someone else’s qualities who is “better” than usPerson-situation controversyWhether situations or people cause behaviorPersonal constructs Rules/ideas people use to understand their livesOutcome expectancies What you expect to occur in the futureSelf-concept What we know about ourselvesSelf-verification We look for proof for our self-conceptsSelf-serving bias People emphasize their effort in their success but de-emphasize it in their failuresThe humanistic- - Personality as choiceexistential approach - People are inherently good, positive view- Focus on how healthy choices create personalityHumanistic approach optimistic view of human nature, goodness & potential for growthExistentialist approach - individual negotiates the issue of meaning and the reality of death- dealing with meaning of life and reality of death; personality is the individual’s choices in view of that- Angst can ariseSelf-actualizing tendencythe human motive toward realizing our inner potentialFlow - A human need to engage in tasks that match our abilities that cause a state of focus- E .g. so engaged in rock climbing that you didn’t realize you were there for hoursSocial cognitive approach- an approach that views personality in terms of how the person thinks about the situations encountered in daily life and behaves in response to them- A way of thinking & how we respond to other people- E.g. an optimistic person may have a family member die but they acknowledge how full their own life is and the other positive things in their life despite the deathApproaches to studying personality- Projective approaches- Self-report inventories- Narrative approachProjective approach - Open to subjective interpretation- Rorschach inkblot test: a set of inkblots are shown to a person, they tell you what they see, their response tells you about their personality - Thematic apperception test (TAT): ambiguous slides shown to a person, include people, asked to tell a story about the imageSelf-report inventories - Personality inventories use multiple-choice/forced-choiceo Self-report: Understanding something about yourself through situations (e.g. if this happens do you do x or y?)o Frequently usedo MMPI-2: most common personality test used; over 500 questions, assesses personality and psychological problems; difficult reading level- Other shorter tests exist- Rotter’s Locus of control scaleo Where is control located/how much control do we have?o Are events due to luck or the choices we make?Comorbidity When a person has more than one disorderPreparedness theory Some people are more likely to have certain fearsNarrative approach - What you do when getting to know friends: make determinations about their personality by asking them about their life, what their parents are like, etc.- Dan McAdams = personality researcherCore traits - Big five: classic- the traits of a five-factor modelo Conscientiousnesso Agreeablenesso Neuroticismo openness to experienceo extraversion- *To memorize use mnemonic CANOE or OCEANWhat type of a structure do traits have?- A hierarchical one- Can have overarching category (such as neuroticism)- Can be divided up into subcategories (e.g. anxious, low self-esteem, moody, shy)- Further subcategories- (In a personality test ask questions that target the subcategories)Hans Eysenck - posits three “superordinate” personality traits (overarching traits)o 1. Emotional stability v. emotional instability (neuroticism)o 2. Extraversion v. introversion (seeking