personality An individual’s unique and relatively

consistent patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving.

personality theory

A theory that attempts to describe and explain similarities and

differences in people’s patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving.

collective unconscious

In Jung’s theory, the hypothesized part of the unconscious mind that is inherited from previous generations and that contains universally shared

ancestral experiences and ideas.

displacement

The ego defense mechanism that involves unconsciously shifting the

target of an emotional urge to a substitute target that is less threatening or dangerous.

ego

Latin for I; in Freud’s theory, the partly conscious rational component

of personality that regulates thoughts and behavior, and is most

in touch with the demands of the external world.

ego defense mechanisms Largely unconscious distortions of thoughts or perceptions that act to

reduce anxiety.

free association

A psychoanalytic technique in which the patient spontaneously reports all thoughts, feelings, and

mental images that arise, revealing unconscious thoughts and

emotions.

Id

In Freud’s theory, the completely unconscious, irrational component of personality that seeks immediate satisfaction of instinctual urges and

drives; ruled by the pleasure principle.

identification

In psychoanalytic theory, an ego defense mechanism that involves reducing anxiety by imitating the behavior and characteristics of

another person.

Oedipus complex

In Freud’s theory, a child’s unconscious sexual desire for the

opposite-sex parent, usually accompanied by hostile feelings

toward the same-sex parent.

pleasure principle

The motive to obtain pleasure and avoid tension or discomfort; the

most fundamental human motive and the guiding principle of the id.

psychoanalysis (in personality)

Freud’s theory of personality emphasizing unconscious

determinants of behavior, sexual and aggressive instinctual drives,

and the effect of childhood experiences on later personality

development.

psychosexual stages

In Freud’s theory, age-related developmental periods in which the child’s sexual urges are focused on

different body areas and are expressed through the activities

associated with those areas.

reality principle

The capacity to accommodate external demands by postponing gratification until the appropriate

time or circumstances exist.

repression (in psychoanalytic theory of personality and psychotherapy)

The unconscious exclusion of anxiety-provoking thoughts, feelings, and memories from

conscious awareness; the most fundamental ego defense

mechanism.

Superego

In Freud’s theory, the partly conscious, self-evaluative,

moralistic component of personality that is formed through the

internalization of parental and societal rules.

unconscious

In Freud’s theory, a term used to describe thoughts, feelings, wishes, and drives that are operating below the level of conscious awareness.

actualizing tendency In Rogers’s theory, the innate drive to maintain and enhance the human

organism.

conditional positive regard

In Rogers’s theory, the sense that you will be valued and loved only if

you behave in a way that is acceptable to others; conditional

love or acceptance.

humanistic psychology (theory of personality)

The theoretical viewpoint on personality that generally

emphasizes the inherent goodness of people, human potential, self-

actualization, the self-concept, and healthy personality development.

self-concept The set of perceptions and beliefs

that you hold about yourself.

unconditional positive regard

In Rogers’s theory, the sense that you will be valued and loved even if you don’t conform to the standards

and expectations of others; unconditional love or acceptance.

reciprocal determinism

A model proposed by Bandura that explains human functioning and

personality as caused by the interaction of behavioral, cognitive,

and environmental factors.

self-efficacy

The beliefs that people have about their ability to meet the demands of a specific situation; feelings of self-

confidence.

social cognitive theory

Bandura’s theory of personality, which emphasizes the importance of conscious cognitive processes, social experiences, self-efficacy

beliefs, and reciprocal determinism.

behavioral genetics

An interdisciplinary field that studies the effects of genes and heredity on

behavior.

five-factor model of personality

A trait theory of personality that identifies extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience as the

fundamental building blocks of personality.

source traits

The most fundamental dimensions of personality; the broad, basic

traits that are hypothesized to be universal and relatively few in

number.

surface traits Personality characteristics or

attributes that can easily be inferred from observable behavior.

trait A relatively stable, enduring predisposition to consistently

behave in a certain way.

trait theory

A theory of personality that focuses on identifying, describing, and

measuring individual differences in behavioral predispositions.

California Psychological Inventory

(CPI)

A self-report inventory that assesses personality characteristics

in normal populations.

graphology

A pseudoscience that claims to assess personality, social, and

occupational attributes based on a person’s distinctive handwriting,

doodles, and drawing style.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

A self-report inventory that assesses personality characteristics and psychological disorders; used

to assess both normal and disturbed populations.

possible selves

The aspect of the self-concept that includes images of the selves that

you hope, fear, or expect to become in the future.

projective test

A type of personality test that involves a person’s interpreting an ambiguous image; used to assess

unconscious motives, conflicts, psychological defenses, and

personality traits.

psychological test

A test that assesses a person’s abilities, aptitudes, interests, or

personality on the basis of a systematically obtained sample of

behavior.

Rorschach Inkblot Test

A projective test using inkblots, developed by Swiss psychiatrist

Hermann Rorschach in 1921.

self-report inventory

A type of psychological test in which a person’s responses to

standardized questions are compared to established norms.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective personality test, developed by Henry Murray and colleagues, that involves creating stories about ambiguous scenes.

Warning: not all of the key ideas are on this list of key terms