All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What is the Big Five (OCEAN) model of personality?
Answer: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism. Five broad dimensions capture most personality variation.
Flashcard 2: What is the main contribution of Gordon Allport to trait theory?
Answer: He emphasized individual traits and distinguished cardinal, central, and secondary traits. Pioneered trait approach; created hierarchy of trait importance.
Flashcard 3: Which Big Five trait most directly reflects curiosity, imagination, and preference for novelty?
Answer: Openness to experience. Associated with creativity, intellectual curiosity, and artistic interests.
Flashcard 4: What is a cardinal trait in Allportâs trait theory?
Answer: A dominant trait that strongly defines a personâs behavior across contexts. Rare but powerful; e.g., extreme altruism defining Mother Teresa.
Flashcard 5: Which Big Five trait most directly reflects cooperativeness, trust, and empathy?
Answer: Agreeableness. High agreeableness facilitates social harmony and relationships.
Flashcard 6: Which Big Five trait most directly reflects organization, self-discipline, and goal pursuit?
Answer: Conscientiousness. Predicts academic and work success through planning and persistence.
Flashcard 7: Which Big Five trait most directly reflects sociability, assertiveness, and positive affect?
Answer: Extraversion. Extraverts gain energy from social interaction; introverts from solitude.
Flashcard 8: What is a central trait in Allportâs trait theory?
Answer: A major characteristic that commonly describes a person (core descriptors). 5-10 traits that friends would use to describe you.
Flashcard 9: What is a secondary trait in Allportâs trait theory?
Answer: A more context-specific preference or tendency (less consistent, less salient). Appears only in certain situations; not core to identity.
Flashcard 10: What is Raymond Cattellâs major contribution to trait theory?
Answer: He used factor analysis to identify 16 personality factors (16PF). Reduced thousands of trait words to 16 fundamental dimensions.
Flashcard 11: What is factor analysis in the context of trait theory research?
Answer: A statistical method that clusters correlated variables into underlying factors. Reveals hidden dimensions by analyzing trait correlations.
Flashcard 12: What is Hans Eysenckâs trait model and its core dimensions?
Answer: A 3-factor model: Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Psychoticism (PEN). Simplified trait models; psychoticism includes aggression and impulsivity.
Flashcard 13: What is the basic structure of Freudâs personality model?
Answer: Id (instincts), ego (reality), and superego (morality). Three systems conflict to shape personality and behavior.
Flashcard 14: What is the primary function of the ego in Freudâs model?
Answer: To mediate between id impulses, superego demands, and reality constraints. Ego uses defense mechanisms to manage these competing forces.
Flashcard 15: What is the definition of locus of control in social-cognitive personality theory?
Answer: Belief that outcomes are controlled by oneself (internal) or external forces. Internal locus linked to achievement; external to learned helplessness.
Flashcard 16: Identify the concept: behavior is shaped by person, environment, and behavior interacting.
Answer: Reciprocal determinism (Bandura). Three factors mutually influence each other in continuous loops.
Flashcard 17: What defense mechanism involves channeling unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable actions?
Answer: Sublimation. Transforms negative urges into positive, productive activities.
Flashcard 18: What defense mechanism involves justifying an unacceptable behavior with a plausible reason?
Answer: Rationalization. Creating logical excuses to avoid guilt or shame.
Flashcard 19: What is the primary goal of factor analysis in trait psychology?
Answer: Reduce many measures into a smaller set of underlying trait factors. Statistical method identifies core traits from many variables.
Flashcard 20: Which Big Five trait is most directly related to anxiety, moodiness, and emotional instability?
Answer: Neuroticism. High neuroticism indicates emotional volatility and stress sensitivity.
Flashcard 21: What defense mechanism involves attributing one's unacceptable impulses to others?
Answer: Projection. Seeing one's own flaws in others instead of acknowledging them.
Flashcard 22: What is the definition of a defense mechanism in psychoanalytic theory?
Answer: Unconscious strategy that reduces anxiety by distorting reality. Protects the ego from threatening thoughts or feelings.
Flashcard 23: What are the Big Five personality traits (OCEAN) in trait theory?
Answer: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism. Five broad dimensions capture most personality variation.
Flashcard 24: What is self-efficacy in Bandura's social-cognitive theory?
Answer: Belief in one's ability to perform actions needed to reach goals. Confidence in capabilities influences motivation and achievement.
Flashcard 25: What is fixation in Freud's psychosexual stage theory?
Answer: Persistent focus on a stage due to unresolved conflict at that stage. Unmet developmental needs cause lasting personality patterns.
Flashcard 26: What is the psychoanalytic definition of the superego?
Answer: Internalized moral standards; conscience and ideal self. The superego represents societal rules and personal ideals.
Flashcard 27: What is the psychoanalytic definition of the ego?
Answer: Reality-oriented mediator operating on the reality principle. The ego balances id desires with real-world constraints.
Flashcard 28: What is the psychoanalytic definition of the id?
Answer: Primitive, unconscious drives operating on the pleasure principle. The id seeks immediate gratification without considering consequences.
Flashcard 29: What is Bandura's concept of reciprocal determinism?
Answer: Person, behavior, and environment mutually influence one another. Each factor shapes and is shaped by the other two continuously.
Flashcard 30: What is the central claim of social-cognitive (social learning) personality theory?
Answer: Personality reflects reciprocal interactions among person, behavior, and environment. Personality emerges from dynamic three-way interactions.