Personality Theories and Trait Perspectives (7A) - MCAT Psychological and Social Foundations

He emphasized individual traits and distinguished cardinal, central, and secondary traits. Pioneered trait approach; created hierarchy of trait importance.

Openness to experience. Associated with creativity, intellectual curiosity, and artistic interests.

A dominant trait that strongly defines a person’s behavior across contexts. Rare but powerful; e.g., extreme altruism defining Mother Teresa.

Agreeableness. High agreeableness facilitates social harmony and relationships.

Conscientiousness. Predicts academic and work success through planning and persistence.

Extraversion. Extraverts gain energy from social interaction; introverts from solitude.

A major characteristic that commonly describes a person (core descriptors). 5-10 traits that friends would use to describe you.

A more context-specific preference or tendency (less consistent, less salient). Appears only in certain situations; not core to identity.

He used factor analysis to identify 16 personality factors (16PF). Reduced thousands of trait words to 16 fundamental dimensions.

A statistical method that clusters correlated variables into underlying factors. Reveals hidden dimensions by analyzing trait correlations.

A 3-factor model: Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Psychoticism (PEN). Simplified trait models; psychoticism includes aggression and impulsivity.

Id (instincts), ego (reality), and superego (morality). Three systems conflict to shape personality and behavior.

To mediate between id impulses, superego demands, and reality constraints. Ego uses defense mechanisms to manage these competing forces.

Belief that outcomes are controlled by oneself (internal) or external forces. Internal locus linked to achievement; external to learned helplessness.

Reciprocal determinism (Bandura). Three factors mutually influence each other in continuous loops.

Sublimation. Transforms negative urges into positive, productive activities.

Rationalization. Creating logical excuses to avoid guilt or shame.

Reduce many measures into a smaller set of underlying trait factors. Statistical method identifies core traits from many variables.

Neuroticism. High neuroticism indicates emotional volatility and stress sensitivity.

Projection. Seeing one's own flaws in others instead of acknowledging them.

Unconscious strategy that reduces anxiety by distorting reality. Protects the ego from threatening thoughts or feelings.

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism. Five broad dimensions capture most personality variation.

Belief in one's ability to perform actions needed to reach goals. Confidence in capabilities influences motivation and achievement.

Persistent focus on a stage due to unresolved conflict at that stage. Unmet developmental needs cause lasting personality patterns.

Internalized moral standards; conscience and ideal self. The superego represents societal rules and personal ideals.

Reality-oriented mediator operating on the reality principle. The ego balances id desires with real-world constraints.

Primitive, unconscious drives operating on the pleasure principle. The id seeks immediate gratification without considering consequences.

Person, behavior, and environment mutually influence one another. Each factor shapes and is shaped by the other two continuously.

Personality reflects reciprocal interactions among person, behavior, and environment. Personality emerges from dynamic three-way interactions.