AP Psychology: Unit 4 - Personality

Overview

• Focus on personality, exploring psychodynamic and humanistic theories.
• Understanding motivations behind behaviors and decisions.

Psychodynamic Theory

• Rooted in Freud's work.
• Personality shaped by conscious and unconscious mind.
• Unresolved unconscious issues influence behavior.
• Focus on internal conflicts and defense mechanisms.

Defense Mechanisms

1. Denial: Refusal to accept reality.
2. Displacement: Redirecting emotions from one situation to another.
3. Projection: Attributing one's own feelings to others.
4. Rationalization: Justifying uncomfortable thoughts/behaviors.
5. Reaction Formation: Acting opposite to one's feelings.
6. Regression: Reverting to earlier developmental behaviors.
7. Sublimation: Channeling unacceptable impulses into acceptable actions.
8. Repression: Pushing distressing thoughts from conscious awareness.

• Ego's Role: Uses defense mechanisms to protect self-esteem and mediate between the id and super ego.

Id, Ego, and Super Ego

• Id: Unconscious, basic drives (pleasure, immediate gratification).
• Super Ego: Preconscious, ideals, morals, societal expectations.
• Ego: Mediates between id's desires and super ego's constraints.

Personality Assessment

• Projective Tests: Open responses to uncover unconscious mind (e.g., Rorschach Inkblot, Thematic Apperception Test).
• Objective Tests: Specific responses (e.g., Myers Briggs).

Humanistic Theory

• Emphasizes inherent goodness and growth potential.
• Focus on unconditional positive regard and self-actualization.

Key Concepts

• Unconditional Positive Regard: Acceptance without conditions.
• Conditional Positive Regard: Acceptance based on conditions.
• Self-Concept: How one sees themselves (identity).
• Self-Esteem: How one feels about themselves.

Self-Actualization & Self-Transcendence

• Self-Actualization: Strive for full potential and personal growth.
• Self-Transcendence: Going beyond self-interest for larger purposes (e.g., spiritual beliefs).

Personality Assessment

• Qualitative Methods: Interviews and open-ended questionnaires.
• Q-Sort Technique: Assess self-concept by sorting statements.
• Congruence: Alignment between actual self and ideal self.

Conclusion

• Understanding psychodynamic and humanistic theories provides insight into personality development and behavior.
• Engage with quizzes and review materials for practice and better comprehension.

• Remember to take quizzes on defense mechanisms and psychodynamic/humanistic perspectives for better retention.