Study guides › P/S › Psychology
Personality
Personality is the stable pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that makes each person distinctive. You will compare the major perspectives, match theorists to their concepts, and interpret assessment tools and twin and adoption evidence.
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What this chapter covers
- Trait Theories & the Big Five. Trait theories describe personality with measurable dimensions. The Big Five is the most tested, so know each factor and its scenario.
- Psychoanalytic Perspective. Freud's structures, stages, and defense mechanisms appear as scenario-labeling questions, so learn each definition precisely.
- Humanistic, Social-Cognitive & Behaviorist Views. Each of these perspectives explains personality differently, so the MCAT asks you to match a concept to its theorist.
- Personality Assessment & Biological Evidence. Know objective versus projective tests, and how twin and adoption data separate genes from environment.
Key points to know
- Traits are stable dispositions that are described and measured, not explained
- Big Five: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism
- Id = pleasure principle; ego = reality principle; superego = conscience
- Stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital; fixation marks unresolved conflict
- Rogers: unconditional positive regard; conditions of worth cause incongruence
- Bandura: reciprocal determinism and self-efficacy
- Objective tests (MMPI-2, NEO-PI, 16PF) are standardized; projective tests (Rorschach, TAT) are subjective
- MMPI-2 has validity scales for lying and inconsistency
Try a practice question
In the Big Five model, a person who is organized, disciplined, and dependable scores high on
- Openness
- Agreeableness
- Neuroticism
- Conscientiousness
Show the answer
D. Conscientiousness captures organization, self-discipline, and reliability. Agreeableness concerns warmth and cooperation.
Common questions
What does this chapter cover?
Personality covers Trait Theories & the Big Five, Psychoanalytic Perspective, Humanistic, Social-Cognitive & Behaviorist Views, Personality Assessment & Biological Evidence.
What should I know first?
Traits are stable dispositions that are described and measured, not explained Big Five: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism Id = pleasure principle; ego = reality principle; superego = conscience
20 original practice questions accompany this chapter in the app. Spaced review brings missed ideas back at the right time; it helps memory but cannot promise you will not miss an idea again.