Personality Development & Theories
The key components of Freud’s theory of personality
Id, Ego, Superego
Major symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Excessive, uncontrollable worry; restlessness, fatigue, muscle tension, sleep issues.
Explain the demonological model of mental illness, and how did it shape early treatment?
Mental illness caused by possession or evil spirits; treatments included exorcism.
How does the biological approach explain the causes of psychological disorders?
Emphasizes genetics, brain structure, and neurotransmitters (e.g., serotonin in depression).
What is concept formation, and how do we categorize and label information?
Organizing information into categories based on shared features (e.g., recognizing a new dog as a “pet”).
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, self-actualization
Criteria that is used to diagnose a psychological disorder according to the DSM-5
Significant disturbance in cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior; distress or disability; not culturally expected.
Advocated for humane treatment in asylums.
Philippe Pinel
How does the cognitive model explain mental disorders such as depression or anxiety?
Disorders arise from distorted thinking patterns (e.g., catastrophizing, overgeneralization).
A mental image or best example of a concept helps us quickly categorize new items.
What is a prototype?
Carl Rogers’ concept of self
self-image, ideal self, and self-worth
Explain how phobias differ from panic disorder and OCD
Phobias: Irrational fear of specific objects/situations
Panic Disorder: Recurrent panic attacks
OCD: Obsessions (thoughts) + compulsions (behaviors)
Advocated for mental hospitals in the U.S.
Dorothea Dix
What role do neurotransmitters and genetics play in the development of mental illnesses?
Imbalances in dopamine (schizophrenia), serotonin/norepinephrine (depression); genetic predisposition for disorders.
Algorithm vs. Heuristic
Algorithm: Step-by-step, guaranteed correct
Heuristic: Mental shortcut, faster but error-prone
the Big Five personality traits
Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism
How do personality disorders such as borderline and antisocial differ in terms of behavior and thought patterns?
Borderline: Instability in relationships, mood, self-image
Antisocial: Lack of empathy, deceitfulness, impulsivity
Explain how the development of the medical model change views of mental illness.
Mental illness was finally seen as disease with biological causes that required medical treatments (e.g., medication, hospitalization)
In what ways might poverty, discrimination, or social roles influence mental health?
Poverty, discrimination, and societal stressors can increase vulnerability to mental disorders.
How does the availability heuristic influence decision-making and risk perception?
Judging likelihood by how easily examples come to mind (e.g., fearing plane crashes due to media).
Explain how all of the personality theories relate to personality development.
Freud: Id: Primitive desires, operates on pleasure principle; Ego: Rational part, mediates between id and superego; operates on reality principle.;Superego: Moral conscience, incorporates societal rules and guilt.
Maslow: People strive to meet basic needs (e.g., food, safety) before achieving self-actualization (personal growth, potential).
Rogers: Unconditional positive regard fosters healthy self-concept and congruence.
Big 5: suggests that people vary in how much they exhibit each of these traits, and these variations can be used to understand individual differences in personality and behavior.
What are the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
Positive: Delusions, hallucinations
Negative: Flat affect, alogia, avolition
The key reformers in the history of mental health care
Philippe Pinel and Dorothea Dix
How does the sociocultural model explain differences in rates and expression of disorders across cultures?
Examines cultural norms, socioeconomic status, and social labels/stigma.
Explain confirmation Bias
Tendency to seek or interpret information in a way that confirms existing beliefs.