PSY 1102 - Personality Exam Questions And
Accurate Answers
Personality - answer an individuals characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling and acting.
Psychodynamic Theory - answer views personality with a focus on the unconscious and
the importance of childhood experiences.
Psychoanalysis - answer Freud's theory of personality that attributes thoughts and
actions to unconscious motives and conflicts; the techniques used in treating
psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions.
Unconscious - answer according to Fred, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts,
wished, feelings and memories. According to contemporary psychologists, information
processing of which we are unaware of.
Free Association - answer in psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious in
which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or
embarrassing.
Id - answer a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that, according to Freud, strives
to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives. The Id operates on the pleasure principle,
demanding immediate satisfaction. (The Devil on your shoulder)
Ego - answer the largely conscious, "executive" part of the personality that, according
to Freud, mediates among the demands of the Id, Superego and reality. The Ego
operates on the reality principle, satisfying the Id's desires in ways that will realistically
bring pleasure rather than pain. (The one who finds a perfect middle for the Id and
Superego)
Superego - answer the part of personality trait that, according to Freud, represents
internalized ideals and provides standards for judgement (the conscience) and for
future aspirations. (The Angel on your shoulder)
Psychosexual Stages - answer the childhood stages of development (oral, anal, phallic,
latency and genital), during when, according to Freud, the Id's pleasure-seeking
energies focus on the distinct erogenous zones.
Oral Stage (0-18 months) - answer pleasure centers on the mouth - sucking, biting,
chewing.
Anal Stage (18-36 months) - answer pleasure focuses on bowel and bladder elimination;
coping with demands for control.
Phallic Stage (3-6 years) - answer pleasure zone is the genitals; coping with incestuous
, sexual feelings. (Oedipus Complex)
Latency (6 to puberty) - answer a phase of dormant sexual feelings.
Genital Stage (puberty on) - answer maturation of sexual interests.
Identification - answer the process by which, according to Freud, children incorporate
their parents' values into their developing superegos.
Fixation - answer according to Freud, a lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at
an earlier psychosexual stage, in which conflicts were unresolved.
Defense Mechanisms - answer in psychoanalytic theory, the ego's protective methods of
reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality.
Repression - answer in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defence mechanism that
banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories.
Regression (Defence Mechanism) - answer retreating a more infantile psychosexual
stage, where some psychic energy remains fixated.
example; a little boy reverts to the oral comfort of thumb sucking in the car on the way to
his first day of school.
Reaction Formation (Defence Mechanism) - answer switching unacceptable impulses
into their opposites.
example; repressing angry feelings, a person displays exaggerated friendliness.
Projection (Defence Mechanism) - answer disguising one's own threatening impulses by
attributing them to others.
example; "the thief thinks everyone else is a thief" (an El Salvadoran saying)
Rationalization (Defence Mechanism) - answer offering self-justifying explanations in
place of the real, more threatening unconscious reasons for one's actions.
Accurate Answers
Personality - answer an individuals characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling and acting.
Psychodynamic Theory - answer views personality with a focus on the unconscious and
the importance of childhood experiences.
Psychoanalysis - answer Freud's theory of personality that attributes thoughts and
actions to unconscious motives and conflicts; the techniques used in treating
psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions.
Unconscious - answer according to Fred, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts,
wished, feelings and memories. According to contemporary psychologists, information
processing of which we are unaware of.
Free Association - answer in psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious in
which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or
embarrassing.
Id - answer a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that, according to Freud, strives
to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives. The Id operates on the pleasure principle,
demanding immediate satisfaction. (The Devil on your shoulder)
Ego - answer the largely conscious, "executive" part of the personality that, according
to Freud, mediates among the demands of the Id, Superego and reality. The Ego
operates on the reality principle, satisfying the Id's desires in ways that will realistically
bring pleasure rather than pain. (The one who finds a perfect middle for the Id and
Superego)
Superego - answer the part of personality trait that, according to Freud, represents
internalized ideals and provides standards for judgement (the conscience) and for
future aspirations. (The Angel on your shoulder)
Psychosexual Stages - answer the childhood stages of development (oral, anal, phallic,
latency and genital), during when, according to Freud, the Id's pleasure-seeking
energies focus on the distinct erogenous zones.
Oral Stage (0-18 months) - answer pleasure centers on the mouth - sucking, biting,
chewing.
Anal Stage (18-36 months) - answer pleasure focuses on bowel and bladder elimination;
coping with demands for control.
Phallic Stage (3-6 years) - answer pleasure zone is the genitals; coping with incestuous
, sexual feelings. (Oedipus Complex)
Latency (6 to puberty) - answer a phase of dormant sexual feelings.
Genital Stage (puberty on) - answer maturation of sexual interests.
Identification - answer the process by which, according to Freud, children incorporate
their parents' values into their developing superegos.
Fixation - answer according to Freud, a lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at
an earlier psychosexual stage, in which conflicts were unresolved.
Defense Mechanisms - answer in psychoanalytic theory, the ego's protective methods of
reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality.
Repression - answer in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defence mechanism that
banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories.
Regression (Defence Mechanism) - answer retreating a more infantile psychosexual
stage, where some psychic energy remains fixated.
example; a little boy reverts to the oral comfort of thumb sucking in the car on the way to
his first day of school.
Reaction Formation (Defence Mechanism) - answer switching unacceptable impulses
into their opposites.
example; repressing angry feelings, a person displays exaggerated friendliness.
Projection (Defence Mechanism) - answer disguising one's own threatening impulses by
attributing them to others.
example; "the thief thinks everyone else is a thief" (an El Salvadoran saying)
Rationalization (Defence Mechanism) - answer offering self-justifying explanations in
place of the real, more threatening unconscious reasons for one's actions.
