WGU D564 (Theories of Personality) – EXAM
STUDY GUIDE 2026/2027 COMPLETE
QUESTIONS
Industry vs. inferiority
Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development
Stage 4
7-11 yrs
Develop self-confidence in abilities when competent or sense of inferiority when not
Identity vs. confusion
Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development
Stage 5
12-18 yrs
Experiment with and develop identity and roles
Intimacy vs. isolation
Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development
Stage 6
19-29 yrs
Establish intimacy and relationships with others
Generativity vs. stagnation
Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development
Stage 7
30-64
Contribute to society and be part of a family
Integrity vs. despair
,Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development
Stage 8
65+ yrs
Assess and make sense of life and meaning of contributions
basic anxiety
fundamental emotions of childhood resulting from needs not being met, such as childhood
experiences of loneliness and isolation
moving against people
a coping style that involves aggression and assertiveness in response to childhood experiences
of an unhappy home situation
moving away from people
a coping style characterized by detachment and isolation in adulthood
moving toward people
a coping style that relies on affiliation and dependence, where individuals seek attention and
affection as a relief from anxiety
object relations theory
a psychoanalytic approach based on Freud's notion that mothers and other persons serve as the
"objects" through which drives can be satisfied, influencing personality development
What coping style do children use to handle their anxiety by withdrawing from the world,
according to Horney?
Detachment and isolation
Which common misconception exists about psychodynamic theories?
Psychodynamic theories focus only on aggressive and sexual instincts.
Sigmund Freud
introduced the concepts of the unconscious mind, emphasizing the role of the id, the ego, and
the superego in personality development and highlighting the impact of early childhood
experiences.
Carl Jung's analytical psychology
,focuses on balancing opposing forces in personality and introduces the collective unconscious
and its universal archetypes. He introduced the concepts of extroversion and introversion and
influenced modern personality models.
Alfred Adler
focused on the drive to compensate for feelings of inferiority. He emphasized social motives and
conscious processes. His major contributions include the theory that birth order shapes
personality and the idea that individuals differ in their goals and style of life.
Erik Erikson
developed a psychosocial theory of development that consists of eight stages. Erikson
emphasized the role of social relationships at each stage and believed that a person must
overcome the challenge presented at each stage to have a fully developed personality.
Karen Horney
emphasized self-realization and challenged notions like penis envy. Her focus on unconscious
anxiety led to the identification of three coping styles: moving toward people (dependence),
moving against people (aggression), and moving away from people (detachment). Horney's
contributions influenced psychologists' ideas about women's development and parent-infant
relationships.
What is the premise of the psychosexual theory?
The theory of personality is founded on the internal conflict between the id, ego, and superego
as well as stages.
How does psychodynamic theory explain a person's behaviors and mental processes?
It considers early childhood experiences and the unconscious mind.
How is trust versus mistrust defined in Erikson's stages of development?
By learning that basic needs, such as nourishment and affection, will be met
What is a love task, according to Adler?
Finding an intimate partner
Which of Jung's approaches to life is still widely accepted today in the field of personality
psychology?
Extraversion and introversion indicate whether energy is drawn from external sources or the
inner psyche.
, What is the primary area of focus when a psychotherapist is helping a client to empower
themselves?
Helping individuals understand and address unconscious conflicts and patterns
In psychodynamic theories, what process must occur to gain insight and make choices?
Unconsciousness process
anima and animus
key components of Jung's view on the structure of personality
archetypes
universally recognized symbols and themes in the collective unconscious
defense mechanisms
strategies employed by the ego to cope with intrapsychic conflicts, including denial, projection,
and rationalization
id, ego, and superego
the three components of Freud's structural model of personality, where the id represents basic
drives, the ego balances the id and superego, and the superego represents moral ideals
psychosexual stages
Freud's theory that personality develops through a series of stages, each focused on a different
erogenous zone
psychodynamic perspective:
a theory of personality, such as Freud's, that emphasizes the role of unconscious forces and
early childhood experiences in shaping personality
Horney's relational theory
emphasizes the important role that interpersonal influences and coping strategies play in the
development of an individual's personality.
Erikson's theory of psychosocial development
suggests that an individual's personality is developed in eight stages over a lifetime.
suggests that an individual's personality is developed in eight stages over a lifetime.
STUDY GUIDE 2026/2027 COMPLETE
QUESTIONS
Industry vs. inferiority
Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development
Stage 4
7-11 yrs
Develop self-confidence in abilities when competent or sense of inferiority when not
Identity vs. confusion
Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development
Stage 5
12-18 yrs
Experiment with and develop identity and roles
Intimacy vs. isolation
Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development
Stage 6
19-29 yrs
Establish intimacy and relationships with others
Generativity vs. stagnation
Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development
Stage 7
30-64
Contribute to society and be part of a family
Integrity vs. despair
,Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development
Stage 8
65+ yrs
Assess and make sense of life and meaning of contributions
basic anxiety
fundamental emotions of childhood resulting from needs not being met, such as childhood
experiences of loneliness and isolation
moving against people
a coping style that involves aggression and assertiveness in response to childhood experiences
of an unhappy home situation
moving away from people
a coping style characterized by detachment and isolation in adulthood
moving toward people
a coping style that relies on affiliation and dependence, where individuals seek attention and
affection as a relief from anxiety
object relations theory
a psychoanalytic approach based on Freud's notion that mothers and other persons serve as the
"objects" through which drives can be satisfied, influencing personality development
What coping style do children use to handle their anxiety by withdrawing from the world,
according to Horney?
Detachment and isolation
Which common misconception exists about psychodynamic theories?
Psychodynamic theories focus only on aggressive and sexual instincts.
Sigmund Freud
introduced the concepts of the unconscious mind, emphasizing the role of the id, the ego, and
the superego in personality development and highlighting the impact of early childhood
experiences.
Carl Jung's analytical psychology
,focuses on balancing opposing forces in personality and introduces the collective unconscious
and its universal archetypes. He introduced the concepts of extroversion and introversion and
influenced modern personality models.
Alfred Adler
focused on the drive to compensate for feelings of inferiority. He emphasized social motives and
conscious processes. His major contributions include the theory that birth order shapes
personality and the idea that individuals differ in their goals and style of life.
Erik Erikson
developed a psychosocial theory of development that consists of eight stages. Erikson
emphasized the role of social relationships at each stage and believed that a person must
overcome the challenge presented at each stage to have a fully developed personality.
Karen Horney
emphasized self-realization and challenged notions like penis envy. Her focus on unconscious
anxiety led to the identification of three coping styles: moving toward people (dependence),
moving against people (aggression), and moving away from people (detachment). Horney's
contributions influenced psychologists' ideas about women's development and parent-infant
relationships.
What is the premise of the psychosexual theory?
The theory of personality is founded on the internal conflict between the id, ego, and superego
as well as stages.
How does psychodynamic theory explain a person's behaviors and mental processes?
It considers early childhood experiences and the unconscious mind.
How is trust versus mistrust defined in Erikson's stages of development?
By learning that basic needs, such as nourishment and affection, will be met
What is a love task, according to Adler?
Finding an intimate partner
Which of Jung's approaches to life is still widely accepted today in the field of personality
psychology?
Extraversion and introversion indicate whether energy is drawn from external sources or the
inner psyche.
, What is the primary area of focus when a psychotherapist is helping a client to empower
themselves?
Helping individuals understand and address unconscious conflicts and patterns
In psychodynamic theories, what process must occur to gain insight and make choices?
Unconsciousness process
anima and animus
key components of Jung's view on the structure of personality
archetypes
universally recognized symbols and themes in the collective unconscious
defense mechanisms
strategies employed by the ego to cope with intrapsychic conflicts, including denial, projection,
and rationalization
id, ego, and superego
the three components of Freud's structural model of personality, where the id represents basic
drives, the ego balances the id and superego, and the superego represents moral ideals
psychosexual stages
Freud's theory that personality develops through a series of stages, each focused on a different
erogenous zone
psychodynamic perspective:
a theory of personality, such as Freud's, that emphasizes the role of unconscious forces and
early childhood experiences in shaping personality
Horney's relational theory
emphasizes the important role that interpersonal influences and coping strategies play in the
development of an individual's personality.
Erikson's theory of psychosocial development
suggests that an individual's personality is developed in eight stages over a lifetime.
suggests that an individual's personality is developed in eight stages over a lifetime.
