Personality Changes and Growth - AP Psychology

Reaction formation is one of the more subtle defense mechanisms and can be a bit difficult to define. Essentially, one may feel an emotion unconsciously, and then express behaviors that reflect its opposite. For instance, one may continually express altruistic beliefs, but in actuality be motivated by selfishness. One may feel animosity towards another, but express affection and love towards them.

Reciprocal determinism depicts the interacting influences between personality and environmental factors. Thus, we choose to place ourselves in certain environments based on our personality, and those environments influence our behavior and the way we think.

Projective tests, such as the TAT, Word association, Rorschach inkblot, and Draw-A-Person, are used to examine hidden emotions and internal conflicts. These methods are rooted in psychoanalytic theories of personality. The MMPI is a widely-used psychometric personality test used for diagnoses, job screenings, or legal reasons.

All of these are part of Freud's theory except for ectomorphs. Ectomorphs are a part of William Sheldon's (largely discredited) Somatotype theory of personality in which there are three body types, each being associated with certain personality traits.

When people have an external locus of control, it means that they are likely to believe that luck and outside forces determine what happens. This is the opposite of an internal locus of control, which means that one feels that he/she is responsible for that which happens to him/her. The other answer choices are not terms referring to loci of control.

The id desires immediate gratification. The superego accounts for the moral component of a person's personality makeup. The ego mediates between the id and superego.

Post-traumatic growth is a term that grew from the field of positive psychology. It differs from resilience, which refers to the ability to endure traumatic events and recover, in the sense that the traumatic event can make the person grow in a significant manner. In other words, the person grows and gains from the experience as opposed to simply recuperating.

The nomothetic view of personalities asserts that people's personalities are highly comparable. The most popular and commonly known extension of this view is the "Big Five" which claims people's personalities are a composite of five different traits measured along a continuum. This view starkly contrasts the idiographic view, which claims that no one individual's personality can truly be compared to the other.

Those who support the nomothetic view often do self-report surveys to collect their data.

According to the research done on post-traumatic growth, the most salient qualities of those who have undergone post-traumatic growth are an acknowledgement of new paths in life, a greater appreciation for life, a change in priorities, and more intimate relationships.

Extraversion and openness to new experience are personality traits that are often associated with one's ability to achieve post-traumatic growth. Extraversion would theoretically lead someone to seek social support to construct a meaning from their experiences. The openness to new experience disposes someone to accept and embrace change, and while this doesn't necessarily help in negative situations, it allows a person the flexibility to deal with unexpected events.

As humans, we are constantly trying to adapt to our circumstances which disposes us to almost a constant state of change. There are also developmental stages that every person goes through that can and do make marked changes in one's personality, beliefs, values, habits, and physical appearance. This is the field of developmental psychology.

A baby is much more open to the world than an adult is. A baby new into the world is trying to learn as much as it can about its surroundings since it's vital information to its survival.

Gordon Allport's trait theory outlines 3 types of traits: Cardinal Traits (dominant traits/ruling passions), Central Traits (characteristics found (at least somewhat) in most or all people), and Secondary Traits (traits exhibited only on certain occasions). While Allsport assigned differing levels of dominance to these traits, he believed a thorough examination of all kinds of traits was needed to accurately reflect a person's personality.

According to the "Maturity Principle", between the ages of 20-65 people's negative personality traits decrease and positive ones increase. Over time, people tend to develop more accountability for themselves, acceptance over things they cannot control, and more emotional stability. Moreover, they easily "ride the waves" of highs and lows in life. This is counter to what most people view the process of aging as a state of decline into bitterness and remorse, it is in fact the opposite. We tend to become better people.

As a person starts accumulating more responsibilities to their families and workplaces, they tend to become more Agreeable--that is, less competitive, more cooperative, and more compassionate. These responsibilities generally start accruing most in people's early to late thirties as they move up in their career or establish a family. This can lead to less self-absorption and more absorption in their duties to other people.

According to Freud, defense mechanisms are ways for the ego to protect the conscious mind from the anxiety that arises from unacceptable impulses.

Rationalization is when someone decides or comes up with a seemingly logical explanation to justify an event and avoid the true explanation (e.g. Tom stating that he never liked his job after getting fired).

While intriguing, the other choices are incorrect. Displacement is when someone takes their negative emotions and focuses them on a different, safer target. Reaction formation is when someone expresses an exaggerated, opposite version of how they actually feel. Denial is when someone acts as if the negative feelings or events that cause negative emotions do not exist. Identification is when someone takes on the characteristics of someone else in order to give himself or herself more power.

According to Freud, defense mechanisms are ways for the ego to protect the conscious mind from the anxiety that arises from unacceptable impulses.

Projection is when someone attributes his or her own feelings to another person or group (e.g. Sue projecting her feelings of fear onto her boss).

While intriguing, the other choices are incorrect. Displacement is when someone takes their negative emotions and focuses them on a different, safer target. Denial is when someone acts as if the negative feelings or events that cause negative emotions do not exist. Sublimation is when someone channels his or her unacceptable feelings toward a more productive, socially acceptable activity/goal. Identification is when someone takes on the characteristics of someone else in order to give himself or herself more power.

According to Freud, defense mechanisms are ways for the ego to protect the conscious mind from the anxiety that arises from unacceptable impulses.

Displacement is when someone takes their negative emotions and focuses them on a different, safer target (e.g. Leah taking out her frustration on her TV).

While intriguing, the other choices are incorrect. Rationalization is when someone decides or comes up with a seemingly logical explanation to justify an event and avoid the true explanation. Reaction formation is when someone expresses an exaggerated, opposite version of how they actually feel. Denial is when someone acts as if the negative feelings or events that cause negative emotions do not exist. Identification is when someone takes on the characteristics of someone else in order to give himself or herself more power.

According to Freud, defense mechanisms are ways for the ego to protect the conscious mind from the anxiety that arises from unacceptable impulses.

Reaction formation is when someone expresses an exaggerated, opposite version of how they actually feel (e.g. Travis’s hyper-masculinity in response to his worries about not being masculine enough).

While intriguing, the other choices are incorrect. Denial is when someone acts as if the negative feelings or event causing the negative feelings does not exist. Identification is when someone takes on the characteristics of someone else in order to give himself or herself more power. Projection is when someone attributes his or her own feelings to another person or group. Sublimation is when someone channels his or her unacceptable feelings toward a more productive, socially acceptable activity/goal.

According to Freud, defense mechanisms are ways for the ego to protect the conscious mind from the anxiety that arises from unacceptable impulses.

Denial is when someone acts as if the negative feelings or events that cause negative emotions do not exist (e.g. Robs denial of his injury and inability to run in the marathon).

While intriguing, the other choices are incorrect. Rationalization is when someone decides or comes up with a seemingly logical explanation to justify an event and avoid the true explanation. Identification is when someone takes on the characteristics of someone else in order to give himself or herself more power. Projection is when someone attributes his or her own feelings to another person or group. Sublimation is when someone channels his or her unacceptable feelings toward a more productive, socially acceptable activity/goal.