Psychology of Adjustment: Review of Terms for First Section of Course

Adjustment definition Individual Differences
Issues of ambiguity homeostasis vs growth and change
Multivariable causation Positive Psychology vs deficit model
Doing & Being

Personality and Traits….definitions Dimensions of traits: Big Five--OCEAN
Personality Theories: Be ready to discuss the adjustment issues with each
Freud’s personality processes: id, ego, superego…..dynamic conflict
Jung’s collective unconscious and archetypes; persona & shadow
Psychological Types and concept of balance
Myers-Briggs Personality types (Jung): introverts/extraverts Sensing/intuition feeling/thinking; judging/perceiving
Adler’s social theory of personality—family dynamics and inferiority Striving for superiority; compensate for perceived inferiority Sibling rivalry and birth order effects
Horney’s view on anxiety and feelings of insecurity problem of idealized self
Response to anxiety—attach & comply, reject-attack, or reject-withdraw

Behavioral views of personality—bundle of habits Establishment and maintenance of patterns of behavior through operant conditioning—positively reinforced behaviors and negatively reinforced behaviors extinction of unwanted behavior by ignoring it—not reinforcing it Know difference between two different types of punishment and also how negative reinforcement works.

Biological views of personality
Genes and personality traits; adaptive nature of big 5 traits
Neuropsychological view of attentional differences (Over/under focused) Inhibited and uninhibited temperament parallel to above
Social Cognitive Theory Not discussed in class during personality coverage, but some concepts discussed during “self” discussion (self efficacy and reciprocal determinism, locus of control)
Humanistic Approaches to Personality—Rogers and Maslow (self actualization) Congruence and self acceptance; free will and personal uniqueness
Existential Approaches: Personality and behavior affected uniquely in humans because of:
Knowledge of death Threats of isolation (ostracism), Identity Confusion,
Lack of freedom and reactance Because of above (Uncertainty), the search for meaning becomes important
Positive Psychology Focus on building Character Strengths as a “set of tools” for positive adjustment
Strengths include: Wisdom, Courage, Humanity, Temperance, Justice, and Transcendence

The Self:
Varying views of self concept….
Self as role and self discrepancy Self efficacy
Impression management & Styles of presentation: ingratiation….others
Locus of control Reciprocal determinism
Self Esteem and problems with the concept not predictive of achievement or success on job;