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• Psychodynamic theories


  Theories of personality developed by Sigmund Freud and others, focusing on the unconscious mind and early childhood experiences
• Freud developed his theories based on his patients and his own life experiences
• Freud combined his ideas with science to create the first modern theory of human behavior
• Others later expanded on Freud's ideas, using both creativity and facts to understand why we are who we are
• Personality


  A unique set of traits that influence how someone acts, thinks, feels, and what motivates them. It's what makes each person different.
• Personality psychology looks at the differences in personality, much of which is hidden and unconscious
• Basic tenets of psychodynamic theories

  • Early childhood relationships shape personality and behavior
  • People seek pleasure (hedonism)
  • Sex and aggression drive human behavior
• Persona


  (Latin) Mask
• Early philosophical roots of personality

  • Hippocrates linked personality to four body fluids or humors: yellow bile (grumpy), black bile (melancholy), phlegm (calm), and blood (cheerful)
  • In ancient Rome, a "persona" was a mask worn by actors to represent a character or role
  • In medieval times, "persona" meant social roles and traits that define a person
  • In the 18th century, "personality" became a psychological term
  • Today, personality means the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that make each person unique
• Personality


  A pattern of stable traits and characteristics that give consistency and individuality to a person's behavior. It is permanent but may change, and it is the unique patterns that define who we are as individuals.
• Theory


  A set of ideas meant to explain something, based on general principles rather than specific details
• Theories of personality are attempts to explain things, not proven truths; they're assumptions
• A good theory is valuable because it explains phenomena effectively
• Psychoanalytic theory / Psychoanalysis


  Theories developed by Sigmund Freud, Anna Freud, Carl Jung, and Melanie Klein, which posit that our past experiences influence our present behaviors, and involve psychological therapy techniques to treat mental disorders
• Id


  The basic instinct, seeking pleasure, avoiding pain and suffering, and the source of all psychic energy. It is the first to develop and present from birth, operating on the pleasure principle and residing in the unconscious.
• Ego


  The decision maker that balances what you want with what's realistic, operating on the reality principle and existing mostly in the conscious and partly unconscious.
• Superego


  The moral principles and conscience, determining what is right and wrong, emerging around age 5 and existing in the conscious and partly unconscious.
• Unconscious


  Contains all the drives and instincts that are beyond human awareness, such as feelings and impulses.
• Preconscious


  Not conscious but can become conscious, such as not clearly remembering something until it is triggered.
• Conscious


  What you are aware of at a given moment, such as thinking about how tired you are.
• Drives


  The basic motivations of sex (eros) and aggression (thanatos) that drive human behavior.
• Libido


  The sexual drive, but the energy from the aggressive drive remains nameless.
• Narcissism


  Love of self, including primary narcissism (infants being self-centered) and secondary narcissism (transforming narcissistic libido into object libido).
• Sadism


  The need for sexual pleasure by inflicting pain or humiliation on another person.
• Masochism


  Experiencing sexual pleasure from suffering pain and humiliation inflicted either by oneself or by others.
• Aggression (Thanatos)


  The death instinct, aiming for self-destruction and showing up in behaviors like teasing, gossip, sarcasm, humiliation, humor, and enjoying others' pain.
• Passive aggression


  Being upset or angry but showing it indirectly, such as making sarcastic jokes to avoid conflict.
• Anxiety


  A fear of the unknown, thinking about what might happen in the future, and an unpleasant feeling accompanied by physical sensations signaling possible danger.
• Three kinds of anxiety

  • Neurotic anxiety (apprehension about an unknown danger)
  • Moral anxiety (conflict between the ego and superego)
  • Realistic anxiety (linked to the ego, like fear of a possible danger)
• Overthinking is not based on any particular basis, while anxiety is based on past experiences
• Defense mechanisms


  Unconscious strategies used to protect the ego from different harms like stress and anxiety. Overusing them can lead to compulsive and neurotic behaviors.
• Hierarchy of defense mechanisms

  • Narcissistic or pathological defenses (most immature level)
  • Immature defenses (used by adolescents and some adults)
  • Neurotic defenses (encountered in obsessive-compulsive patients and adults under stress)
  • Mature defenses (associated with excellent adjustment, happiness, and better health)
• Oral phase


  The first psychosexual stage (0-1 year) where the child seeks pleasure from the mouth, with the task of weaning and the potential for oral fixation.
• Anal phase


  The second psychosexual stage (1-3 years) where the focus is on the anus, with the task of toilet training and the potential for anal retentiveness or anal expulsiveness.
• Phallic stage


  The third psychosexual stage (3-6 years) where the focus is on the genitals, with the task of resolving the Oedipus or Electra complex and the potential for castration anxiety (boys) or penis envy (girls).
• Oedipus complex


  The desire of a son to replace his father and possess his mother.
• Electra complex


  The desire of a daughter to replace her mother and possess her father.
• Anal retentiveness


  Excessive tidiness
• Anal expulsiveness


  Messiness
• Anal phase


  Destroying or losing objects