PSY 0160 Study Guide - Final Guide: Aplysia, Bobo Doll Experiment, White Matter
Part I – Cumulative Review
Chapter 15 of your textbook provides integrated information on the various theories’ approaches to
personality structure, process, development, and change, and would be helpful to review. In addition, I’ve
posted a few tables in the Final Exam folder on CourseWeb to help you organize this information.
For each of the theories covered in the course, you should focus on the following topics:
- Answering questions about personality (see Textbook Table 15.1 posted on CourseWeb)
o Structure
o Process
o Growth and Development
o Psychopathology and therapeutic change
- Research Strategy
o Is the theory based on case studies, correlational studies, or experiments?
o Does the theory rely on self-report data, or incorporate L-, O-, and T-data?
- Critical evaluation (see Critical Evaluation Table posted on CourseWeb)
o How well does the theory meet the five goals of personality theory?
o What are the major strengths and weaknesses of the theory?
- Conceptual Issues (see Position of Theories on Three Issues posted on CourseWeb)
o View of the person
o Importance of nature versus nurture (inherited biology vs. learning)
o Importance of conscious versus unconscious processes
- What enduring contributions did the theory make to the field of personality?
Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory
● Identified important phenomena previously overlooked by psychologists (the unconscious,
defense mechanisms, the importance of early childhood experience)
● Sufficient attention to the complexity of human thought and behavior
● Formalized and popularized “talk therapy”
Rogers’ Phenomenological Theory
● Emphasized the importance of conscious experiences, particularly thoughts about the self
(precursor to social-cognitive theory)
● Optimistic and positive view of the person
● Attempt to evaluate theory with scientific evidence
● Re-imagined psychotherapy (client-centered therapy) as collaborative; therapists should be warm,
empathic, and trust the basic striving of the client
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Trait Theory
● Big Five model based on objective data from large and diverse samples of individuals
● Lends itself to the integration of biological findings into a comprehensive model of personality
● Provide reliable measures for predicting individual differences in psychological outcomes
Behaviorism
● Reliance on objective, scientific methods
● Emphasis on the importance of environmental influences
● Behavioral techniques are utilized in many contemporary psychological treatments and therapies
● Influence on subsequent social-cognitive theories that emphasize learning
Biological Approaches
● The case of Phineas Gage provided early evidence that damage to the brain could specifically
change personality
● Inherited aspects of personality are reflected in infant and early childhood temperament (Jerome
Kagan research)
● Behavioral genetic research indicates that genes AND non-shared environmental experiences
both affect personality
● Experiences may affect personality through brain plasticity (our brain changes in response to
environmental input across the lifespan)
● Though the mechanisms are not yet well understood, biological factors undoubtedly contribute to
human universals, individual differences, and individual uniqueness in personality
Social-Cognitive Theory
● Many contemporary personality researchers and clinicians utilize a social-cognitive framework
● Impressive research evidence, testable hypotheses
● Important clinical applications for psychotherapy and behavioral change
● Theory itself is open to change (theory is constantly evolving and incorporating new scientific
evidence)
● Acknowledges complex bidirectional relationships between people, their environment, and their
behavior; personality is a complex system influenced by the interaction between biological and
environmental factors
● Consistent with biological research on personality
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Sample Cumulative Final Exam Questions
1. Which personality theory emphasized experimental research design, particularly animal studies, and
believed personality was the result of learning experiences in the environment?
a. Trait Theory
b. Behaviorism
c. Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory
d. Rogers’ Phenomenological Theory
2. A major contribution of ___________ was re-imaging psychotherapy as person-centered and trusting
the basic striving of the person being treated.
a. Trait Theory
b. Behaviorism
c. Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory
d. Rogers’ Phenomenological Theory
3. Jerome Kagan’s longitudinal research on temperament suggests that some aspects of adult
personality are evident in early childhood. Which theory of personality also emphasizes stability of
personality across the lifespan?
a. Rogers’ Phenomenological Theory
b. Trait Theory
c. Behaviorism
d. Social-Cognitive Theory
Part II – Biological Foundations OF PERSONALITY and Social-Cognitive Theory
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Chapter 15 of your textbook provides integrated information on the various theories" approaches to personality structure, process, development, and change, and would be helpful to review. In addition, i"ve posted a few tables in the final exam folder on courseweb to help you organize this information. For each of the theories covered in the course, you should focus on the following topics: Answering questions about personality (see textbook table 15. 1 posted on courseweb: structure, process, growth and development, psychopathology and therapeutic change. Conceptual issues (see position of theories on three issues posted on courseweb: view of the person, importance of nature versus nurture (inherited biology vs. learning, importance of conscious versus unconscious processes. Identified important phenomena previously overlooked by psychologists (the unconscious, defense mechanisms, the importance of early childhood experience) Sufficient attention to the complexity of human thought and behavior. Emphasized the importance of conscious experiences, particularly thoughts about the self (precursor to social-cognitive theory)
