Up until this point in the unit, we have focused on how external situations dictate human behavior. Now, we are pivoting to look inward. Personality is an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting. In this topic, we will explore two classic, opposing views of personality: the Psychodynamic approach (focusing on hidden conflicts and the unconscious) and the Humanistic approach (focusing on growth, potential, and conscious choices).
Pioneered heavily by the work of Sigmund Freud, the psychodynamic theory of personality suggests that our personalities are driven largely by unconscious processes. According to this perspective, our minds are like icebergs—the massive, hidden part underwater (the unconscious) contains unacknowledged desires, fears, and memories that heavily dictate our conscious thoughts and behaviors.
Because the unconscious mind holds desires and memories that can cause intense anxiety, our mind employs ego defense mechanisms. These mechanisms operate unconsciously and serve to protect the ego from psychological threats and anxiety. The AP exam specifically tests your ability to identify the following eight defense mechanisms:
If the psychodynamic perspective relies on the unconscious mind, how do psychologists actually measure it? They use non-experimental methodologies known as projective tests. These tests present individuals with ambiguous stimuli and ask them to describe or tell a story about what they see. The theory is that people will "project" their preconscious and unconscious feelings, conflicts, and desires onto the ambiguous image. Famous examples include the Rorschach Inkblot Test and the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).
Emerging as a stark contrast to the dark, conflict-ridden psychodynamic perspective, the humanistic theory of personality focuses on the positive aspects of human nature. Humanistic psychologists emphasize that humans have free will and are fundamentally motivated to achieve their highest potential.
Central to this perspective is how we perceive our own identity. Carl Rogers proposed that our personality is heavily influenced by our self-concept—the organized set of beliefs and perceptions a person has about themselves, including their traits, abilities, and identity. Rogers broke this down into two distinct components:
When a person's real self and ideal self are closely aligned, they experience congruence and a healthy personality. According to this theory, two primary motivating factors drive this personality development and growth:
Review Video. A quick video on on things personality. Some ideas (like Trait Theory) will be in the next topic (4.5) and others (like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs) are excluded from the scope of the AP exam.
⚠️ Out of Scope - Psychosexual Stages: If you are taking an older practice test or using an outdated textbook, you might see questions about Freud's "stage theory of psychosexual development" (Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital). Do not study this for the current AP Exam! The College Board has explicitly removed this stage theory from the scope of the test.
⚠️ Out of Scope - Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Similarly, while you must know the core concepts of humanism (unconditional positive regard and self-actualization), Maslow's hierarchy of needs is officially outside the scope of the AP Psychology Exam. Save your brain space for the required content!
Identifying the correct defense mechanism from a scenario is a guaranteed question type on the exam. Make sure you can tell them apart!