Motivation, Emotion, Personality Vocabulary Quiz

psychodynamic theories

theories that view personality with a focus on the unconscious and the importance of childhood experiences. (Myers Psychology for AP 3e p. 578)

unconscious

according to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories. According to contemporary psychologists, information processing of which we are unaware. (Myers Psychology for AP 3e p. 579)

defense mechanisms

in psychoanalytic theory, the ego's protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality. (Myers Psychology for AP 3e p. 581)

regression

defense mechanism; retreating to a more infantile psychosexual stage, where some psychic energy remains fixated

reaction formation

defense mechanism; switching unacceptable impulses into their opposites

rationalization

defense mechanism; offering self-justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening unconscious reasons for one's actions

sublimation

defense mechanism; transferring of unacceptable impulses into socially valued motives

projective test

a personality test, such as the Rorschach, that provides ambiguous images designed to trigger projection of one's inner dynamics. (Myers Psychology for AP 3e p. 584)

humanistic theories

theories that view personality with a focus on the potential for healthy personal growth. (Myers Psychology for AP 3e p. 591)

self-actualizing tendencies

the striving to realize one's own potential and to develop one's abilities and appreciation.

unconditional positive regard

a caring, accepting, nonjudgmental attitude, which Carl Rogers believed would help clients develop self-awareness and self-acceptance. (Myers Psychology for AP 3e pp. 592, 726)

personality inventory

a questionnaire (often with true-false or agree-disagree items) on which people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors; used to assess selected personality traits. (Myers Psychology for AP 3e p. 598)

social-cognitive perspective

views behavior as influenced by the interaction between people's traits (including their thinking) and their social context. (Myers Psychology for AP 3e p. 606)

reciprocal determinism

the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment. (Myers Psychology for AP 3e p. 606)

self-efficacy

one's sense of competence and effectiveness. (Myers Psychology for AP 3e p. 612)

drive-reduction theory

the idea that a physiological need creates an aroused tension state (drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy that need by performing a drive-reducing behavior.

Yerkes-Dodson law

the principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases.

approach-avoidance conflict

a motivational struggle resulting from having to make a decision that has both positive and negative elements.

ghrelin

a hormone that stimulates appetite and signals hunger.

cognitive appraisal

the personal interpretation of a situation that determines its significance and impact on an individual's emotional response.