Intro and Personality Psych MC Practice Unit 1

structuralism

an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind

functionalism

A school of psychology that focused on how our mental and behavioral processes function - how they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish.

introspection

A method of self-observation in which participants report their thoughts and feelings

Wilhelm Wundt

father of psychology, established the first psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig, Germany

Edward Titchener

Student of Wilhelm Wundt; founder of Structuralist school of psychology.

William James

founder of functionalism; studied how humans use perception to function in our environment

John Watson

behaviorism; emphasis on external behaviors of people and their reactions on a given situation; famous for Little Albert study in which baby was taught to fear a white rat

B.F. Skinner

Behaviorist that developed the theory of operant conditioning by training pigeons and rats

behaviorism

A theoretical orientation based on the premise that scientific psychology should study only observable behavior

Freudian Psychology

emphasized the ways our unconscious thought processes and our emotional responses to childhood experiences affect our behavior

Sigmund Freud

Austrian physician whose work focused on the unconscious causes of behavior and personality formation; founded psychoanalysis.

humanistic psychology

historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people and the individual's potential for personal growth

Carl Rogers

Humanisic; self-concept and unconditional positive regard drive personality

Abraham Maslow

humanistic psychology; hierarchy of needs-needs at a lower level dominate an individual's motivation as long as they are unsatisfied; self-actualization, transcendence

cognitive psychology

the scientific study of all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

cognitive neuroscience

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)

psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

behavior

observable actions of human beings and nonhuman animals

mental processes

The thoughts, feelings, and motives that each of us experiences privately but that cannot be observed directly

science

An organized way of gathering and analyzing evidence about the natural world.

nature

the influence of our inherited characteristics on our personality, physical growth, intellectual growth, and social interactions

nurture

the influence of the environment on personality, physical growth, intellectual growth, and social interactions

natural selection

A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.

biopsychosocial approach

an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis

Neuroscience

the study of how the body and brain enable emotions, memories, and sensory experiences

evolutionary

how the natural selection of traits has promoted the survival of genes

behavior genetics

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

psychodynamic approach

an approach that regards personality as formed by needs, strivings, and desires largely operating outside of awareness-motives that can also produce emotional disorders

behavioral approach

An approach to psychology emphasizing the scientific study of observable behavioral responses and their environmental determinants.

Cognitive Approach

An approach to psychology emphasizing the mental processes involved in knowing: how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems.

social-cultural approach

the study of how situations and cultures affect our behavior and thinking

basic research

pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base

applied research

scientific study that aims to solve practical problems

counseling psychology

a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater well-being

clinical psychology

a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders

positive psychology

the scientific study of optimal human functioning; aims to discover and promote strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive

community psychology

a branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups

Personality

an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

free association

in psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing

psychoanalysis

Freud's theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts; the techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions

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.

id

a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that, according to Freud, strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives. Operates on the pleasure principle, demanding immediate gratification.

ego

the largely conscious, "executive" part of personality that, according to Freud, mediates among the demands of the id, superego, and reality. Operates on the reality principle, satisfying the id's desires in ways that will realistically bring pleasure rather than pain.

superego

the part of personality that, according to Freud, represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and for future aspirations

psychosexual stages

the childhood stages of development (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital) during which, according to Freud, the id's pleasure-seeking energies focus on distinct erogenous zones

Oedipus complex

according to Freud, a boy's sexual desires toward his mother and feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival father

Electra complex

according to Freud, a girl's sexual desires toward her father and feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival mother

identification

the process by which children incorporate their parents' values into their developing superegos

Fixation/fixate

according to Freud, a lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at an earlier psychosexual stage, in which conflicts were unresolved

defense mechanisms

in psychoanalytic theory, the ego's protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality

Repression (defense mechanism)

Involuntary blocking of unpleasant feelings and experiences from ones awareness.

reaction formation (defense mechanism)

Preventing unacceptable thoughts or behaviors from being expressed by exaggerating opposite thoughts or types of behaviors.

projection (defense mechanism)

Attributing feelings or impulses unacceptable to ones self to another person.

rationalization (defense mechanism)

Attempting to make excuses or formulate logical reasons to justifying unacceptable feelings or behaviors.

displacement (defense mechanism)

The transfer of feelings from one target to another that is considered less threatening or that is neutral.

denial (defense mechanism)

Refusing to acknowledge the existence of a real situation or the feelings associated with it.

Alfred Adler

Neo-Freudian; introduced concept of "inferiority complex" and stressed the importance of birth order

Karen Horney

Neo-Freudian; offered feminist critique of Freud's theory

Carl Jung

neo-Freudian who created concept of "collective unconscious" and wrote books on dream interpretation

projective test

a personality test, such as the Rorschach or TAT, that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one's inner dynamics

Rorschach inkblot test

the most widely used projective test, a set of 10 inkblots, designed by Hermann Rorschach; seeks to identify people's inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots

false consensus effect

the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors

terror management theory

a theory of death-related anxiety; explores people's emotional and behavioral responses to reminders of their impending death

humanistic theories

view personality with a focus on the potential for healthy personal growth

self-actualization

according to Maslow, one of the ultimate psychological needs that arises after basic physical and psychological needs are met and self-esteem is achieved; the motivation to fulfill one's potential

unconditional positive regard

according to Rogers, an attitude of total acceptance toward another person

self-concept

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, "Who am I?"

trait

a characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act, as assessed by self-report inventories and peer reports

Gordon Allport

Founder of Trait Theory

Trait Theory

A theory of personality that focuses on identifying, describing, and measuring individual differences in behavioral predispositions

isabel briggs myers and katharine briggs

developed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

a personality test that taps four characteristics and classifies people into 1 of 16 personality types

factor analysis

a statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items (called factors) on a test; used to identify different dimensions of performance that underlie a person's total score.

Hans and Sybil Eysenck

Psychology theorists who suggested that personality could be reduced to two polar dimensions introversion-extraversion and emotional instability-stability (neuroticism).

personality inventories

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.

Minesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

the most widely researched and clinically used of all personality tests. Originally developed to identify emotional disorders (still considered its most appropriate use), this test is now used for many other screening purposes.

empiracally derived test

a test developed by testing a pool of items and then selecting those that discriminate between groups

Big Five Personality Traits

A set of five fundamental traits that are especially relevant to organizations

Conscientiousness

A personality dimension that describes someone who is responsible, dependable, persistent, and organized

Agreeableness

A personality dimension that describes someone who is good natured, cooperative, and trusting.

Neuroticism

A personality dimension describing people with high levels of anxiety, hostility, depression, and self-consciousness.

Openness

a personality dimension describing people as curious, imaginative, creative, adventurous, and inventive

Extraversion

A personality dimension describing someone who is sociable, gregarious, and assertive

person-situation controversy

the question of whether behavior is caused more by personality or by situational factors

social-cognitive perspective

views behavior as influenced by the interaction between people's traits (including their thinking) and their social context.

reciprocal determinism

the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment

locus of control

a person's tendency to perceive the control of rewards as internal to the self or external in the environment

personal control

our sense of controlling our environment rather than feeling helpless

internal locus of control

the perception that you control your own fate

external locus of control

the perception that chance or outside forces beyond your personal control determine your fate.

self-control

the ability to control impulses and delay short-term gratification for greater long-term rewards

learned helplessness

the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events

self

in contemporary psychology, assumed to be the center of personality, the organizer of our thoughts, feelings, and actions

spotlight effect

overestimating others' noticing and evaluating our appearance, performance, and blunders (as if we presume a spotlight shines on us)

self-esteem

one's feelings of high or low self-worth

self-serving bias

the tendency for people to take personal credit for success but blame failure on external factors

narcissism

excessive self-love and self-absorption

defensive self-esteem

fragile; focuses on sustaining itself, which makes failures and criticism feel threatening

secure self-esteem

less fragile, less contingent on external evaluations, and more likely to achieve a greater quality of life

self-efficacy

one's sense of competence and effectiveness