AP Psychology - Unit 4 Vocabulary - Vocab #2

vocab quiz - 2/24/25

Social script

a culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations

Mere exposure effect

the tendency for repeated exposure to novel stimuli to increase our liking of them

Passionate love

an aroused state of intense positive absorption to another, usually present at the beginning of a romantic relationship

Companionate love

the deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined

Equity

a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it

Self-disclosure

the act of revealing intimate aspects of ourselves to others

Altruism

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

Bystander effect

the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present

Social exchange theory

the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs

Reciprocity norm

an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them

Social-responsibility norm

an expectation that people will help those needing their help

Conflict

a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas

Social trap

a situation in which two parties, by each pursuing their self-interest rather than the good of the group, become caught in mutually destructive behavior

Mirror-image perceptions

mutual views often held by conflicting parties, as when each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as evil and aggressive

Self-fulfilling prophecy

a belief that leads to its own fulfillment

Superordinate goals

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation

GRIT

in psychology, passion and perseverance in the pursuit of long-term goals

Personality

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

Psychodynamic theories

theories that view personality with a focus on the unconscious mind and the importance of childhood experiences

Psychoanalysis

(1) 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, feelings, wishes, and memories. according to contemporary psychologists, information processing of which we are unaware

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

Id

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

Ego

the partly conscious, “executive” part of personality that, according to Freud, mediates among the demands of the id, the superego, and reality. the ego operates on the reality principle, satisfying the id’s desires in ways that will realistically bring pleasure rather than pain

Superego

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

Defense mechanism

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