Psych 9

Psychodynamic theory

Behavior is primarily influenced by unconscious motives.

Sigmund Freud

Pioneered psychodynamic theory.

Unconscious

Mental processes that occur without realization or conscious awareness.

Freud's sectors of the mind

Illustrated by the iceberg model, showing conscious and unconscious mind.

Ego

The realistic part of the mind that mediates between the id and the superego.

Id

The primal part of the mind that seeks immediate gratification of bodily needs.

Superego

The moral component of the mind, acting as a conscience.

Defense mechanisms

Strategies used by the ego to protect itself from anxiety.

Denial

Refusal to acknowledge painful or distressing feelings.

Displacement

Redirecting emotions from a true source to a safer, substitute target.

Projection

Attributing one's unwanted feelings onto others.

Rationalism

Offering seemingly logical explanations for behaviors or feelings.

Reaction formation

Expressing the opposite of one's true feelings.

Regression

Reverting to childlike behavior under stress.

Sublimation

Channeling negative emotions into socially acceptable actions.

Projective tests

Psychological assessments using ambiguous stimuli to reveal thoughts.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective test that reveals personal perception based on storytelling.

Rorschach test

A projective test using inkblots to assess personality.

Determinism approach

The belief that personality is shaped by environmental factors.

Humanistic theory of personality

Concept that individuals are inherently good and motivated to self-improve.

Abraham Maslow

Psychologist who developed the hierarchy of needs.

Hierarchy of needs

A motivational theory outlining human needs from basic to self-actualization.

Self-actualization tendency

The drive to achieve one's full potential.

Self-concept

An individual's perception of themselves.

Ideal self

The person one aspires to be.

Unconditional positive regard

An attitude of acceptance and support that facilitates personal growth.

Trait theory

A framework for understanding personality based on traits.

Gordon Allport

Psychologist known for defining and researching personality traits.

Big 5

Five core personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism.

Conscientiousness

A personality trait measuring how organized or messy someone is.

Agreeableness

Describes the range from being soft-hearted to ruthless.

Neuroticism/emotional stability

Refers to the levels of anxiety versus calmness in personality.

Openness/rigidity

Describes a person's imagination and flexibility versus practicality.

Extrovertedness/introvertedness

Range of sociability from outgoing to reserved.

Personality inventories

Assessments designed to evaluate individual personality traits.

Factor analysis

A statistical method used to identify relationships between variables.

Socio-cognitive perspective

Focuses on how social factors influence individual personality.

Albert Bandura

The psychologist who pioneered the socio-cognitive perspective.

Social Cognitive theory

Emphasizes the interaction of cognitive processes and social influences on behavior.

Reciprocal determinism

The concept that behavior is influenced by personal factors, the environment, and behavior itself.

Self-esteem

An individual's overall sense of self-worth or personal value.

Self-efficacy

Belief in one's ability to succeed in specific situations.