AP Psychology Modules 55-59

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 ones potential.

Self transcendence

Meaning, purpose, and communion beyond the self

Person centered perspective

Also called client centered perspective, held that a growth promoting climate required three conditions: genuineness, acceptance, empathy.

Unconditioned positive regard

According to rogers, an attitude of total acceptance toward another person

personality

an individuals 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

Freuds 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. it operates on the "pleasure principle", demanding immediate gratification.

pleasure principle

the id operates on this principle; it seeks immediate gratification

ego

the largely conscious, "executive" part of personality that, according to Freud, mediates among the demands of the id, 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.

reality principle

the ego operates on this principle, seeks to gratify the ids impulses in realistic ways that will bring long-term pleasure.

superego

the part of personality that, according to Freud, represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgement (the conscious) 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

some psychoanalysts in Freud's era believed that girls experienced this as a parallel to the Oedipus complex.

identification

the process by which, according to Freud, children incorporate their parents' values into their developing superegos.

gender identification

freud believed that identification with the same-sex parent provides our sense of being male or female.

fixation

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

in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories. retreating to a more infantile psychosexual stage, where some psychic energy remains fixated.

reaction formation

switching unacceptable impulses into their opposites.

projection

disguising one's own threatening impulses by attributing them to others.

rationalization

offering self-justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening unconscious reasons for ones actions.

displacement

shifting sexual or aggressive impulses into socially valued motives

sublimation

transferring of unacceptable impulses into socially valued motives.

denial

refusing to believe or even perceive painful realities.

psychodynamic theories

modern-day approaches that view personality with a focus on the unconscious and the importance of the childhood experiences.

collective unconscious

Carl Jung's concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species history.

projective test

a personality test, such as Rorshash, that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one's inner dynamics.

TAT (Thematic Apperception Test)

a projective test in which people express their inner feelings ad interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes.

Rorshach inkblot test

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

false consensus effect

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

terror-management theory

a theory of death- related anxiety; explores peoples emotional and behavioral responses to reminders of their impending death.

Self concept

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

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 ones potential

Unconditional positive regard

According to Rogers, and attitude of total acceptance toward another person

genuineness

when people are open with their own feelings, drop their facades, and are transparent adnd self-disclosing.

acceptance

when people offer unconditional positive regard, an attitude of grace that values us even knowing our failings. it is profound relief to drop our pretenses, confess our worst feelings, and discover that we are still accepted.

empathy

when people share and mirror others feelings and reflect their meanings.

trait

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

factor analysis

a statistical procedure used to identify clusters of test items that tap basic components of intelligence (such as spatial ability or verbal skills)

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.

MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory)

most widely researched and clinically used personality test. originally developed to identify emotional disorders, assess abnormal personality tendencies, rather than normal traits. this test is now used for many other screening purposes.

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 persons (and their thinking) and their social context

behavioral approach

in personality theory, this perspective focuses on the effects of learning on our personality development

reciprocal determinism

Interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment

personal control

The extent to which people perceive control over their environment rather than feeling helpless

positive psychology

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

positive well being

assesses, exercises, and interventions aimed at increasing happiness

positive health

Activities related to maintaining, attaining, or regaing good health and preventing illness. studies how positive emotions enhance and sustain physical health.

positive neuroscience

by examining the biological foundations of positive emotions resilience, and social behavior

positive education

by evaluating educational efforts to increase students' engagement, resilience, character strengths, optimism, and sense of meaning

psychoanalytic

Freuds personalty theory; emotional disorders spring from unconscious dynamics, such as unresolved sexual and other childhood conflicts, and fixation at various developmental stages. defense mechanism fend off anxiety

psychodynamic

Adler, Horney, Jungs personality theory; the unconscious and conscious minds interact. childhood experiences and defense mechanisms are important

Humanistic

Rogers and Maslows personality theory; rather than examining the struggle of sick people, its better to focus on the ways people strive for self-realization.

Trait

personality theory; we have certain stable and enduring characteristics, influenced by genetic predispositions

social cognitive

personality theory that our traits and the social context interact to produce our behaviors.

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.

self esteem

One's feelings of high or low self-worth

self efficacy

ones sense of competence and effectiveness

self-serving bias

a readiness to perceive oneself favorably.

narcissism

excessive self-love; absorption in oneself

individualism

Giving priority to one's own goals over group goals and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications

collectivism

Giving priority to the goals of one's group (often one's extended family or work group) and defining one's identity accordingly