Psychology Exam 4

self-concept

knowledge about and perceptions of ourselves

existential self

most basic part of our self-concept; knowledge that one is separate and distinct from others

when does existential self develop?

develops around 18-24 months

the rouge test

test used to identify a child's existential self; if makeup is put on a child's forehead, children 18-24 months will wipe the makeup off when looking in a mirror as they can separate themselves from others; children under 18 months will look behind the mirror to find the child with makeup;

categorical self (public self)

understanding that we each have specific properties; describing our physical or psychological characteristics

private self

one's inner self; not immediately known by others; things we only know about ourselves that others may not realize

theory of mind

understanding that people have unique beliefs, desires, and intentions; develops around the age of 4; assessed using false-belief tasks

self-discrepancy theory

states that comparing actual self to ideal or ought self results in negative feelings

actual self

who we actually are

ideal self

who we could be; person we could be if we reach our full potential

ought self

the person we think we should be

discrepancy between actual self and ideal self

this discrepancy will result in feelings of unhappiness, disappointment, dissatisfaction, or self-dislike

discrepancy between actual self and ought self

this discrepancy will result in feelings of fear, anxiety, personal inadequacy, or alienation

self-esteem

the extent to which we value ourselves

social comparisons

evaluations of ourselves based on comparisons to others

downward social comparison

comparing our lives to people who are doing worse in life; increases self-esteem

upward social comparison

comparing our lives to people who are doing better in life; decreases self-esteem

personality

stable and enduring pattern of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors

psychodynamic theory

unconscious motives influence personality

humanistic theory

potential for growth and personal fulfillment; reaching our full potential

trait theory

personality is explained by characteristics

social-cognitive theory

personality is explained by how we think; how social factors influence personality

created the psychodynamic theory

Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud's main belief

believed that unconscious forces determine behavior/personality

3 structures of the mind

unconscious, conscious, and preconscious

unconscious mind

reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, feelings, and memories

conscious mind

everything that we are aware of

preconscious mind

information outside of awareness but accessible; bringing in information outside of awareness to focus

conflict between the different structures of the mind results in our ...

...personality

3 structures of personality

id, superego, ego

id

completely unconscious; survive, reproduce, aggress; operates on the Pleasure Principle

superego

moral compass; "Conscience;" how we ought to behave

ego

deals with the id's demands in realistic ways; operates on the reality principle to minimize tension/anxiety brought up between the id and superego

conflicts between the id and superego creates ...

... anxiety

repression

type of defense mechanism; pushes unacceptable id urges back into the unconscious and out of awareness

denial

type of defense mechanism; smokers may refuse to believe that smoking is bad for their health

displacement

type of defense mechanism; shifting aggressive or sexual impulses toward less threatening targets; a boss may yell at you at work, but you go home and yell at loved ones

sublimation

type of defense mechanism and form of displacement; shifting aggressive or sexual impulses toward socially appropriate targets; boxer takes out aggressive impulses on other boxers

projection

type of defense mechanism; disguise our own threatening impulses by attributing them to others

Rorschach Inkblot Tests

type of projective test; client is asked to describe what they see to understand unconscious thoughts or feelings

Thematic Apperception Test

type of projective test; client is asked to describe the scenario of the image to understand their thoughts through what they are projecting

oral stage

first 18 months; pleasure center = mouth; children will constantly put objects into their mouth for pleasure

anal stage

18-36 months; pleasure focus on bowel movement; children get pleasure from controlling their bowel; potty training

phallic stage

3-6 years; pleasure center = genitals

Oedipus complex

castration anxiety motivates boys to identify with their father; facilitates the superego

Electra complex

girls have no castration anxiety so they have weaker superegos; Freud believed females were morally inferior and had penis envy

latency stage

6 years-puberty; psychic time-out

genital stage

adolescence-adulthood; sexual pleasure shifts to people outside of the home; socially appropriate targets

Freud's Psychosexual Theory

conflicts arise at each Psychosexual Stage; if unresolved, we fixate our pleasure-seeking energy at that stage; if deprived at the oral stage, may continue to seek oral gratification; thumb sucking, smoking, biting nails, oral sex, etc.

criticisms of
Freud's theory

too much focus on sex and aggression; theories are not testable and no empirical support; stops at adolescence

Freud's major contributions

introduced the importance of the unconscious; early childhood experiences can have long lasting implications; developed the "Free Association" technique

trait theory

more to personality than unconscious motives; our traits cause a person to behave the same in different situations

traits

stable and enduring thoughts and behaviors; causes a person to behave the same in different situations

Lexical Approach

psychologists went through dictionaries and picked out every word that could be used to describe a person; 18,000 words

factor analysis

grouped similar words together from the dictionaries

big five factors of personality

broad traits; describe the main dimensions of personality; measured on a continuum

conscientiousness

organized/disorganized, forgiving/unforgiving

agreeableness

generous/ruthless, helpful/uncooperative

neuroticism

anxious/calm, insecure/secure

openness

tolerant/intolerant, creative/conforming

extraversion

social/reserved, outgoing/"home-body"

self-report measures

asks people to voluntarily share information about themselves to assess traits

pros of self-report measures

easy to obtain; can be quick and effective; relatively inexpensive

cons of self-report measures

people are biased (social desirability); difficult to create good (reliable and valid) measures; people may not pay careful attention; typically don't take into consideration the situation

Fleeson's theory

typical individuals are likely to experience all levels of all traits in his/her everyday life

what changes who you are?

the interaction between nature and nurture; environmental events -> genes

psychological disorders

characterized by abnormal behaviors

abnormal behaviors must be ...

...deviant, maladaptive, and distressful

deviant

behaviors are different from the "norm"

maladaptive

behaviors interfere with one's ability to function

distressful

feelings of shame, guilt, despair, etc.

disorders are...

...maladaptive and distressful

DSM stands for

diagnostic & statistical manual of mental disorders

purpose of the DSM-5

used to identify and diagnose mental disorders

DSM list of criteria for diagnosis

these must be met prior to the diagnosis of an individual

controversies about DSM-5 criteria for ADHD

diagnostic criteria has been relaxed; age has been changed

controversies about DSM-5 criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder

diagnosis for Asperger Syndrome has been dropped

controversies about DSM-5 criteria for Mild Neurocognitive Impairment

new diagnosis for adults experiencing cognitive decline even though intelligence and memory fades overtime for everyone

anxiety disorders

distressing, persistent anxiety; uncontrollable fear, motor tension (trembling), hyperactivity (racing heart), apprehension

generalized anxiety disorder

pathological and constant worry; difficult to concentrate; unable to identify the reason for the worry

panic disorder

anxiety -> panic attacks; intense dread and terror; chest pain, choking, dizziness

specific phobias

irrational, overwhelming, and persistent fear of a particular object; fear of that object/experience is disproportionate to the level of threat

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

unwanted thoughts and/or actions; can become very time consuming; threatens normal functioning

medication

type of anxiety and depressive disorder treatment including anti-anxiety/anti-depressants; relapse rates are high; can be habit forming

cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

type of anxiety and depressive disorder treatment; taught how to identify problematic thoughts/behaviors; taught strategies to overcome these

depressive disorders

type of mood disorder where there is a constant lack of pleasure in one's life

major depressive disorder (MDD)

chronic fatigue, sense of worthlessness, reduced interest in the things that usually bring enjoyment; appetite and sleep disturbances

biological cause of MDD

a chemical imbalance can cause too few receptors for serotonin in the body causing this disorder

chemical imbalance

there are too few receptors for serotonin which causes a person to develop MDD; antidepressants typically include SSRIs

psychological causes of MDD

learned helplessness and rumination on negative thoughts can cause this disorder

learned helplessness

feelings of powerless and loss of control; when we try something and keep failing

mood disorders

can be characterized by feeling sad or depressed sometimes or emotional extremes

one extreme of mood disorders

depression

another extreme of mood disorders

mania

bipolar disorders

extreme mood swings from intense depression to overwhelming mania; as if we two selves; happy-go-lucky, risk-seeking self or the withdrawn, depressed self

bipolar I

must have at least one manic episode; may or may not have a major depressive episode

bipolar II

hypomanic and depressive episodes; still experiences a depressive state but not a full blown manic episode

hypomanic

mildly elevated moods

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

type of depressive disorder treatment; mild electrical current is passed through the brain to improve extreme depressive states

interpersonal therapy

type of depressive disorder treatment; helps people form relationships to seek out support