AP Psychology Final

Personality

The unique pattern of thoughts feelings and behaviors that make a person different from others.

Free Association

A psychoanalytic technique where a person says whatever comes to mind to reveal unconscious thoughts.

Psychoanalysis

Freud’s theory and therapy focused on unconscious conflicts and childhood experiences.

Unconscious

A part of the mind containing thoughts memories and desires outside awareness.

Id

The impulsive part of personality that seeks immediate pleasure.

Ego

The rational part of personality that balances desires and reality.

Superego

The moral part of personality that judges right and wrong.

Oedipus Complex

Freud’s idea that a boy feels attraction to his mother and rivalry toward his father.

Ego Defense Mechanism

An unconscious strategy used to reduce anxiety and protect self-esteem.

Collective Unconscious

Jung’s idea that humans share inherited memories and ideas.

Thematic Apperception Test

A personality test where people create stories about pictures.

Rorschach Inkblot Test

A projective test using inkblots to reveal personality traits.

Unconditional Positive Regard

Accepting and valuing someone without judgment.

Self Concept

The way a person views and understands themselves.

Traits

Stable characteristics that influence behavior.

Personality Inventories

Questionnaires used to measure personality traits.

MMPI

A widely used personality test that measures psychological disorders and traits.

Social Cognitive Perspective on Personality

The view that personality is shaped by thoughts behaviors and environment.

Big 5 Personality Traits

The five major personality dimensions openness conscientiousness extraversion agreeableness and neuroticism.

Self Serving Bias

The tendency to credit successes to yourself and blame failures on outside factors.

Individualism

A cultural focus on personal goals and independence.

Collectivism

A cultural focus on group goals and cooperation.

Prejudice

An unfair negative attitude toward a group.

Discrimination

Unfair treatment of people based on group membership.

Stereotypes

Oversimplified beliefs about a group of people.

Just World Phenomenon

The belief that people get what they deserve.

Ingroup

A group that a person identifies with.

Outgroup

A group that someone does not identify with.

Scapegoat Theory

Blaming another group for problems or frustrations.

Other Race Effect

The tendency to recognize faces of your own race more easily.

Frustration-Aggression Principle

The idea that frustration can lead to aggression.

Mere Exposure Effect

People tend to like things they see often.

Passionate Love

Intense emotional and physical attraction.

Companionate Love

Deep affectionate attachment and commitment.

Equity

A balance of giving and receiving in relationships.

Self Disclosure

Sharing personal thoughts and feelings with others.

Altruism

Helping others without expecting rewards.

Bystander Effect

People are less likely to help when others are present.

Social Exchange Theory

Relationships are based on weighing costs and benefits.

Reciprocity Norm

The expectation that people will return favors.

Social-Responsibility Norm

The belief that people should help those in need.

Conflict

A disagreement or clash between individuals or groups.

Social Trap

A situation where selfish behavior harms everyone.

Mirror Image Perceptions

Seeing your enemies as bad and your own group as good.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

A belief that causes itself to become true through actions.

Superordinate Goals

Shared goals that require cooperation between groups.

Attribution Theory

The theory explaining how people interpret causes of behavior.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Overestimating personality and underestimating situations when judging others.

Actor Observer Bias

Explaining your own behavior with situations but others’ behavior with personality.

Just-World Hypothesis

The belief that the world is fair and people deserve outcomes.

Attitude

A belief or feeling that influences behavior.

Peripheral Route to Persuasion

Persuasion using emotions or surface features instead of facts.

Central Route to Persuasion

Persuasion based on evidence and logical arguments.

Foot in the Door Phenomenon

Getting someone to agree to a larger request after a small one.

Role

A set of expected behaviors for a social position.

Conformity

Adjusting behavior to match a group.

Normative Social Influence

Conforming to fit in or gain approval.

Informational Social Influence

Conforming because others are seen as correct.

Social Facilitation

Improved performance when others are watching.

Social Loafing

Putting less effort into group work.

Deindividuation

Loss of self-awareness and restraint in groups.

Group Polarization

Group discussions strengthening members’ opinions.

Groupthink

A desire for harmony that leads to poor decisions.

Culture

Shared beliefs behaviors and traditions of a group.

Norm

An expected rule for behavior in a society.

Emotion

A response involving feelings thoughts and physical reactions.

Display Rules

Cultural rules for expressing emotions.

James-Lange Theory

Emotions happen after physical reactions.

Cannon-Bard Theory

Emotions and physical reactions happen at the same time.

Schachter-Singer Two-Factor Theory

Emotion comes from physical arousal and cognitive labeling.

Zajonc’s Theory of Emotion

Some emotions occur instantly without conscious thinking.

LeDoux’s Theory of Emotion

Emotional reactions can bypass the cortex through the amygdala.

Lazarus’ Theory of Emotion

Thinking and appraisal come before emotion.

Approach-Approach Conflict

Choosing between two desirable options.

Approach-Avoidance Conflict

One option has both positive and negative qualities.

Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict

Choosing between two undesirable options.

Multiple Approach-Avoidance Conflict

Choosing among options with both positives and negatives.

General Adaptation Syndrome

The body’s stress response process alarm resistance exhaustion.

Type A Personality

Competitive impatient and high-stress personality type.

Type B Personality

Relaxed and less competitive personality type.

Instinct

An inherited behavior pattern.

Drive-Reduction Theory

Motivation comes from reducing biological needs.

Homeostasis

Maintaining a stable internal balance.

Incentive

An external reward that motivates behavior.

Extrinsic Motivation

Doing something for rewards or to avoid punishment.

Intrinsic Motivation

Doing something because it is enjoyable or meaningful.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

Moderate arousal leads to the best performance.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

A pyramid of human needs from survival to self-actualization.

Set Point

The body’s natural weight range.

Basal Metabolic Rate

The rate at which the body uses energy at rest.

Sexual Response Cycle

The stages of physical sexual response.

Affiliation Need

The desire to form relationships and belong.

Cognitive Dissonance

Mental discomfort from conflicting beliefs or actions.

Self Efficacy

Belief in your ability to succeed.

Placenta

An organ that provides nutrients and oxygen to a fetus.

Teratogens

Harmful substances that can damage a developing fetus.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Physical and cognitive problems caused by alcohol exposure before birth.

Novelty Preference Procedure

A method showing babies look longer at new stimuli.

Maturation

Biological growth processes that enable development.

Developmental Norms

Typical ages when skills or behaviors appear.