ap pysch

Instincts

Innate behaviors we are born with that help us survive.

Drive-Reduction Theory

The idea that we are motivated to reduce uncomfortable states like hunger or thirst.

Homeostasis

The body's need to maintain a balanced or stable internal environment.

Belongingness

The need to feel accepted and loved by others.

Arousal Theory

The theory that we seek an optimal level of excitement or stimulation.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

The idea that performance is best at a moderate level of arousal.

Sensation-Seeking Theory

The need to seek out new and exciting experiences.

Thrill Seeking

The desire for physical excitement, like riding roller coasters.

Adventure Seeking

The desire for risky or physically challenging experiences.

Disinhibition

The tendency to act more impulsively or freely in certain situations.

Boredom Susceptibility

The tendency to feel bored easily, leading to a need for new experiences.

Incentive Theory

The idea that external rewards motivate us to behave in certain ways.

Extrinsic Motivation

Being motivated by external rewards or outcomes, like money or praise.

Self-Determination Theory

The idea that people are motivated by intrinsic factors like autonomy and personal growth.

Intrinsic Motivation

Being motivated by internal desires, like personal satisfaction or enjoyment.

Lewin’s Motivational Conflict Theory

The theory that conflicts can arise from competing desires, like wanting to do two different things.

Approach-Approach Conflicts

A situation where you have to choose between two appealing options.

Approach-Avoidance Conflicts

A situation where one choice has both positive and negative aspects.

Affect

The emotional experience or expression.

Facial-Feedback Hypothesis

The idea that facial expressions can influence emotions.

Display Rules

Socially accepted ways of expressing emotions in different cultures.

Elicitors

Things or events that trigger emotions.

Broaden and Build Theory of Emotions

The idea that positive emotions expand our thinking and help us grow.

Universal Emotions

Emotions that are experienced the same way across all cultures, like happiness or sadness.

Psychodynamic Theory

A theory that suggests emotions are driven by unconscious desires and conflicts.

Preconscious Mind

Thoughts that are not currently in our awareness but can be brought into consciousness.

Unconscious Mind

Thoughts and desires that are not accessible to conscious thought.

Denial

Refusing to acknowledge reality or emotions.

Displacement

Redirecting emotions to a safer target.

Projection

Attributing your own feelings to others.

Rationalization

Justifying behaviors or feelings with logical reasons, even if they're not true.

Reaction Formation

Acting opposite to your true feelings.

Regression

Reverting to childlike behaviors when under stress.

Repression

Pushing unpleasant thoughts or feelings into the unconscious.

Sublimation

Channeling negative emotions into positive actions, like art or sports.

Humanistic Psychology

A perspective that focuses on personal growth and self-actualization.

Unconditional Regard

Accepting someone without judgment, no matter what.

Self-Actualizing Tendency

The desire to reach one's full potential.

Social-Cognitive Theory

The idea that behavior is influenced by both personal factors and the environment.

Reciprocal Determinism

The idea that behavior, environment, and personal factors influence each other.

Self-Concept

Our understanding of who we are.

Self-Efficacy

Belief in our ability to achieve goals.

Self-Esteem

How we feel about ourselves.

Trait Theories

Theories that explain personality based on traits or characteristics.

Big Five Theory

A model of personality that includes five traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability.

Personality Inventories

Questionnaires used to measure personality traits.

Factor Analysis

A statistical method used to identify clusters of traits that go together.

Openness to Experience

Willingness to try new things and be creative.

Conscientiousness

Being organized, responsible, and hardworking.

Extraversion

The degree to which someone is outgoing and social.

Agreeableness

Being cooperative, friendly, and compassionate.

Emotional Stability

Being calm, stable, and less likely to experience negative emotions.

Attributions

Explaining the causes of behavior.

Dispositional Attributions

Blaming someone's behavior on their personality or character.

Situational Attributions

Blaming someone's behavior on external factors or the situation.

Explanatory Style

How we explain the causes of events.

Optimistic Explanatory Style

Explaining events in a positive way.

Pessimistic Explanatory Style

Explaining events in a negative way.

Actor/Observer Bias

Attributing your own behavior to the situation but others' behavior to their personality.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Overestimating the role of personality in others' behavior and underestimating the role of the situation.

Self-Serving Bias

Taking credit for successes and blaming failures on external factors.

Internal Locus of Control

Belief that you control your own fate.

External Locus of Control

Belief that outside forces control your fate.

Mere Exposure Effect

The tendency to develop a liking for things we are exposed to frequently.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

When our beliefs about someone lead us to act in ways that make those beliefs come true.

Social Comparison

Comparing ourselves to others.

Upward Social Comparison

Comparing ourselves to someone better off.

Downward Social Comparison

Comparing ourselves to someone worse off.

Relative Deprivation

Feeling worse off than others, even if you're doing fine.

Stereotype

A generalized belief about a group of people.

Cognitive Load

The amount of mental effort required to process information.

Prejudice

A negative attitude toward a group.

Discrimination

Negative behavior toward a group.

Implicit Attitudes

Unconscious attitudes toward something or someone.

Just-World Phenomenon

The belief that people get what they deserve.

Out-Group Homogeneity Bias

Seeing members of other groups as being more similar to each other than they really are.

In-Group Bias

Favoring people in your own group.

Ethnocentrism

Believing your culture is superior to others.

Belief Perseverance

Holding onto beliefs even after they are proven wrong.

Confirmation Bias

Looking for information that confirms your beliefs.

Cognitive Dissonance

The discomfort of holding conflicting thoughts or beliefs.

Social Norms

The accepted behaviors within a group.

Social Influence Theory

The idea that people’s behavior is influenced by others.

Normative Social Influence

Conforming to fit in with the group.

Informational Social Influence

Conforming because you believe others have accurate information.

Persuasion

Changing someone's beliefs or behavior.

Elaboration Likelihood Model

A model that explains how persuasion works in different ways.

Central Route

Persuasion through logical arguments.

Peripheral Route

Persuasion through superficial cues, like attractiveness.

Halo Effect

Assuming someone's overall character based on one trait.

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

Getting people to agree to a small request first, then a bigger one.

Door-in-the-Face Technique

Starting with a large request and then making a smaller one.

Conformity

Adjusting your behavior to match the group.

Obedience

Following orders from an authority figure.

Collectivism

Prioritizing group goals over individual goals.

Multiculturalism

Valuing and preserving different cultural identities within a society.

Group Polarization

Groups making more extreme decisions than individuals.

Groupthink

When the desire for harmony in a group leads to poor decisions.

Diffusion of Responsibility

When people are less likely to take action in a group.

Social Loafing

People putting in less effort when working in a group.