Personality and Social Psychology

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from personality and social psychology.

Openness to experience

Trait characterized by creativity, curiosity, and a preference for novelty.

Personality

A consistent pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that define an individual across time and situations.

Personality trait

A stable characteristic that influences behavior, such as being outgoing.

Personality state

A temporary mood or behavior, like feeling anxious before a test.

The Big 5 personality traits

A model considering five major traits: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness.

Neuroticism

Emotional instability and the tendency to experience negative emotions.

Extraversion

Sociability and the tendency to gain energy from social interactions.

Agreeableness

Compassion and cooperativeness; trust in others.

Conscientiousness

Being responsible, organized, and dependable.

Barnum effect

The tendency to accept vague or general statements as personally meaningful.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective technique where participants create stories about ambiguous images.

Rorschach inkblots

A projective test using inkblots to reveal personality through interpretation.

MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory)

A standardized test used for assessing psychological conditions and personality traits.

Kohlberg

Psychologist known for developing stages of moral development.

Solomon Asch

Conducted experiments on conformity, demonstrating pressure from group influence.

Stanley Milgram

Conducted famous obedience studies showing the willingness to obey authority figures under duress.

Cognitive dissonance

The discomfort experienced when holding two conflicting beliefs or actions.

Attributions

The process of explaining the reasons for our own and others' behaviors.

Self-serving bias

The tendency to attribute successes to internal factors and failures to external factors.

Gottman's Four Horsemen

Negative communication patterns—criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling—that predict relationship failure.

Diffusion of responsibility

The tendency for individuals to feel less responsible to act in a group.

DSM-V

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a guide for diagnosing mental disorders.

Biopsychosocial model

A framework understanding illness through biological, psychological, and social factors.

Psychoanalysis

A form of therapy focused on unconscious conflicts and childhood experiences.

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

A therapy that combines cognitive and behavior change techniques.

Anxiety disorder

A condition characterized by excessive fear or worry that becomes irrational or disabling.

Substance Use Disorder

A diagnosis including tolerance and withdrawal symptoms alongside continued use despite problems.

Stages of Change model

A model describing the stages a person goes through in changing behavior: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and potential relapse.