Unit 7: Motivation, Emotion, and Personality

Instincts

Unconscious behaviors that feel natural and are driven by evolutionary factors.

Incentives

Positive or negative stimuli that drive behavior towards or away from a desired outcome.

Intrinsic Motivation

Doing something for personal enjoyment or interest.

Extrinsic Motivation

Doing something for external rewards or factors.

Overjustification Effect

When external rewards decrease intrinsic motivation for a task.

Achievement Motivation

The desire to master complex tasks and reach personal goals.

Self-Efficacy

Belief in one's ability to successfully complete a task.

Instinct Theory

Theory that behavior is driven by innate instincts for survival and reproduction.

Drive-Reduction Theory

Theory that behavior is motivated by the need to satisfy physiological needs and maintain homeostasis.

Optimal Arousal Theory

Theory that behavior is motivated by the search for the right level of stimulation.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

Law stating that moderate arousal leads to optimal performance.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Theory that human needs are organized in a hierarchical structure, from basic physiological needs to self-actualization.

Hunger Motivation

Motivation driven by the need for food and influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors.

Sexual Motivation

Motivation driven by the need for sexual activity and influenced by biological and psychological factors.

Social Motivation

Motivation driven by the need for social connection and affiliation with others.

Social media impact on mental health

The influence of social media on our mental well-being and sense of belonging.

Theories of Emotion

Different theories that explain the nature and origin of emotions.

Common Sense Theory

The belief that emotions are experienced first, followed by physiological responses.

James-Lange Theory

The theory that states that emotions are a result of physiological responses.

Cannon-Bard Theory

The theory that suggests that emotions and physiological responses occur simultaneously.

Schachter-Singer Theory

The theory that combines physiological arousal and cognitive appraisal to determine emotions.

Zajonc-LeDoux Theory

The theory that proposes that emotional reactions can occur without conscious appraisal.

Lazarus Theory

The theory that states that cognitive appraisal of the environment leads to physiological arousal and emotional experience.

Primary Emotions

Fear, anger, and happiness, which are essential for survival.

Facial Expression and Emotions

The relationship between facial expressions and the activation of specific brain regions.

Culture and Emotions

How culture influences the expression and perception of emotions.

Facial Feedback Effect

The phenomenon where facial muscle states trigger corresponding feelings.

Stress and Coping

The concept of stress and different coping mechanisms.

Stressors

Catastrophes, significant life changes, and daily hassles as sources of stress.

Responses to Stress

Fight or flight response and general adaptation syndrome as physiological responses to stress.

Dealing with Stress

Isolation and withdrawal or tend and befriend response as coping strategies.

Lewin's Motivation Conflict Theory

Different types of conflicts that arise in stressful situations.

Stress-related Illnesses

Prolonged exposure to stress can lead to psychophysiological illnesses.

Cortisol

The hormone associated with stress and its effects on health.

Unhealthy Behaviors

Unhealthy habits that people engage in when stressed, such as smoking and drinking.

Research Methods Used to Investigate Personality

Case studies, surveys, and personality inventories as methods to study personality.

Psychologists to Know

Alfred Adler, Albert Bandura, Paul Costa & Robert McCrae, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers.

Key Vocabulary

Personality inventories, MMPI, Free association, Psychoanalysis, Unconscious, Id, Ego, Superego, Psychosexual Stages, Oedipus complex, Identification, Fixation, Defense Mechanisms, Self-serving bias, Narcissism, Individualism, Collectivism, Psychodynamic theories, Collective unconscious, Projective Tests, TAT, Inkblot tests, False consensus effect, Positive psychology, Spotlight effect, Self-esteem, Self-efficacy, Humanistic Theories, Self-actualization, Unconditional Positive Regard, Self-concept, Trait, Factor Analysis, The big 5, Reciprocal Determinism.

Psychoanalytic Theories of Personality

The influence of the unconscious on personality and the use of psychoanalysis to explore the unconscious.

The Unconscious

Freud's belief in the existence of an unconscious mind that stores repressed thoughts and desires.

Conscious

The thoughts that we are aware of and express.

Id

The storage of unconscious thoughts directed towards fulfilling sexual and aggressive drives.

Ego

The decision maker and balance between the id and superego, operates on the reality principle.

Superego

Our conscience, tries to make us conform to and thrive in society.

Psychosexual Stages

Childhood stages of development focused on specific pleasurable zones.

Defense Mechanisms

Psychological strategies used by the ego to rationalize behavior.

Repression

Getting rid of the cause of anxiety.

Regression

Acting like a younger age when anxiety was not experienced.

Reaction Formation

Expressing the opposite emotion of what one feels.

Projection

Taking how one feels and placing it on someone else.

Rationalization

Making excuses for one's situation or cause of anxiety.

Displacement

Changing the target of one's aggression.

Sublimation

Rechanneling emotions into a socially acceptable activity.

Denial

Refusing to believe an idea that causes anxiety.

Intellectualization

Obtaining knowledge over something as a means of having a sense of control.

Criticisms of Freud

Lack of scientific evidence, overemphasis on early childhood and sex.

Impacts of Freud

Influence on understanding unconscious thoughts and art.

Psychodynamic Theory

Expansion of Freud's ideas by Neo-Freudian psychologists.

Carl Jung

Proposed personal and collective unconscious, archetypes.

Alfred Adler

Focused on the conscious role of the ego, motivation, and superiority complex.

Social-Cognitive Theories

Emphasize the influence of personalities and interactions with the environment.

Reciprocal Determinism

Personality changes based on thoughts, environment, and behavior.

Locus of Control

Internal and external beliefs about control over fate.

Learned Helplessness

Feeling of helplessness, hopelessness, and depression due to lack of control.

Optimism vs Pessimism

Outlook on life influenced by personal control.

An Individual

Organizer of thoughts, desires, emotion, and personality.

Self-Esteem

How much one values oneself.

Self-Efficacy

Confidence in completing tasks.

Self-Serving Bias

Tendency to perceive oneself favorably.

Positive Psychology

Focus on positive well-being, health, and education.

Behavioral Theories

Focus on the effect of learning on personality.

Skinner

Personality determined by environment and conditioning.

Humanistic Theories of Personality

View people as innately good and able to determine their own destinies.

Self-Concept

Global feeling about oneself.

Abraham Maslow

Hierarchy of Needs and self-actualization.

Carl Rogers

Growth-promoting environments and unconditional positive regard.

Individualistic cultures

Cultures that focus more on the individual, privacy, and personal achievements.

Collectivist cultures

Cultures that focus on community and prioritize the group.

Self-concept

How an individual perceives themselves and their identity.

Independent

Identity based on individual traits and achievements.

Interdependent

Identity based on belonging and group contributions.

Life task

The goal or purpose of an individual's life.

Individualism

A concept that emphasizes personal achievement and fulfillment, rights and liberties, and self-esteem.

Collectivism

A concept that emphasizes group goals and solidarity, social responsibilities and relationships, and family duty.

Coping method

The approach used to deal with challenges or stress.

Morality

The principles or values that guide behavior.

Relationships

The nature and dynamics of connections with others.

Attributing behaviors

The interpretation of behaviors based on personality or social norms.

Trait theories of personality

The belief that personality can be described by specifying main characteristics or traits.

Trait theorists

Researchers who study and describe personality traits.

Self-actualization

The process of striving to reach one's full potential and personal growth.

Factor analysis

A statistical procedure used to identify clusters of similar traits.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

A personality test that assesses surface and underlying traits.

Personality factor

A basic trait present in all individuals to varying degrees.

Big Five personality traits

Openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, and neuroticism.

Direct observation

Assessing personality by observing behavior in real-life situations.

Projective tests

Assessments that ask individuals to interpret ambiguous stimuli to reveal inner thoughts.

Personality inventories

Questionnaires that gather information about an individual's traits and characteristics.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

A widely used self-report instrument for assessing personality.

Case study

In-depth study of one individual to understand their personality.