Motivation, Emotion, and Personality AP psych test review

motivation

a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior

arousal theory

A theory of motivation suggesting that people are motivated to maintain an optimal level of alertness and physical and mental activation.

Drive Motivation

internal state that arises in response to a disequilibrium in an animal's physiological needs

learned motives

Motives based on learned needs, drives, and goals

need

something essential for survival

stimulus motive

Unlearned motive, such as curiosity or contact, that prompts us to explore or change the world around us

Yerkes-Dodson Law

the principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases

instinct

a complex, unlearned behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species

drive reduction theory

the idea that a biological need creates a state of tension that motivates an organism to satisfy the need and rid themselves of the tension

homeostasis

a tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state; the regulation of body chemistry

maslow's hierarchy or needs

the theory that states one must fulfill physiological/biological needs before seeking to fulfill any other needs; starting with physiological(hunger and thirst), safety, belongingness and love, esteem, self actualization.

incentive

a stimulus that motivates behavior

optimal arousal theory

a theory of motivation that suggests humans try to maintain the ideal balance of arousal (stress/excitement/stimulation); every person's ideal balance is a little different

optimal arousal

the principle studied by two psychologists that suggests a moderate level of stress or excitement will lead to the highest level of performance, as arousal increases performance decreases, certain tasks have different levels of arousal necessary

pessimism

belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess

linked to mental health issues such as anxiety, stress, and depression

optimism

A general tendency to expect good outcomes.

can protect against depression and make people more resistant to stress

emotion

a complex mix of biological arousal (heart pounding), expressive behaviors (jumping, gasping, quickened pace, etc.), conscious experience (thoughts like "Is this a kidnapping?") and feelings, (joy, fear, panic)

james lange theory

this theory suggests that emotion is experienced in this way- a stimulus causes a biological/physiological response, which is followed by the emotion (because the physiological change occured, emotion was felt)

cannon bard theory

this theory suggests that emotion is experienced in this way- a stimulus triggers both a biological/physiological response and the experience of the emotion at the exact same time (emotion and biological response occurs together)

display rules

cross-cultural guidelines for how and when to express emotions

emotional intelligence

the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions

Schacter-Singer Two-Factor Theory of Emotion

emotion is experienced in this way- having both the biological response as well as a cognitive and conscious interpretation of the experience. As the textbook states "arousal fuels emotion; cognition channels it."

spillover effect

the tendency of one person's emotions to affect how other people around them feel, rubbing off on them

le deoux theory

this theory suggests that some emotions (especially likes, dislikes, and fears) are automatic responses to situations without conscious thinking; for example you may feel startled by a sound before you ever actually determine the situation to be threatening

paul ekman

psychologist who is known for his research in emotional displays through facial expression and discovery of universal emotions across different cultures, as well as his assessment of micro expressions that show a person's true unhindered emotions.

facial feedback theory

the tendency for a facial expression to trigger the corresponding feeling within the person displaying the expression

stress

the perception of and response to threatening or challenging situations

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Seyle's concept that the body responds to stress with alarm, resistance and exhaustion

Type A personality

personality type that is competitive, very driven, uptight, impatient, aggressive, and anger prone (high-stress) -who is also more likely to experience poor cardiovascular health.

Type B personality

personality type that is easy going and relaxed (low stress) - who is less likely to experience poor cardiovascular health.

psychoanalysis

freud's overarching field of psychology in which he seeks to expose a patient's unconscious motives and inner conflicts that drive their thoughts and actions, which he then could determine things such as aspects of personality and mental illness.

psychosocial stages

childhood stages of development devised by freud where each stage involves focusing pleasure seeking energies on a distinct bodily area

oral stage

1st stage of freud's theory in which an infant focuses on satisfying the mouth through sucking, biting, and chewing

oral fixations such as smoking can result if stage is not successfully resolved

anal stage

2nd stage of freud's theory in which toddlers are focused on bladder and bowel elimination, which may also be linked with the unconscious conflicts of coping with demands for control

phallic stage

3rd stage of freud's theory in which preschool and primary school children are focused on their genitals and battling with the inner unconscious conflict of incestuous sexual feelings

lead to egoism, low self esteem, shyness, etc. may result if stage is not successfully resolved

Oedipus complex

according to Freud, a boy's sexual desires toward his mother and feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival father

electra complex

counterpart to the Oedipus complex for females

latency stage

4th stage of freud's theory in which school aged children, up to puberty, experienced a dormant phase of sexual feelings

lifelong immaturity, or the inability to have and maintain happy, healthy, and fulfilling sexual and non-sexual relationships as an adult if stage is not successfully resolved

genital stage

5th and final stage of freud's theory in which adolescents develop a maturation of sexual interest

fixation

freud's idea that this is a lingering focus of pleasure seeking energies in one specific area due to unresolved conflicts in one of the psychosexual stages thus causing a lingering focus of pleasure seeking energies.

ID

according to freud, tis part of one's personality is largely unconscious and operates on the "pleasure principle," striving to satisfy basic drives, sexual desires, and aggressive feelings- demanding instant gratification

super ego

freud; part of the personality that holds the internalized moral ideals for how we ought to behave and act

ego

freud; part of the personality that is largely conscious and operates on the "reality principle", trying to mediate between internal desires, sometimes unacceptable, and the moral decisions that were taught to them by their parents which are seen as socially upright

defense mechanisms

freud says the ego uses these methods to distort reality in order to protect itself from anxiety

repression (defense mechanism)

considered to be the most basic defense mechanism in which feelings memories and thoughts are pushed out of conscious awareness

Regression (defense mechanism)

attempts to protect person from anxiety arousing thoughts by retreating back to a more infantile stage of life (i e sucking thumb)

reaction formation

seen when someone masks an unacceptable impulse by responding with opposite more acceptable response (ex. rather than exhibiting anger, resentment; person gets overly friendly)

projection (defense mechanism)

shown when someone attributes their own uncomfortable thoughts or feelings to someone else (ex- cheaters accusing other of cheating)

rationalization

offers self-justifying explanations for one's behaviors in place of the real, more threatening, unconscious reasons (ex: alcoholic justifies his behavior by saying they just have a few drinks with friends rather than addressing the real issues driving them to drink excessively or addressing the addiction that has formed)

displacement (defense mechanism)

used when a person shifts their aggressive behaviors onto a subject that is less threatening (ex: taking out aggression by punching a wall rather than the person)

denial (defense mechanism)

a person refuses to believe a painful reality

psychodynamic theories

modern-day approaches that view personality with a focus on the unconscious and the importance of childhood experiences (neo-freudian)

collective unconscious

a shared unconscious mind, meaning just like one might have their own unconscious thoughts, we have a shared set of unconscious archetypes that all people have had passed down to them from generations of people having similar experiences, over and over throughout history (Carl Jung)

projective test

a personality test that has an ambiguous image/pic/stimuli designed for the person to project their own inner thoughts and feelings onto it- in hopes that the person will reveal their own inner dynamics. their interpretation exposes aspects of their personality

Rorscach inkblot test

a projective personality test in which a person describes a series of inkblots- critics question its validity and reliability

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

a projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes

humanistic theorists

psychologists who view personality with a focus on the potential for healthy personal growth, focused on the present and not really the unconscious mind (Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow)

self actualization

according to Maslow, this is the ultimate goal in the hierarchy of needs; it is the motivation to fulfill one's own potential but it cannot be met without first meeting the basic physical and physiological needs

unconditional positive regard

According to Carl Rogers, an attitude of total acceptance toward another person.

self concept

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, "Who am I?"

trait

a characteristic pattern of behavior (ways you feel and act)

extraversion-introversion

a dimension of our personality where people can vary from being reserved/quiet/passive/unsociable to being active/sociable/outgoing/talkative (as discussed by Hans and Eysenck)

MMPI

the most widely researched and clinically used of all personality tests- used for screening purposes and detecting abnormal personality tendencies

the big five

Costa and mcCrae-\> there are five dimensions of personality\--- 1)conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, extraversion

Conscientiousness (Big 5)

responsible, dependable, persistent, and organized

Agreeableness (Big 5)

trusting, good-natured, cooperative, and soft-hearted one is

Neuroticism (Big 5)

degree of emotional instability or stability

Openness (Big 5)

willingness to try new things and be open to new experiences

extraversion

sociable, gregarious, and assertive

myers-briggs personality type indicator

this test is the most widely used test among businesses and career counseling but is cautioned as only a coaching tool and not a research instrument due to the absence of scientific foundation- the test was created to help people sort through carl jung's personality types based on 126 questions

social cognitive perspective

this realm of psychology views behavior as influenced by the interaction between people's traits and socail context

behavioral approach

this realm of psychology focuses on the effects of learning on our personality development

reciprocal determinism

Bandura's idea that the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment- ex: children's tv habits (past behavior) influence their viewing preferences (internal factor) which influence how television (environmental factor) affects their current behavior

spotlight effect

this is our tendency to overestimate others noticing and evaluating our appearance, performance, and blunders (as if we presume a spotlight shines on us)

self esteem

one's feelings of high or low self worth

self-efficacy

one's sense of competence and effectiveness

self serving bias

a readiness to perceive oneself favorably

narcissism

excessive self-love and self-absorption

individualism

giving priority to one's own goals over group goals and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications

collectivism

giving priority to the goals of one's group (often one's extended family or work group) and defining one's identity accordingly

Karen Horney

Field: neo-Freudian, psychodynamic; Contributions: criticized Freud, stated that personality is molded by current fears and impulses, rather than being determined solely by childhood experiences and instincts, neurotic trends

Carl Jung

Field: neo-Freudian, analytic psychology; Contributions: people had conscious and unconscious awareness; archetypes; collective unconscious; libido is all types of energy, not just sexual; Studies: dream studies/interpretation

Alfred Adler

Field: neo-Freudian, psychodynamic; Contributions: basic mistakes, style of life, inferiority/superiority complexes, childhood influences personality formation; Studies: Birth Order

Carl Rogers

Field: humanistic; Contributions: founded person-centered therapy, theory that emphasizes the unique quality of humans especially their freedom and potential for personal growth, unconditional positive regard, fully functioning person

Abraham Maslow

Field: humanism; Contributions: hierarchy of needs-needs at a lower level dominate an individual's motivation as long as they are unsatisfied, self-actualization, transcendence

Gordon Allport's Trait Theory

as we age, we grow out of the personalities we had as an infant and establish a stable, adult personality

Albert Bandura

Bobo Doll experiment, concluded that personality and behaviors are directly related to what they encounter and come into contact with

locus of control (Julian Rotter's ideas)

Internal locus of control, that person attributes success to his or her own efforts and abilities

External locus of control are also more likely to experience anxiety since they believe that they are not in control of their lives

Glucose

the form of sugar that circulates in the blood and provides the major source of energy for body tissues. When its level is low, we feel hunger.

Insulin

regulates blood sugar levels by facilitating the uptake of glucose into tissues

lateral hypothalamus

a part of the hypothalamus, located in the mid-brain, which controls hunger, thirst, and emotions

Leptin

protein hormone secreted by fat cells; when abundant, causes brain to increase metabolism and decrease hunger

satiety

the state of being satisfactorily full and unable to take on more

ventromedial hypothalamus

a distinct grouping of neurons within the hypothalamus responsible for the feeling of satiation

extrinsic motivation

a desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment

intrinsic motivation

a desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake

approach-approach conflict

Conflict that results from having to choose between two attractive alternatives

approach-avoidance conflict

conflict occurring when a person must choose or not choose a goal that has both positive and negative aspects

avoidance-avoidance conflict

Conflict that results from having to choose between two distasteful alternatives

multiple approach-avoidance conflict

A conflict in which one must choose between options that have both many attractive and many negative aspects.