Psych 2 final

Humanistic theories

Personality is based on internal traits, some learned and some biological.

Quick and Dirty Pathway

Sensory input route from thalamus to amygdala for immediate emotional response, prioritizing speed over accuracy.

High Road Pathway

Sensory input route from thalamus to visual cortex to amygdala for detailed analysis of sensory input.

Amygdala

Critical brain structure for processing emotions such as fear, anger, and pleasure.

Fight-or-flight response

Emotional response triggered by the amygdala to prepare the body for immediate action.

HPA axis

Pathway where hypothalamus sends messages to the pituitary gland, leading to cortisol release from adrenal glands.

Altruism

Biological need to help others.

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Negative communication patterns in relationships: criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling.

Conformation Bias

Tendency to search for information that confirms preexisting beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence.

Erik Erikson

Psychologist known for his theory of psychosocial development in eight stages.

Myelination

Process of creating a protective sheath around axons to enhance speed of signal transmission.

Justification of effort

Phenomenon where individuals value outcomes more highly if significant effort was required to achieve them.

Situationism

Perspective that behaviors are more influenced by situations than by individual personality traits.

Interactionism

Theory that behavior results from the interplay of situational factors and individual dispositions.

Yerkes-Dodson law

Principle stating that performance increases with arousal up to a moderate level, after which it declines.

Normative influence

Conformity based on the desire to be accepted or approved by others.

Informational influence

Conformity based on information from others when uncertain about the correct choice.

Vygotsky

Psychologist emphasizing social interactions and language's role in cognitive development.

Big Five

Model of personality comprising openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

Hardiness

Personality trait that enables coping with stress through commitment, control, and challenge.

Resilience

Ability to recover and bounce back after adversity or trauma.

Mischel's CAPS theory

Theory suggesting personality reflects consistent behavioral patterns across similar situations.

Self-efficacy

Belief in one's ability to succeed in specific tasks or situations, influencing motivation and behavior.

Theory of Mind

Ability to understand that others have mental states different from one's own.

Fundamental attribution error

Tendency to overemphasize internal characteristics in explaining others' behavior while underestimating situational factors.

Perspective giving

Sharing personal experiences to enhance understanding.

Perspective taking

Imaging oneself in another person's situation.

Socioemotional Selective Theory

Theoretical concept stating that as people age, they prioritize emotionally meaningful experiences.

Functionalism

Psychological perspective emphasizing the purpose of mental processes and behaviors in adapting to environments.

Mind-body problem

Debate regarding the relationship between consciousness and the physical body.

Operational definition

Specification of how a concept is measured or defined in a study for clarity in assessment.