Unit 7.2 Personalities rvw

The Quizlet review for unit 7, which covers some MESH stuff, along with more personality theories and study methods. There is no gf practice test for this unit section.

Psychoanalysis

Freud's theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts; the techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions

unconscious

according to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories. According to contemporary psychologists, information processing of which we are unaware.

free association

in psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing

Id

a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that operates on the pleasure principle, demanding immediate gratification (according to Freud, strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives.)

ego

the largely conscious, "executive" part of personality that operates on the reality principle, satisfying the id's desires in ways that will realistically bring pleasure rather than pain, (according to Freud, mediates among the demands of the id, superego, and reality.)

Superego

the part of personality that represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and for future aspirations

Psychodynamic

term describes the perspective on psychology in which inner feeling and unconscious tensions are emphasized

Personality

an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

Freudian slip

a verbal mistake that is thought to reveal an unconscious belief, thought, or emotion

defense mechanisms

in psychoanalytic theory, the ego's protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality

Repression

in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories

Regression

psychoanalytic defense mechanism in which an individual faced with anxiety retreats to a younger maturity stage

reaction formation

psychoanalytic defense mechanism by which the ego unconsciously switches unacceptable impulses into their opposites. Thus, people may express feelings that are the opposite of their anxiety-arousing unconscious feelings.

sublimation

channeling socially unacceptable impulses into constructive, even admirable, behavior

Projection

psychoanalytic defense mechanism by which people disguise their own threatening impulses by attributing them to others

Displacement

psychoanalytic defense mechanism that shifts negative impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object or person, as when redirecting anger toward a safer outlet

Denial

psychoanalytic defense mechanism by which people refuse to believe or even to perceive painful realities.

Rationalization

defense mechanism that offers self-justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening, unconscious reasons for one's actions

projective test

a personality test, such as the Rorschach or TAT (stories, inkblots, etc.), that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one's inner dynamics

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

Rorschach inkblot test

the most widely used projective test, a set of 10 inkblots, designed by Hermann Rorschach; seeks to identify people's inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots

Criticism of Freud

critics content that Freud's theories are not testable, do not predict behavior, and are not based on wide samples

adaptation-level phenomenon

our tendency to form judgments (of sounds, of lights, of income) relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience

Relative Deprivation Theory

a theory that states that certain people have a lesser portion of social rewards compared to other people or groups, and thus feel like they are less fortunate/less happy

Type A personality

personality type that describes people who are competitive, driven, hostile, and ambitious; more prone to heart attacks due to stress

neophobia

fear of unfamiliar things

terror management theory

a theory of death-related anxiety; explores people's emotional and behavioral responses to reminders of their impending death

Humanism

A belief that emphasizes faith and optimism in human potential and creativity

Abraham Maslow

hierarchy of needs

unconditional positive regard

an attitude of total acceptance toward another person

Trait Theory

A theory of personality that focuses on identifying, describing, and measuring individual differences in behavioral predispositions

Big Five Personality Traits

conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, extraversion

Neuroticism

degree of emotional instability or stability

social cognitive theory

referring to the use of cognitive processes in relation to understanding the social world

reciprocal determinism

the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment; ex: "a child acts out because they don't like school"

self-efficacy

one's sense of competence and effectiveness and abilities

self-esteem

one's feelings of high or low self-worthone's feelings of high or low self-worth

self-actualization

according to Maslow, one of the ultimate psychological needs that arises after basic physical and psychological needs are met and self-esteem is achieved; the motivation to fulfill one's potential

Self-concept

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

Collectivist culture

culture in which personal accomplishments are less important in the formation of identity than group membership

Individualistic culture

A culture in which people believe that their primary responsibility is to themselves.