AP Psych Unit 6

Motive

A stimulus that moves a person to behave in ways designed to accomplish a goal (Getting good grades, going to college, etc.)

Need

A condition in which we require something we lack (Food, water, etc.)

Drive

Forces that motivate an organism to take action (Thirst, Starvation, etc.)

Intrinsic Motivation

The doing of an activity for inherit satisfaction (ex. Pride)

Extrinsic Motivation

The doing of an activity for an external reward (ex. A good grade)

Instincts

Behaviors passed from generation to generation.

Instinct Theory

Research has shown in certain situations we are born to act in certain ways (Fighting fish raised in isolation are still aggressive). This theory states that people are motivated by these instincts to survive and be social. Critics argue that there’s too much variation in our behavior for instinct to be the primary factor.

Drive-Reduction Theory

People and animals experience drive arising from a need as an unpleasant stress, over time we learned to do whatever it takes to reduce that stress. Applies to a lot of biological drives like hunger. Critics say often we act in ways that increase stress (ex. Procrastination).

Humanistic Theory

People are also motivated by the conscious desire for personal growth and fulfillment. Sometimes our desire to fulfill outweighs our desire to meet basic needs.

Self-Actualization

The need to become what one believes they are capable of

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Ranks needs in order of importance in order to self-actualize.

Sociocultural Theory

Cultural factors and experiences influence how we satisfy basic drives. Certain foods and the way they are prepared vary in acceptability from country to country.

Personality

Patterns of feelings, motives, and behavior that set people apart from one another.

Trait

Aspect of personality that is considered to be reasonably stable (Based on behavior).

Ancient Greeks on Personality

• Based on Hippocrates

• Believed the body contained fluids or “humors” and traits were the result of them mixing

• Yellow Bile: Quick Temper

• Blood: Warm and Cheerful

• Phlegm: Sluggish

• Black Bile: Thoughtful

• Diseases were a result of an imbalance in “humors” (bloodletting)

Gordon Allport

Traits can be inherited. Traits are building blocks of personality. Behavior is the product of the combination of traits a person has (He included physicals and psychological traits).

Hans J Eysenck

Focused on relationships. Introversion-extroversion and emotional stability-instability. Believed introverts were imaginative and look inward. Believed extroverts were active, self-expressive, and social. Dimensions were similar to Hippocrates.

Personality Inventories

Questionnaires covering a wide range of feelings and behaviors.

Minnesota Multiphase Personality Inventory

Most widely used personality test. Developed to identify emotional disorders now used for other screening purposes. Empirically driven.

5 Factor Model

Common way psychologists view traits.

• Extroversion

• Agreeableness

• Conscientiousness

• Emotional Stability

• Openness to Experience

Extroversion

Are you talkative and assertive or silent and reserved

Agreeableness

Are you kind and trusting or selfish and hostile

Conscientiousness

Are you organized and thorough or careless and unreliable

Emotional Stability

Are you reliable and able to cope or nervous and sensitive

Openness to Experience

Are you curious and creative or shallow and lack perspective

5 Factor Model and Disorders

Links to anxiety, mental illness like schizophrenia, and relationships with friends and family.

Criticizing Trait Approach

Describes traits rather than explains origins or how people can change. Practical applications in evaluating abilities and interests. Limited yet objective measurements of traits.

Freud - The Unconscious

The majority of the mind is hidden, with only the conscious mind being visible. used free association to get a better understanding of the individual’s unconscious mind. We can block unacceptable thoughts and memories to keep our conscious mind safe. Even though we may be unaware of the unconscious, it heavily impacts our decision making.

Id

Unconscious desires that look to satisfy basic, sexual, and aggressive drives.

Ego

Conscious part of personality which works to satisfy the demands of the Id, Superego, and reality.

Superego

Internalized ideals, standards of judgement, future aspirations, and morality.

Oral Stage (0-18 Months)

Focus: Pleasure, exploration centers on the mouth

Conflicts: If needs aren’t met, individual become fixated.

Anal Stage (18-36 Months)

Focus: Pleasure focuses on bowel and bladder elimination.

Conflicts: Anal Retentive Traits, Self Control can become vitally important.

Phallic Stage (3-6 Years)

Focus: Pleasure zone is in the genitals.

Conflicts: Oedipus Complex, attachment to parent of the opposite sex and rivalry with the parent of the same sex.

Latency Stage (6-Puberty)

Focus: Dormant Sexual Feelings, repressing emotions

Conflicts: Impulses and emotions can remain hidden.

Genital Stage (Puberty-Onward)

Focus: Maturation of Sexual Interests

Conflicts: No new conflicts, conflicts from earlier stages can resurface

Repression

Banishing anxiety arousing thoughts

Regression

Retreating to more infantile behaviors

Reaction Formation

Unconscious switching of unacceptable impulses into opposites

Projection

Disguising inadequacies by attributing them to others

Rationalization

Self justifying explanations in place of confronting one’s own actions.

Displacement

Shifts sexual or aggressive impulses toward acceptable targets.

Sublimation

Re-channeling unacceptable impulses into socially approved activities

Denial

Refusing to believe in painful realities

Carl Jung - Archetypes

Basic primitive concepts that make up collective unconscious.

• Self: Total Unity of Conscious and Unconscious

• Shadow: Dark Side of Human Nature

• Animal Animus: qualities of the opposite sex in person’s persona

• Persona: Public self shown to the world

Self Awareness is an important part of personality.

Collective Unconscious

Human concepts shared by all people across cultures (ex. Fear of spiders).

Alfred Adler

• Inferiority Complex

• Sibling Rivalry

• Self Awareness is an important part of personality

• Creative Self

Inferiority Complex

People are basically motivated to over come feelings of inferiority (ex. Physical problems, size/shape).

Creative Self

Out capabilities for free will

Karen Horney

Social relationships play the biggest role on personality (ex. Parent-Child). Basic anxiety. Genuine care can relive effects for painful childhoods.

Basic Anxiety

Insecurity of children caused by being treated harshly or indifferent by parents.

Thematic Apperception Test

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

Rorschach Inkblot Test

Seeks to identify people’s inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots.

Social-Cognitive Perspective

Psychologists who believe this view behavior as influenced by interaction between people’s traits and their social context. Albert Bandura

Reciprocal Determinism

Interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment. Different people choose different environments. Our personalities shape how we interpret and react to events, and help create situation to which we react.

Personal Control

The extent to which people have control over their environment.

External Locus of Control

Perception that chance or outside forces beyond your personal control determine fate.

Internal Locus of Control

Perception that you control your fate.

Self-Control

The ability to control impulses and delay gratification can help predict ability to adjust, academic success, and social ability. Exercise can help with self-control. Self-control varies throughout life (weaker after using it for long periods of time, stronger with rest).

Optimism vs. Pessimism

Optimism tends to have positive effects of performance and health. Excessive optimism can be blinding (realisms helps to ground). Overconfidence and incompetence can are correlated.

Assessing Behavior

Real world situations. The best predictor of future job performance is past job experience.

Criticism of Social-Cognitive Perspective

heavily influenced by learning theories and cognition. Too much focus on situations, not enough on the individual.

Humanists

Self Awareness is the very core of humanity. Focus on self-fulfillment and ethical conduct. People are free to choose and are responsible for those choices. Study individuals thorough their own self-reporting.

Abraham Maslow

People and animals are separated by the ability recognize our desire for self-actualization. Everyone must follow their own path to self-actualization (accomplishing this takes risks). Hierarchy of needs.

Hierarchy of Needs

• Physiological

• Security

• Social

• Esteem

• Self-Actualization

Physiological

Water, oxygen, food, sleep. All other needs are secondary to these.

Security

Safety, shelter, employment, safe environments.

Social

Love, belonging, acceptance. Family and others.

Esteem

Self-Esteem, respect, social recognition, accomplishment. Proving self-worth.

Self Actualizaiton

Self-Awareness and personal growth. Reaching our fullest potential.

Carl Rogers

People are basically good and mentally healthy. All people have drive to grow and develop. We are conscious of our personalities. Growth depends on having a climate of genuiness, acceptance, and empathy.

Self Concept

A view of oneself as an individual. Concern with personal values and creating relationships.

Congruence

Consistency between self concept and experience. Key to happiness.

Assessing the Self

• Questionnaires

• Interviews

• Intimate Conservations

Criticisms of Humanistic Approach

Vague and subjective. People living for themselves can cause selfishness and erosion of morality. Naïve and fails to take into account reality and the evil of humanity.

Individualism

A cultural orientation that emphasizes personal goals, independence, and self-reliance.

Collectivism

A cultural orientation that prioritizes group harmony, family, and collective well-being over personal desires.

Cultural Orientation

Can influence personality traits such as decision-making, slef-concept, and social relationships.

Characteristics of Individualistic Cutlures

• Core Values: Independence, autonomy, personal achievement, and self-expression.

• Personality Traits: People in individualistic cultures tend to score higher on traits such as assertiveness and self-confidence

• Ex. The US, Canada, and most of Western Europe countries emphasize individual rights and personal freedom.

Characteristics of Collectivist Cutlures

• Core Values: Interdependence, cooperation, group harmony, and family loyalty

• Personality Traits: People in collectivist culture soften score higher on traits such as agreeableness, humility, and loyalty.

• Ex. Japan, China, and many Latin American and African countries prioritize social harmony and collective goals.

Acculturation

The process of cultural exchange and adaptation that occurs when individuals or groups from different cultures come into contact. Involves changes in behavior, customs, and beliefs in response to the dominant culture. Acculturation can lead to shifts in personality traits such as social behaviors, attitudes, and identity.

Assimilation

Fully adopting the dominant culture’s practices and beliefs while abandoning original culture traits.

Integration

Maintaining one’s cultural identity while adopting aspects of the dominant culture.

Separation

Rejecting the dominant culture and retaining one’s original culture identity.

Marginalization

Losing contact with both the original culture and the dominant culture, leading to identity confusion.