Unit 10 Flashcards

Free Association

A method of exploring the unconscious in psychoanalysis where the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind.

Psychoanalysis

Freud’s theory of personality attributing thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts.

Unconscious

According to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts and feelings, and also a term for information processing we are unaware of.

Id

A reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives.

Ego

The largely conscious part of personality that mediates between the id, superego, and reality.

Superego

The part of personality that represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment.

Psychosexual Stages

The childhood stages of development during which the id’s pleasure-seeking energies focus on distinct erogenous zones.

Oedipus Complex

A boy’s sexual desires toward his mother and feelings of jealousy toward the rival father.

Electra Complex

Parallel to the Oedipus complex, this refers to a girl's psychosexual competition with her mother for her father's attention.

Fixation

A lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at an earlier psychosexual stage where conflicts were unresolved.

Defense Mechanisms

The ego's protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality.

Repression

The defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness.

Psychodynamic Theories

Modern-day approaches that emphasize the unconscious and the importance of childhood experiences in personality.

Collective Unconscious

Carl Jung’s concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species’ history.

Projective Tests

Personality tests designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics through ambiguous stimuli.

Self-Actualization

The motivation to fulfill one’s potential, according to Maslow, after basic needs are met.

Unconditional Positive Regard

An attitude of total acceptance towards another person, according to Rogers.

Trait

A characteristic pattern of behavior or disposition to feel and act.

MMPI

The most widely used and researched personality test, originally developed to identify emotional disorders.

Reciprocal Determinism

The interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment.

Spotlight Effect

The tendency to overestimate others’ noticing and evaluating our appearance and behaviors.

Self-Esteem

One's feelings of self-worth.

Narcissism

Excessive self-love and self-absorption.

Individualism

Giving priority to one's own goals over group goals.

Collectivist

Giving priority to the goals of one’s group and defining one’s identity accordingly.