AP Psych 4.B

Defense mechanisms

Psychological strategies used by individuals to cope with reality and maintain self-image.

Denial

A defense mechanism where an individual refuses to accept reality or facts, blocking external events from awareness.

Displacement

A defense mechanism that involves redirecting emotions from a threatening target to a safer one.

Ego

The part of the personality that mediates between the desires of the id and the realities of the external world.

Humanistic psychology

A psychological perspective that emphasizes the study of the whole person and the uniqueness of each individual.

Personality

The combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character.

Preconscious

The part of the mind that contains thoughts and feelings that are not currently in conscious awareness but can be easily brought to consciousness.

Projection

A defense mechanism where individuals attribute their own unacceptable thoughts and feelings to others.

Projective tests

Psychological tests that use ambiguous stimuli to elicit responses that reflect the test-taker's personality.

Psychoanalysis

A therapeutic approach that seeks to explore the unconscious mind and its influence on behavior.

Psychodynamic theory

A theory of psychology that emphasizes the interplay of unconscious psychological processes and their effects on behavior.

Rationalization

A defense mechanism that involves offering logical explanations for behaviors that were actually motivated by emotional factors.

Reaction formation

A defense mechanism where an individual behaves in a way that is opposite to their true feelings.

Regression

A defense mechanism where an individual reverts to an earlier stage of development in response to stress.

Repression

A defense mechanism that involves unconsciously blocking unacceptable thoughts and feelings from awareness.

Self-actualization

The realization or fulfillment of one's talents and potential, often considered as a drive or need in humanistic psychology.

Sublimation

A defense mechanism that involves channeling unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable activities.

Unconditional regard

Acceptance and support of a person regardless of what the person says or does, a key concept in humanistic psychology.

Unconscious

The part of the mind that is inaccessible to the conscious mind but affects behavior and emotions.

Unconscious processes

Mental processes that occur without conscious awareness, influencing thoughts and behaviors.

Agreeableness

A personality trait that reflects how well a person gets along with others, characterized by trust and altruism.

Big Five theory

A model that outlines five broad dimensions of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

Conscientiousness

A personality trait that reflects how organized, dependable, and disciplined an individual is.

Emotional Stability

A measure of how stable or consistent a person's emotions are, often related to the trait of neuroticism.

Extraversion

A personality trait characterized by sociability, talkativeness, and assertiveness.

Factor analysis

A statistical method used to identify underlying relationships between variables, often used in personality research.

MMPI

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, a psychological assessment that evaluates personality traits and psychopathology.

Openness to experience

A personality trait that reflects a person's willingness to engage with new ideas, experiences, and creativity.

Neuroticism

A personality trait characterized by emotional instability and a tendency toward anxiety and moodiness.

Personality inventories

Standardized questionnaires designed to measure various aspects of personality.

Reciprocal determinism

A concept in social-cognitive theory that suggests behavior, personal factors, and environmental factors interact to shape personality.

Self-concept

An individual's perception of themselves, including beliefs about their own personality and abilities.

Self-efficacy

The belief in one's ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish tasks.

Self-esteem

An individual's overall subjective evaluation of their own worth.

Social-cognitive theory

A theory that emphasizes the role of observational learning, social experience, and reciprocal determinism in personality development.

Trait theory

A psychological approach that focuses on the identification and measurement of individual personality characteristics.

Affiliation

The desire to form social bonds and relationships with others.

Approach-approach conflicts

A conflict that occurs when a person must choose between two desirable options.

Approach-avoidance conflicts

A conflict that arises when a person is faced with a decision that has both positive and negative consequences.

Arousal theory

A theory suggesting that people are motivated to maintain an optimal level of arousal, which can affect performance.

Avoidance-avoidance conflicts

A conflict that occurs when a person must choose between two undesirable options.

Belonging

The human emotional need to be an accepted member of a group.

Boredom susceptibility

A personality trait that reflects an individual's tendency to experience boredom easily.

Disinhibition

A decrease in restraint or inhibition, often leading to impulsive behavior.

Drive-reduction theory

A theory of motivation suggesting that behavior is motivated by the desire to reduce internal tension caused by unmet biological needs.

Extrinsic motivation

Motivation driven by external rewards such as money, fame, or praise.

Ghrelin

A hormone that stimulates appetite and is involved in regulating energy balance.

Homeostasis

The process by which biological systems maintain stability while adjusting to changing external conditions.

Hypothalamus

A region of the brain that regulates various bodily functions, including hunger and thirst.

Incentive

A positive or negative environmental stimulus that motivates behavior.

Incentive theory

A theory of motivation that suggests behavior is driven by the desire for external rewards.

Instincts

Innate biological patterns of behavior that are characteristic of a species.

Intrinsic motivation

Motivation driven by internal rewards, such as personal satisfaction or a sense of achievement.

Lateral hypothalamus (LH)

A part of the hypothalamus that is involved in stimulating hunger.

Leptin

A hormone that helps to regulate energy balance and inhibit hunger.

Lewin’s motivational conflicts theory

A theory that outlines the various types of conflicts that can arise in motivation.

Motivation

The process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors.

Optimal level of arousal

The ideal level of arousal for peak performance, which varies by individual and task.

Pituitary gland

A gland in the brain that regulates various hormonal functions and is often referred to as the 'master gland.'

Self-determination theory

A theory that emphasizes the role of intrinsic motivation in driving behavior and personal growth.

Sensation-seeking

The tendency to seek out new and intense experiences.

Thrill and adventure seeking

A specific type of sensation-seeking characterized by the pursuit of risky and exciting activities.

Ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH)

A part of the hypothalamus that is involved in signaling satiety and reducing hunger.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

A principle that suggests there is an optimal level of arousal for performance, with too little or too much arousal leading to decreased performance.

Affect

A term that refers to the experience of feeling or emotion.

Broaden-and-build theory

A theory suggesting that positive emotions broaden an individual's awareness and encourage novel, varied, and exploratory thoughts and actions.

Cognitive appraisal theory

A theory that emphasizes the role of an individual's evaluation of a situation in determining their emotional response.

Display rule

Socially learned cues that dictate the appropriate expression of emotions in different contexts.

Elicitor

A stimulus or event that provokes an emotional response.

Emotion

A complex psychological state that involves a subjective experience, physiological response, and behavioral or expressive response.

Emotional cognition

The process by which emotions influence and shape our thoughts and perceptions.

Facial-Feedback Hypothesis

Suggests that facial expressions can influence emotional experiences.