Unit 4 Vocab

Agreeableness

Tendency to be cooperative, compassionate, and kind towards others.

Altruism

Selfless helping without expectation of reward.

Approach Approach Conflict

Choosing between two desirable options.

Approach Avoidance Conflict

One option has both positive and negative aspects.

Arousal Theory

Motivation to maintain an optimal level of alertness and engagement.

Attitude

Feelings, ideas, and beliefs that affect how we react to objects, people, and events.

Attribution

Explaining why people behave in certain ways; assigning causes to behavior.

Avoidance Avoidance Conflict

Choosing between two undesirable options.

Behavior Feedback Effect

Acting a certain way can influence your feelings and self-perception.

Belief Perseverance

Clinging to beliefs despite contradictory evidence.

Broaden-and-Build Theory

Positive emotions broaden thinking and build lasting personal resources.

Bystander Effect

More bystanders present means less help offered.

Central Route Persuasion

Persuasion through logical arguments and evidence.

Cognitive Dissonance

Discomfort from holding contradictory beliefs or acting inconsistently with beliefs.

Collectivism

Prioritizing group needs over individual goals.

Confirmation Bias

Seeking information that confirms existing beliefs.

Conformity

Adjusting behavior or thinking to match group standards.

Conscientiousness

Tendency to be organized, responsible, and disciplined.

Defense Mechanism

Unconscious strategies used to protect the ego from anxiety caused by internal conflicts.

Deindividuation

Loss of self-awareness in group situations.

Denial

Refusing to acknowledge or accept reality to avoid dealing with painful feelings.

Diffusion of Responsibility

Less personal responsibility felt in groups.

Discrimination

Negative behavior toward a group based on prejudice.

Displacement

Redirecting emotions from the original source to a safer, less threatening target.

Display Rule

Cultural norms dictate how and when emotions should be expressed.

Dispositional Attribution

Internal characteristics cause behavior (personality, traits).

Door-in-the-Face Technique

Large request refused, then smaller request accepted.

Drive Reduction Theory

Motivation arises from the desire to reduce internal tensions and maintain homeostasis.

Ego

The rational part of the mind that mediates between the id and superego.

Emotion

Subjective feeling with physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience.

Emotional Stability (Neuroticism)

Tendency to be calm, secure, and relaxed, versus anxious, insecure, and moody.

Ethnocentrism

Judging other cultures by your own culture's standards.

Explanatory Style

How someone habitually explains good or bad events (optimistic or pessimistic).

External Locus of Control

Believing outside forces control your outcomes.

Extraversion

Tendency to be outgoing, sociable, and energetic.

Extrinsic Motivation

Engaging in an activity for external rewards or to avoid punishment.

Facial Feedback Effect

Forcing a facial expression can influence your emotional state.

Factor Analysis

Statistical procedure identifying clusters of related items (factors) on a test.

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

Small request first, then larger request follows.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Overestimating personality, underestimating situation in others' behavior.

Group Polarization

Discussion strengthens a group's initial dominant attitudes.

Groupthink

Harmony desire overrides realistic evaluation of alternatives.

Halo Effect

One positive trait influences overall positive perception.

Homeostasis

The body's tendency to maintain a stable internal state.

Humanistic Psychology

Emphasizes personal growth, free will, and the innate goodness of individuals.

Id

The primitive, instinctual part of the mind seeking immediate gratification of desires.

Implicit Attitude

Unconscious attitudes influencing behavior automatically.

In-Group Bias

Favoring members of your own group unfairly.

Incentives

External stimuli that attract or repel us, motivating behavior.

Individualism

Prioritizing personal goals over group needs.

Informational Social Influence

Conforming because others seem to know better.

Instinct

An innate, fixed pattern of behavior in response to certain stimuli.

Internal Locus of Control

Believing you control your outcomes through your own effort.

Intrinsic Motivation

Engaging in an activity for internal satisfaction and enjoyment.

Just-World Phenomenon

Believing the world is fair, people get what they deserve.

Lewin's Motivational Conflicts Theory

Framework describing conflicts arising from competing motivations: approach-approach, avoidance-avoidance, and approach-avoidance.

Mere Exposure Effect

Liking things more after repeated exposure.

Motivation

Internal drive that initiates, directs, and sustains behavior toward goals.

Multiculturalism

Multiple cultures coexisting, maintaining distinct identities.

Normative Social Influence

Conforming to gain approval or avoid rejection.

Obedience

Acting in direct response to an order from an authority figure.

Openness to Experience

Receptiveness to new ideas, experiences, and creative pursuits.

Optimal Level of Arousal

The level of stimulation at which performance is most efficient.

Out-Group Homogeneity Bias

Seeing out-group members as more similar than they are.

Peripheral Route Persuasion

Persuasion through superficial cues like attractiveness or fame.

Personality

An individual's consistent patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving across situations and time.

Personality Inventory

Questionnaire assessing personality traits by asking a wide range of questions.

Persuasion

Intentionally attempting to change someone's attitudes or beliefs.

Physiological Need

A basic requirement for survival, such as food, water, or shelter.

Preconscious

Thoughts and feelings not currently in awareness but easily retrievable.

Prejudice

Negative attitude toward a group without justification.

Projection

Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or motives to another person.

Projective Test

Personality test using ambiguous stimuli to reveal unconscious thoughts and feelings through interpretation.

Psychoanalysis

Therapy approach focused on revealing and resolving unconscious conflicts to improve mental well-being.

Psychodynamic Theory

Personality shaped by unconscious forces and childhood experiences, emphasizing internal conflicts.

Rationalization

Creating seemingly logical excuses to justify unacceptable behavior or feelings.

Reaction Formation

Expressing the opposite of one's true feelings, often in an exaggerated manner.

Reciprocal Determinism

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

Regression

Reverting to childlike behaviors as a way to cope with stress or anxiety.

Relative Deprivation

Feeling deprived when comparing to better-off others.

Repression

Unconsciously pushing threatening or unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or memories out of awareness.

Self-Actualizing Tendency

The inherent drive to reach one's full potential and become the best version of oneself.

Self-Concept

An individual's overall perception, knowledge, and beliefs about themselves.

Self-Determination Theory

Three needs drive intrinsic motivation: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Self-Efficacy

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

Self-Esteem

An individual's overall sense of self-worth and value.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Expectations cause behavior that confirms those expectations.

Self-Serving Bias

Taking credit for success, blaming failure on external factors.

Sensation-Seeking Theory

Some people are motivated to seek high levels of stimulation and thrilling experiences.

Situational Attribution

External circumstances cause behavior (environment, context).

Social Cognitive Theory

Personality develops through learning, observation, and interaction between thoughts, behavior, and environment.

Social Comparison

Evaluating ourselves by comparing to others.

Social Facilitation

Better performance on easy tasks with an audience.

Social Influence Theory

How others' presence affects our thoughts and behaviors.

Social Loafing

Less effort exerted when in groups.

Social Norm

Unwritten rules about acceptable behavior in society.

Stereotype

Generalized belief about a group of people.

Sublimation

Channeling unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable and constructive activities.

Superego

The moral conscience that internalizes societal and parental standards of behavior.

The Big Five Theory

Model describing personality using five broad dimensions: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism.