Psyc100 Unit 3

Personality

The unique and relatively stable combination of qualities including patterns of thought emotion and behavior

Sigmund Freud

A medical doctor and neuroscientist who developed psychoanalysis

Conscious

The part of the mind containing thoughts and conversations we are currently aware of

Unconscious

Deep desires we are not aware of that take great effort to access

Preconscious

Memories and information not currently in awareness but easily brought to the surface

Id

The instinctual part of the mind that emerges in infancy and operates on the pleasure principle

Pleasure Principle

The drive to achieve satisfaction as fast as possible

Ego

The moderator that attempts to balance the instinctual desires of the Id and the rules of the Superego

Superego

The part of personality representing guilt and shame that acts as a rule follower

Libido

The sexual energy believed by Freud to drive personality development

Fixation

A stuck point or unresolved conflict occurring during a specific developmental stage

Oral Stage

Ages 0-1 focused on the mouth where the major development is weaning

Anal Stage

Ages 1-3 focused on the anus where the major development is toilet training

Phallic Stage

Ages 3-6 focused on genitals where the major development is resolving the Oedipus or Electra complex

Latency Stage

Ages 6-12 with no specific focus where the primary task is developing defense mechanisms

Genital Stage

Puberty (12+) focused on genitals where the goal is reaching full sexual and mental maturity

Defense Mechanisms

Unconscious psychological tools used to protect the mind from unacceptable or harmful thoughts

Repression

Pushing threatening thoughts or information deep into the unconscious

Denial

Refusing to accept or acknowledge a threatening truth

Displacement

Redirecting feelings or impulses toward a safer or neutral person or object

Projection

Believing that the feelings you have toward someone else are actually held by them toward you

Reaction Formation

Expressing the exact opposite of what one actually feels

Regression

Returning to an earlier and more comforting form of behavior during stress

Rationalization

Coming up with a beneficial result or excuse for an undesirable outcome

Sublimation

Channeling frustrations or unacceptable impulses into a different goal

Collective Unconscious

Carl Jung’s concept of a shared consciousness inherited from human ancestors across time

Archetypes

Universal images myths and characters that Jung believed shape our personality

Persona

A mask or the way we choose to present ourselves to the outside world

Individuation

The process of integrating conscious and unconscious parts of the self to become a whole person

Erik Erikson

A psychodynamic thinker who studied the entire lifespan and removed the sexual focus of development

Trust vs. Mistrust

Erikson's first stage of development occurring in infancy

Identity vs. Role Confusion

Erikson's stage of development occurring during adolescence

Self-actualization

The innate drive to reach one's full potential and live in congruence with one's self-concept

Unconditional Positive Regard

Carl Rogers' method of helping others reach self-actualization through total acceptance

Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s theory that physiological and safety needs must be met before reaching self-actualization

The Big Five (OCEAN)

The five overarching traits of Openness Conscientiousness Extraversion Agreeableness and Neuroticism

Barnum Effect

The tendency for people to see themselves in vague stock descriptions of personality like horoscopes

Fundamental Attribution Error

Overestimating internal disposition while underestimating situational factors when judging others

Self-Serving Bias

Attributing your successes to internal causes and your failures to external factors

Cognitive Dissonance

Psychological tension caused by inconsistent thoughts and behaviors that motivates a person to change

Anchoring Effect

The tendency be psychologically stuck to a starting reference point when making judgments

Endowment Effect

A cognitive bias where people place a higher value on things they own compared to items they do not own

Asch Conformity Study

An experiment showing how social pressure from a majority group influences an individual to conform

Milgram Obedience Experiment

A study demonstrating that people will follow an authority figure even if it means harming others

Stanford Prison Experiment

Zimbardo’s study showing how social roles and situations can dramatically alter human behavior

Mental Disorder

A clinically significant disturbance in cognition emotional regulation or behavior associated with distress

Anhedonia

A symptom of Major Depressive Disorder involving the loss of interest in pleasurable activities

SSRI

A class of antidepressants that increases serotonergic activity by blocking the reuptake of serotonin

Panic Disorder

An anxiety disorder involving unexpected repeated episodes of intense fear with physical symptoms like chest pain

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Chronic baseline anxiety involving constant worry over low probability events