Unit 4 - Social Psychology (Part 2)

Personality

An individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.

Psychoanalysis

Freud's Theory: Attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious drives, needs, and conflicts.

Therapeutic Technique

Used to treat psychological disorders by exposing and interpreting unconscious tensions.

Free Association

A method where a patient relaxes and speaks whatever comes to mind, regardless of how trivial or embarrassing.

The Unconscious

Freud's View: A reservoir of unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories.

Modern Psychology View

Information processing that occurs outside of our conscious awareness.

Freudian Slip

An unintentional error believed to reveal subconscious feelings.

Projective Test

A test where ambiguous stimuli (words, images, situations) are presented, and responses are analyzed to uncover unconscious personality expressions.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Telling a story based on a picture.

Rorschach Inkblot Test

A test using 10 inkblots to assess personality, emotional functioning, and cognitive style.

Temperament

An individual's typical behavioral style and way of responding to others and situations.

Inhibited Temperament

Apprehensive and shyness when faced with new experiences/people.

Uninhibited Temperament

Sociable and outgoing when exposed to new situations.

Conscious

Thoughts + beliefs of which we're aware of.

Preconscious

Contains memory + stored info.

Id

The driving force that pushes us to act on our impulses; represents our most primitive, unconscious impulses.

Superego

Acts as a moral conscience, pushing a person to 'do the right thing.'

Ego

Operates on the reality principle, attempting to satisfy the Id within socially acceptable boundaries set by the Superego.

Eros

General instinctual drive.

Libido

Instinctual drive/desire for sexual activity.

Thanatos

Death drive that accounts for aggressive and self-destructive thoughts and behaviors.

Ego Defense Mechanisms

Help us navigate difficult/traumatic periods, but can be maladaptive (psychologically unhealthy).

Denial

Rejecting the truth of painful reality.

Repression

Unconscious forgetting painful event.

Displacement

Unconsciously deflecting impulsive away from original target to less threatening.

Sublimation

Unconsciously seeking socially acceptable substitute for some undesirable impulse.

Projection

Unconsciously attributing ourselves to someone else your own unacceptable thoughts/actions.

Rationalization

Unconscious excuse making negative behaviors to justify behavior.

Reaction Formation

Unconsciously behaving in ways that are opposite of how we truly feel.

Regression

Unconsciously reverting to an earlier, safer time by facing a situation that's causing feelings of guilt/anxiety, engaging in child-like behaviors.

Oral Stage

The 1st stage of psychosexual development from birth to 18 months, where pleasure is derived from oral activities.

Conflict of Oral Stage

Weaning, becoming gradually independent from breastfeeding.

Oral Fixations

Result from weaning too early or too late, can manifest in adulthood as smoking, drinking, overeating, dependence, or anxiety.

Anal Stage

The 2nd stage of psychosexual development from 18 months to 3 years, where pleasure is related to bowel control and potty training.

Conflict of Anal Stage

Learning to control bodily functions and developing independence.

Anal Fixations

Related to issues of control, orderliness, and cleanliness.

Phallic Stage

The 3rd stage of psychosexual development from 3 to 6 years, where awareness of genitals and exploration of sexual differences occurs.

Oedipus Complex

Unconscious romantic attraction to the mother and rivalry with the father (Boys).

Penis Envy

Feeling of inferiority and jealousy towards boys for having a penis (Girls).

Electra Complex

Unconscious competition with the mother for the father's affection (Girls).

Latency Stage

The 4th stage of psychosexual development from 7 to 11 years, where sexual urges are repressed and sublimated into socially acceptable activities.

Focus of Latency Stage

Development of social skills and same-sex friendships.

Genital Stage

The 5th stage of psychosexual development from early adolescence onward, focusing on maturation of sexual interests and development of intimate relationships.

Key Idea of Genital Stage

Fixations from earlier stages may resurface and influence adult relationships if not adequately resolved.

Pleasure Principle (Id)

The drive for immediate gratification of desires and impulses.

Reality Principle (Ego)

The ability to delay gratification until an appropriate time and outlet is found.

Person-Centered Approach

Focuses on individual human potential and capacity for growth.

Carl Rogers

Developed person-centered therapy and argued that individuals strive for self-actualization.

Abraham Maslow

Founder of humanistic psychology who believed people are motivated to fulfill their potential once basic needs are met.

Self-Actualization

The process of achieving one's full potential, involving intellectual, social, and personal growth.

Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR)

Accepting and supporting a person regardless of their actions.

Conditions of Worth

Requirements imposed by others for love and acceptance.

Self-Concept

An individual's perception and evaluation of their own identity, beliefs, and characteristics.

Ideal Self

The person one aspires to be.

Real Self

An individual's authentic and core identity, encompassing their true thoughts, feelings, values, and aspirations.

Congruence

Alignment between a person's self-concept and their actual experiences/behaviors.

Incongruence

A mismatch between different aspects of an individual's self.

Social Cognitive Theory of Personality

Emphasizes the interactions between thoughts, behaviors, and the environment in shaping personality.

Behavior

Influenced by how we think about ourselves and our perception of events.

Reciprocal Determinism

Person’s behavior both influences + is influenced by personal factors + social environment.

Self-Efficacy

Belief in one's ability to control outcomes in their environment.

Locus of Control

Refers to the extent to which individuals believe they can control events affecting them.

Internal Locus of Control

Individuals believe they largely control consequences.

External Locus of Control

Individuals believe outcomes are beyond their control.

Learned Helplessness

A condition in which a person suffers from a sense of powerlessness.

Explanatory Styles

How individuals explain events.

Optimistic Explanatory Style

See setbacks as temporary and believe in improvement.

Pessimistic Explanatory Style

See setbacks as stable and unlikely to change.

Trait Theories of Personality

Traits are broad, enduring dispositions that influence behavior across situations.

Cardinal Traits

A single, dominant trait influencing all behaviors.

Central Traits

Fundamental and influential personality characteristics.

Secondary Traits

Often present in individual but are NOT nearly as defining of that individual

Factor Analysis

Used to identify correlated traits.

16PF (16 Personality Factors)

Describes personality using 16 factors (e.g., assertiveness, conscientiousness).

The Big Five / Five-Factor Model (OCEAN)

Most popular and well-validated trait theory.

Openness

Degree to which one’s open to new experiences related to culture, travel, imagination, interest in variety + change.

Conscientiousness

Degree to which one’s responsible, hard-working, reliability + dependable

• dependability

Extraversion

Degree to which one’s outgoing, expressive, active, social + energetic.

Agreeableness

Degree to which one’s honest, trusting, considerate, likable + helpful.

Neuroticism

Degree to which one’s anxious, self-conscious + insecure

• emotionality

NEO-PIR (Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Personality Inventory Revised)

Measures the Big 5 personality traits.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

Widely used personality inventory originally for diagnosing mental illness.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Categorizes people into 4 categories: Introversion/Extroversion, Sensing/Intuitive, Thinking/Feeling, Judging/Perceiving.

Intrinsic Motivation

Performing an activity for its own sake.

Extrinsic Motivation

Performing an activity to avoid punishment or gain rewards.

Evolutionary Theory

Cognition and behavior are examined through an evolutionary lens.

Instincts

Innate, pre-programmed behaviors in response to stimuli.

Drive Reduction Theory

We have basic psychological needs (hunger, thirst, etc.) and we are driven to fulfill these needs.

Homeostasis

Ideal internal state of balance that we seek to maintain.

Optimal Arousal Theory

Individuals have preferred levels of arousal and we act to maintain this level.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

Performance increases with arousal up to a point, then decreases; moderate arousal is best for difficult tasks.

Incentive Theory

External factors (rewards) motivate behavior; we are 'pulled' toward behaviors by extrinsic rewards.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Needs motivate behavior.

Self-Actualization

Reaching one's full potential (self-acceptance, creativity, contributing to society).

Physiological Needs

Basic survival needs (food, water, sleep).

Safety

includes having place to live + good job → one can get a home in secure area

Love and Belonging

Individual looks for friends + potentially partners as a mean of making connections with others.

Esteem

Feeling good about oneself and one's contributions.

Achievement Goal Theory

Goal orientation influences motivation to achieve.

Motivation

Need/desire that energizes and directs behavior.