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Personality
An individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.
Psychodynamic theories
Theories that view personality with a focus on the unconscious mind and the importance of childhood experiences.
Psychoanalysis (theory)
Freud’s theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts.
Unconscious
According to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts and memories; also refers to information processing of which we are unaware.
Free association
A method in psychoanalysis for exploring the unconscious by allowing the person to say whatever comes to mind.
Id
A reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives.
Ego
The partly conscious part of personality that mediates among the demands of the id, superego, and reality.
Superego
The partly conscious part of personality that represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment.
Defense mechanisms
The ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality.
Repression
The basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness.
Collective unconscious
Carl Jung’s concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species’ history.
Terror-management theory
A theory of death-related anxiety; explores emotional and behavioral responses to reminders of impending death.
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
A projective test where people express their inner feelings through stories about ambiguous scenes.
Projective test
A personality test designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics, such as the TAT or Rorschach.
Rorschach inkblot test
A projective test designed by Hermann Rorschach; analyzes interpretations of inkblots to identify inner feelings.
Humanistic theories
Theories that view personality with a focus on the potential for healthy personal growth.
Hierarchy of needs
Maslow’s levels of human needs, visualized as a pyramid with physiological needs at the base.
Self-actualization
The motivation to fulfill one’s potential, arising after basic needs are met.
Self-transcendence
The striving for identity, meaning, and purpose beyond the self.
Unconditional positive regard
A caring, accepting, nonjudgmental attitude that helps people develop self-awareness and self-acceptance.
Self-concept
All our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, answering the question, 'Who am I?'
