Chapter 8: Cognitive Theory of Personality – Key Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering major concepts, theories, researchers, and biases discussed in the Cognitive Theory of Personality lecture.

Cognition

Mental processes involving perception, experience, and thought.

Cognitive Revolution

1950-1960s shift in psychology from behaviorism to the study of mental processes such as perception and memory.

Experimental Introspection

Early research method asking participants to report their inner experiences while exposed to stimuli.

Wilhelm Wundt

Founder of the first experimental psychology laboratory; used scientific methods to study the mind.

Gestalt Psychology

School of thought emphasizing that psychological phenomena are perceived as organized wholes, not merely sums of parts.

Phi Phenomenon

Optical illusion in which stationary lights flashed in succession appear to move; discovered by Max Wertheimer.

Law of Prägnanz

Gestalt principle stating we perceive objects in the simplest, most organized form possible.

Law of Similarity

Gestalt rule that elements sharing visual characteristics are perceived as belonging together.

Law of Proximity

Gestalt rule that objects close to one another are grouped together perceptually.

Law of Continuity

Gestalt rule that we perceive lines or patterns as following a smooth path.

Law of Closure

Gestalt rule that we mentally fill in gaps to perceive complete, closed figures.

Law of Common Region

Gestalt principle that elements within the same bounded area are perceived as a group.

Field Theory (Lewin)

Concept that behavior occurs within a dynamic field of interdependent forces (person and environment).

Force-Field Analysis

Lewin’s method of mapping driving and restraining forces affecting movement from a current to desired state.

Resistance to Change

Lewin’s idea that social norms and group forces, more than individuals, impede behavioral change.

Aspiration Level

Degree of goal difficulty a person sets; optimal performance linked to slightly above-average aspirations.

George Miller’s 7 ± 2

Observation that short-term memory can hold about seven items, give or take two.

Information-Processing Steps

Miller’s sequence: attend, encode, store, retrieve information.

Mind-as-Computer Analogy

View that human cognition operates like computer programs processing quantifiable information.

Cognitive Science

Interdisciplinary study of mind, often criticized for neglecting emotion, consciousness, and environment.

Cognitive Neuroscience

Field examining brain mechanisms underlying mental functions via physiology, pathology, and imaging.

Neural Predetermination of Choice

Finding that brain activity precedes conscious awareness of decisions, challenging intuitive free will.

Computer Science (AI)

Discipline positing that humans and computers process information similarly; foundational to cognitive models.

Alan Turing

Mathematician who proposed the Turing Test to evaluate machine intelligence.

Turing Test

Assessment of a machine's intelligence based on its indistinguishability from human responses.

John Searle

Philosopher arguing consciousness is a biological, subjective phenomenon produced by neural activity.

Chinese Room Argument

Searle’s thought experiment claiming symbol manipulation alone cannot produce true understanding or consciousness.

Attitude

Learned tendency to evaluate objects, people, or events with cognitive, emotional, and behavioral components.

Cognitive Component (Attitude)

Knowledge or beliefs about an object or issue.

Emotional Component (Attitude)

Feelings or affective evaluation toward an object or issue.

Attitude Accessibility

Ease with which an attitude is retrieved from memory; strengthened by frequent expression or strong emotion.

Cognitive Balance (Heider)

Drive for consistency among beliefs and evaluations to avoid psychological contradiction.

Cognitive Dissonance

Festinger’s concept of discomfort from holding conflicting cognitions or acting against beliefs.

Principle of Least Effort

Tendency to minimize cognitive work, often by ignoring information that challenges existing beliefs.

Anchoring Bias

Over-reliance on the first information encountered when making decisions.

Availability Heuristic

Overestimating likelihood based on how easily examples come to mind.

Bandwagon Effect

Adopting beliefs because many others hold them.

Blind-Spot Bias

Failure to recognize one’s own cognitive biases while noticing them in others.

Confirmation Bias

Seeking or interpreting information that confirms existing beliefs.

Self

Representation of one’s identity and experiences; enables self-recognition and coherence.

Self-Consciousness

Awareness of one’s existence and internal states.

Private Self

Personal thoughts and feelings known only to oneself.

Public Self

Self-concept presented to others; social aspect of identity.

Social Identity

Perceived membership in social groups; fluid and context-dependent.

Self-Esteem

Overall emotional and rational evaluation of one’s worth.

Collaborative Empiricism

Cognitive-therapy principle where therapist and client jointly test beliefs through evidence.

Socratic Dialogue (Therapy)

Guided questioning to reveal contradictions and foster new conclusions, not to expose ignorance.

Cognitive Therapy

Treatment approach focusing on correcting faulty information-processing patterns underlying psychological disorders.

Applied Spirituality

Use of spiritual beliefs or higher-power concepts to facilitate psychological growth and healing.