Unit 8 Psychology

Psychodynamic view of personality

Focuses on the role of the unconscious mind and early childhood experiences in shaping personality.

Role of the unconscious

In psychodynamic theory, it refers to mental processes that influence behavior without conscious awareness.

Ego defense mechanisms

Strategies used by the ego to protect against anxiety and maintain psychological equilibrium.

Denial

Refusing to accept reality or facts, thus blocking external events from awareness.

Displacement

Shifting emotional responses from the true object of distress to a safer target.

Projection

Attributing one’s own unacceptable feelings or thoughts to someone else.

Rationalization

Providing reasonable-sounding explanations for unreasonable behaviors or actions.

Reaction formation

Expressing an emotion or behavior that is the opposite of one’s true feelings.

Regression

Reverting to behaviors typical of an earlier stage of development in response to stress.

Repression

Involuntarily pushing unpleasant feelings and thoughts into the unconscious mind.

Sublimation

Transforming unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable actions.

Projective tests

Psychological assessments that reveal hidden emotions and internal conflicts through ambiguous stimuli.

Humanistic psychology

An approach that emphasizes personal growth and the concept of self-actualization.

Unconditional (positive) regard (UPR)

Acceptance and support of a person regardless of what the person says or does.

Self-actualizing tendency

The inherent drive to develop and reach one's full potential.

Social-Cognitive view of personality

Focuses on the influence of social interactions and cognitive processes on personality.

Reciprocal determinism

The theory that personal factors, behavior, and environmental factors interact to shape personality.

Self-efficacy

Belief in one's capabilities to achieve a goal or perform task.

Self-concept

An individual’s perception of themselves, their abilities, and worth.

Self-esteem

The overall value one places on oneself as a person.

Trait view on personality

Focuses on identifying and measuring individual personality characteristics.

Big Five Theory

A model describing five broad dimensions of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

Openness

A trait characterized by imagination and insight, being open to new experiences and ideas.

Conscientiousness

A personality trait characterized by organization, dependability, and work ethic.

Extraversion

A trait marked by sociability, assertiveness, and a tendency to seek stimulation in the company of others.

Agreeableness

A personality trait that reflects an individual’s tendency toward kindness, cooperativeness, and compassion.

Emotional stability (neuroticism)

Refers to how well a person copes with stress and emotional instability.

Personality inventories

Standardized questionnaires that assess and measure personality traits.

Factor analysis

A statistical method used to identify the underlying relationships between variables.

Drive-reduction theory

Theory explaining motivation as a way to reduce drives or needs within the body.

Homeostasis

The process by which biological systems maintain stability while adjusting to conditions.

Arousal theory

Theory suggesting that people are motivated to maintain an optimal level of arousal.

Optimal arousal

The level of arousal that leads to improved performance on tasks.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

The principle that performance increases with physiological or mental arousal, but only up to a point.

Self-determination theory

The theory that asserts the importance of intrinsic motivation for achieving personal growth.

Intrinsic motivation

Engaging in behavior because it is personally rewarding.

Extrinsic motivation

Engaging in behavior to earn rewards or avoid punishment.

Incentive Theory

A theory that suggests behavior is motivated by a desire for external rewards.

Instincts

Innate biological forces that predispose behaviors.

Lewin’s motivational conflicts

Theory describing different types of motivational conflicts: approach-approach, approach-avoidance, and avoidance-avoidance.

Approach-approach

A conflict that occurs when making a choice between two desirable options.

Approach-avoidance

A conflict arising when faced with a goal that has both attractive and unattractive aspects.

Avoidance-avoidance

A conflict that involves choosing between two undesirable options.

Sensation-seeking theory

The theory that suggests some individuals seek out stimulating experiences.

Experience seeking

A dimension of sensation-seeking characterized by a desire for new experiences.

Thrill or adventure

A component of sensation-seeking focused on pursuing exciting and risky situations.

Disinhibition

The tendency to act impulsively and without restraint.

Boredom susceptibility

The tendency to become easily bored and seek stimulation.

Eating motivation

The factors that drive an individual to eat certain foods.

Ghrelin

A hormone that stimulates appetite and promotes food intake.

PPY

A hormone that helps to inhibit appetite after eating.

Leptin

A hormone involved in regulating energy balance and inhibiting hunger.

Hypothalamus and pituitary gland

Brain structures involved in regulating hunger and various physiological functions.

Hunger and satiety

The states of experiencing the desire for food and the feeling of fullness after eating.

External factors (cues)

Environmental triggers that can influence eating behaviors.

Set-point

The body weight that an individual’s physiology aims to maintain.

Cognitive Appraisals

Evaluations of the significance of an event, influencing emotional responses.

Emotion/affect

Intense feelings that can be directed toward specific objects.

Broad historical views of how an emotion unfolds

Refers to theories that describe the process and progression of emotional experiences.

Facial-feedback hypothesis

Theory suggesting that facial expressions can influence emotional experiences.

Broaden-and-build theory

Theory proposing that positive emotions expand cognitive resources and build psychological resilience.

Universality of emotional expression

The idea that certain emotional expressions are recognized across cultures.

Display rules

Cultural norms that dictate the appropriate expressions of emotion in social situations.

Health psychology

Field that studies the interaction between psychological factors and physical health.

Stress and immune suppression

The relationship between stress and its effect on the immune system.

Stressors (eustress vs. distress)

Eustress is positive stress that can motivate, whereas distress is negative stress.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

Negative experiences in childhood that can have lasting effects on health and well-being.

General adaptation syndrome

A three-stage response to stress: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

Fight-flight-or-freeze response

The body's automatic response to perceived threats.

Tend and befriend theory

A response to stress characterized by seeking social support and nurturing.

Problem-focused coping

Coping strategy aimed at addressing the source of stress directly.

Emotion-focused coping

Coping strategy aimed at managing emotional responses to stress.

Positive Psychology

Focus on strengths, well-being, resilience, and positive aspects of life.

Gratitude increases subjective well-being

Recognizing and appreciating what one has can enhance overall happiness.

Signature strengths

Individual's unique traits that contribute to their sense of fulfillment.

Wisdom

The ability to make sound judgments and decisions based on experience.

Courage

The mental or moral strength to persevere and withstand difficult situations.

Humanity

Caring for others and being empathetic and compassionate.

Justice

Fairness in treatment and consideration of all individuals.

Temperance

Restraint and moderation in actions and desires.

Transcendence

The ability to rise above personal concerns for a greater good.

Posttraumatic growth

Positive psychological change experienced as a result of adversity.

Abraham Maslow (Hierarchy of Needs)

Theory proposing that people are motivated by a hierarchy of needs from physiological to self-actualization.

William James and Carl Lange (James-Lange Theory)

Theory proposing that emotions are the result of physiological reactions to stimuli.

Walter Cannon and Philip Bard (Cannon-Bard Theory)

Theory suggesting that physiological reactions and emotional experiences occur simultaneously.

Stanley Schachter and Jerome Singer (Schachter-Singer Theory)

Theory that emotion is determined by physiological arousal and cognitive labeling of that arousal.

Richard Lazarus

Psychologist known for his work on emotion and cognitive appraisal in stress.