AP Psych Unit 7

personality

an individual's consistent characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling and acting (By adulthood, they are consistent)

openness

receptive to new ideas, broad interests, abstract

conscientiousness

responsible, organized, detail-oriented

extraversion

outgoing, fun-loving, assertive, talkative

agreeableness

trusting, helpful, warm, empathetic

neuroticism

insecure, anxious, moody, gets angry, emotionally unstable

factor analysis

statistical technique used to identity clusters of related info

MMPI

the most widely researched and clinically used personality inventory; contains true/false questions that are scores on a scale used to describe a person's mental processes and how they manage stress

evaluating trait theories:

+: gives us terminology to describe behavior

-: overestimates the consistency of behavior from one situation to another

doesn't explain behavior

doesn't create a unique description for everyone

focus of psychodynamic perspective

unconscious drives/impulses drive personality

Id

primitive, instinctual component of our personality (urges)

superego

moral components of personality (values, conscience, right v wrong)

learned from parents and society

ego

operates on the reality principle (delay gratification until id's urges can be satisfied in a socially acceptable way = balancing 2 extremes)

purpose of defense mechanisms

unconscious reactions that protect a person from unpleasant emotions such as anxiety and guilt resulting from unconscious conflict (protect the ego)

denial

refusal to recognize or acknowledge a threatening situation

repression

"pushing" threatening or conflicting events or situations out of conscious memory

rationalization

making up acceptable excuses for unacceptable behavior

projection

placing one's own unacceptable thoughts onto others, as if the thoughts belonged to them and not to oneself

reaction formation

forming an emotional reaction or attitude that is the opposite of one's threatening or unacceptable actual thoughts

displacement

expressing feelings that would be threatening if directed at the real target onto a less threatening substitute target

regression

falling back on child like patterns as a way of coping with stressful situations

sublimation

turning socially unacceptable urges into socially acceptable behavior

TAT

tell the story of a picture

Rorschach inkblot test

shown a series of inkblots; respond to what you see

humanistic perspective

emphasizes the unique qualities in humans, especially the freedom to choose their destiny and potential for personal growth

unconditional positive regard

a caring, accepting, nonjudgmental attitude, which allows individuals to develop self-awareness and self acceptance, leading to personal growth

self-actualizing tendencies

the motivation to fulfill one's potential

social-cognitive perspective

personality and behavior are influenced by the interaction between people's traits (including their thinking) and their social context

reciprocal determinism

the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment

self-concept

the collection of beliefs about one's own nature, human qualities, and typical behavior

self-esteem

our overall feelings of self-worth

self-efficacy

one's beliefs about their ability to succeed (produce expected outcomes) in a new/different situation

motivation

a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior

instinct theory

based on survival, natural selection, reproductive capacity, automatic, involuntary, and unlearned behaviors

Yerkes-dodson theory

the principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases

- higher arousal benefits simple tasks, moderate arousal benefits complete tasks

drive-reduction theory

we are motivated to maintain homeostasis, explains physiological needs

homeostasis

state of physiological equilibrium or stability

drive

internal state or tension that motivates an organism to behave in a certain way

self-determination theory

we feel motivated to satisfy our needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness

intrinsic motivation

desire to engage in a behavior for its own sake

extrinsic motivation

desire to engage in a behavior in order to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishments

incentive theory

incentive= an external goal

we are motivated to obtain desirable stimuli or avoid negative stimuli

arousal theory

people are motivated to maintain their optimal level of arousal (which is different for everyone)

- if over-aroused= motivated to reduce levels of arousal

- if under aroused= motivated to increase arousal

sensation seeking theory

individuals have varying levels of desire for arousa; and new and intense experiences

experience seeking

a preference for new and unconventional experiences like traveling, meeting new people, or trying new foods

thrill/adventure seeking

a desire to engage in impulsive, carefree behavior

boredom susceptibility

a tendency to become easily bored with routine activities and a craving for constant change

maslow's hierarchy

people are motivated to fulfill certain needs that are arranged in a hierarchy; the lower the needs on the hierarchy must be fulfilled before someone can be motivated by the need next on the hierarchy

Ghrelin

stimulates appetite

leptin

sends satiety signals to the brain

what are some of the environmental factors that influence eating behaviors?

presence of food, time of day, social gatherings

james-lange

the physical reactions of the body determine what emotion we experience (each emotion has a specific physical reaction)

cannon-bard

the brain determines what emotion we experience. the physical reaction and emotion occur simultaneously

schater-singer

the physical reactions PLUS our appraisal of the situation determine what emotion we express

broaden-and-build theory

when you experience positive emotions, you tend to broaden awareness and encourage new actions and thoughts. negative emotions reduce this

universal emotions

happiness, sadness, contempt, surprise, fear, disgust, anger

display rules

a social group or culture's information; norms that distinguish how one should express oneself

health psychology

the subfield of psychology that explores the impact of psychological, behavioral, and cultural factors on health and wellness

stress

the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging

eustress

good stress

distress

negative stress

acute stressors

threatening events that have a relatively short duration and a clear endpoint

chronic stressors

threatening events that have a relatively long duration and no readily apparent time limit

catastrophes

unpredictable, large-scale disasters that threaten us

approach-approach conflict

a choice must be made between two attractive options

avoidance-avoidance conflict

Conflict that results from having to choose between two distasteful alternatives

approach-avoidance conflict

A conflict in which there are both appealing and negative aspects to the decision to be made.

fight-or-flight response

physiological reaction to threats in which the autonomic nervous system mobilizes the organism for attacking (fight) or fleeing (flight) an enemy

general adaptation syndrom (GAS)

theory that describes the body's physiological response to stress. It's a three-stage process that can occur in response to any type of stress.

alarm reaction. (phase 1)

the initial shock of the stressor, short lived and intense

- fight or flight

resistance (phase 2)

provides the energy we need to fight the stressor (prolonged). Sympathetic NS engaged to get us through stressor

exhaustion

continual depletion of energy resources= suppression of immune system = get sick

tend-and-befriend

understress, people (especially women), may nurture themselves and others (tend) and bind with and seek support from others (befriend)

appraisal

the cognitive interpretation of the stressor

type A personality

personality type that describes people who are competitive, driven, hostile, and ambitious

Type B personality

Personality characterized by relatively relaxed, patient, easygoing, amicable behavior.

locus of control

an individuals belief about the extent to which their actions influence the outcomes/environment

internal locus of control

believe that their actions DO have an impact on the outcome/environment

external locus of control

believe that their actions DO NOT have an impact on the outcome/environment

fixed mindset

the idea that we have a set amount of an ability that cannot change

growth mindset

the idea that our abilities are malleable qualities that we can cultivate and grow

problem-focused coping

focuses on reducing stress by addressing the source of the stress

emotion-focused coping

focuses on reducing the response (emotional arousal) to the stressor

positive psychology

The scientific study of optimal human functioning, focusing on what allows humans to thrive

subjective well-being

perceived satisfaction with life/how happy do you think you are

objective well-being

physical health indications, income, living conditions

resilience

The ability to adapt well in the face of challenging life experiences, such as trauma, tragedy, or significant stress

gratitude

involves recognizing and appreciating the positive aspects of life and the kindness of others

wisdom

cognitive strengths that involve acquiring and using knowledge

courage

emotional strengths that involve the exercise of will to accomplish goals in the face of opposition

humanity

interpersonal strengths that involve tending and befriending others

justice

civic strengths that underlife healthy community life

temperance

strengths that protect against excess(self-control/restraint)

transcendence

strengths that forge connections to the larger universe and provide meaning

satisfaction

feeling that one has accomplished a goal during a certain period of time

post-traumatic growth

refers to the positive psychological change experienced as a result of struggling with highly challenging life circumstances