Unit 4 Social Psychology and Personality (4.4-4.8)

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

Freud's theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts; the techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions

unconscious

according to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories

free association

in psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing

id

a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that, according to Freud, strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives

ego

the partly conscious "executive" part of the personality that, according to Freud, mediates among the demands of the id, the superego, and reality

superego

the partly conscious part of the personality that, according to Freud, represents the internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and for future aspirations

defense mechanisms

in psychoanalytic theory, the ego's protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality

repression

in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories

collective unconscious

Carl Jung's concept of a shard, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species' history

projective test

a personality test that provides ambiguous images designed to trigger projection of one's inner dynamics and explore the preconscious and unconscious mind

thematic apperception test (TAT)

a projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes

rorschach inkblot test

a projective test that seeks to identify people's inner feelings by analyzing how they interpret 10 inkblots

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, beginning at the base with physiological needs

self-actualization

according to Maslow, one of the ultimate psychological needs that arises after basic physical and psychological needs are met and self-esteem is achieved; the motivation to fulfill one's potential

self-transcendence

according to Maslow, the striving for identity, meaning, and purpose beyond the self

unconditional positive regard

a caring, accepting, nonjudgmental attitude, which Carl Rogers believed would help people develop self-awareness and self-acceptance

trait

a characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act in certain ways, as assessed by self-report inventories and peer reports

personality inventory

a questionnaire (often with true-false or agree-disagree items) on which people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

the most widely researched and clinically used of all personality tests

empirically derived test

a test created by selecting from a pool of items those that discriminate between groups

big five factors

five traits—openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism—that describe personality

social-cognitive perspective

a view of behavior as influenced by the interaction between people's traits (including their thinking) and their social context

behavioral approach

focuses on the effects of learning on our personality development

reciprocal determinism

the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment

self

in modern psychology, assumed to be the center of personality, the organizer of our thoughts, feelings, and actions

spotlight effect

overestimating others' noticing and evaluating our appearance, performance, and blunders

self-esteem

our feelings of high or low self-worth

self-efficacy

our sense of competence and effectiveness

self-serving bias

a readiness to perceive ourselves favorably

narcissism

excessive self-love and self-absorption

individualism

a cultural pattern that emphasizes people's own goals over group goals and defines identity mainly in terms of unique personal attributes

collectivism

a cultural pattern that prioritizes the goals of important groups (often one's extended family or work group)

motivation

a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior

instinct

a complex behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species and is unlearned

drive-reduction theory

the idea that a physiological need creates an aroused state that motivates an organism to satisfy the need

physiological need

a basic bodily requirement

homeostasis

a tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state; the regulation of any aspect of body chemistry around a particular level

incentive

a positive or negative environmental stimulus that motivates behavior

sensation-seeking theory

proposes that one's level of need for varied or novel experiences is the basis for motivation

Yerkes-Dodson law

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

affiliation need

the need to build and maintain relationships and to feel part of a group

self-determination theory

the theory that we are motivated to satisfy our needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness

intrinsic motivation

the desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake

extrinsic motivation

the desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment

ostracism

deliberate social exclusion of individuals or groups

achievement motivation

a desire for significant accomplishment, for mastery of skills or ideas, for control, and for attaining a high standard

glucose

the form of sugar that circulates in the blood and provides the major source of energy for body tissues

emotion

a response of the whole organism, involving (1) physiological arousal, (2) expressive behaviors, and, most importantly, (3) conscious experience resulting from one's interpretations

facial feedback hypothesis

the tendency of facial muscle states to trigger corresponding feelings, such as fear, anger, or happiness