Untitled Flashcards Set

Charles Darwin

Naturalist known for his theories on evolution and natural selection.

Francis Galton

Pioneer in the study of human intelligence and the application of statistical methods to psychology.

Hans Eysenck

Psychologist known for his work on personality and intelligence, particularly the Eysenck personality inventory.

Natural Selection

The process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Evolutionary Personality Theory

A theory that considers personality traits as adaptations to environmental challenges.

Temperament

Biologically-based emotional and behavioral tendencies present from early life.

BIS system

Behavioral Inhibition System; prompts avoidance behaviors in response to threat.

BAS System

Behavioral Activation System; promotes approach behaviors by seeking rewards.

Eugenics

The study of or belief in the possibility of improving the human race through selective breeding.

Nonshared environmental variance

Differences in experiences between siblings that affect personality.

Biological Determinism

The idea that biological factors determine human behavior and personality traits.

Somatotypology

A classification system that categorizes individuals based on body types.

Survival of the Fittest

Concept asserting that only those best adapted to their environment survive.

Social Darwinism

Ideology that applies Darwin's ideas of natural selection to social, political, and economic issues.

Cinderella Effect

Phenomenon where stepparents are less likely to invest in their stepchildren than in their biological children.

Eysenck’s model of nervous system temperament

A framework linking personality traits to biological functioning of the nervous system.

Herbert Sheldon’s somatotypology model

A theory suggesting body type influences personality: endomorphs are sociable, ectomorphs are shy, and mesomorphs are assertive.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process that pairs a neutral stimulus with a response-producing stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.

Operant Conditioning

A method of learning that employs rewards and punishments for behavior.

Partial Reinforcement

Rewarding a behavior occasionally instead of continuously to strengthen it.

Generalization

The tendency to respond similarly to similar stimuli in classical conditioning.

Extinction

The diminishing of a conditioned response when reinforcement is no longer presented.

Discrimination

The ability to differentiate between similar stimuli in classical conditioning.

Behaviorism

A psychological perspective focusing on observable behaviors rather than mental processes.

Systematic Desensitization

A technique used to reduce anxiety through gradual exposure to the feared object or situation.

Thorndike’s Law of Effect

The principle that responses followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to be repeated.

Shaping

Gradually guiding behavior toward a desired behavior through reinforcement.

Radical Determinism

The belief that behavior is entirely determined by environmental factors.

Habits

Learned behaviors that are repeated regularly.

Primary Drives

Innate biological needs, such as hunger and thirst.

Secondary Drives

Learned motivations, such as social approval or achievement.

Social Learning Theory

The theory that we learn behaviors through observation and imitation of others.

Gestalt Psychology

A psychological perspective emphasizing holistic processing of perceptions.

Field Theory

Kurt Lewin's theory that behavior is a function of the individual and the environment.

Life Space

The psychological environment surrounding an individual, including personal needs and goals.

Cognitive Style

Individuals' preferred ways of processing information.

Learning Style

Preferred method of learning based on specific characteristics or preferences.

Schemas

Mental structures that organize knowledge and guide processing of information.

Scripts

Predefined sequences of events that guide behavior in specific contexts.

Categorization

The process of grouping similar objects or concepts together for better understanding.

Personal Construct Theory

A theory that suggests individuals use personal frameworks to interpret experiences.

Role Construct Repertory Test

A test that assesses a person's personal constructs by comparing different people.

Social Intelligence

The ability to understand and manage social relationships.

Emotional Intelligence

The capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions.

Multiple Intelligences

Howard Gardner's theory that suggests there are various types of intelligence beyond traditional IQ.

Explanatory Style

The way individuals interpret events, influencing their emotional response.

Behavior Potential

The likelihood that a given behavior will occur in a specific situation.

Locus of Control

A person's belief about the extent to which they can control events affecting them.

Self-System

The cognitive structure that organizes the self-concept and guides behavior.

Observational Learning

Learning by observing and imitating others' behaviors.

Self-Regulation

The ability to control one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in pursuit of long-term goals.

Self-Efficacy

An individual's belief in their capability to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments.

Trait Approach

A framework focusing on individual differences in personality traits.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

A personality assessment tool based on Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types.

Trait

A stable characteristic that influences an individual's behavior.

Common Traits

Traits shared by individuals within a culture.

Functionally Autonomous

Traits that become independent from the original motivations.

Proprium

All aspects of a person's identity considered central to their self-concept.

Nuclear quality

The basic traits that define an individual's personality.

Personal Disposition

Characteristics that are specific to an individual.

Cardinal Disposition

Dominant traits that define a person's entire approach to life.

Central Disposition

Traits that are highly characteristic of a person but not as dominant.

Big Five

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

Implicit Personality Theory

Personal beliefs about how traits relate to each other and influence behavior.

Eysenck’s Big Three

Hans Eysenck's model of personality, including psychoticism, extraversion, and neuroticism.

Zero Acquaintance

A situation in which two individuals meet for the first time.

Motives

Internal drives that influence behavior and decision-making.

Need

A basic biological or psychological requirement necessary for survival or well-being.