Psychology Exam 2

Psychological Determinism

The principle that all thoughts; feelings; and behaviors derive causally from underlying forces

Internal Structure

The psychodynamic concept that the mind is compartmentalized into independent functional parts: id; ego; and superego

Psychic Conflict

The everyday psychological struggle involving competing drives; such as balancing immediate desire with self-control

Mental Energy

The limited resource required by drives; which forms the basis for modern theories like ego depletion

Id

The primitive; instinctive component of personality that operates on the pleasure principle and drives sex; aggression; and hunger

Libido

The localized psychic energy associated with primal life drives like sex

Superego

The moral and socially-oriented structure of the mind that contains the ego-ideal or ideal self

Ego

The reality-principle operating executive of personality that compromises between the id and superego

Id-Superego Balance Spectrum

The personality scale where individuals strive to fall between the moral selflessness of Gandhi and the impulsive self-gratification of Kanye

Extreme Introversion vs. Extreme Extraversion

The spectrum of social energy deployment that ranges from entirely inwardly focused to entirely outwardly focused

Extreme Low Neuroticism vs. Extreme High Neuroticism

The emotional stability spectrum tracking a person's vulnerability to psychological distress and negative emotions

Extremely Unconscientious vs. Extreme Conscientious

The spectrum tracking individual differences in organization; self-discipline; and adherence to structure

Extremely Agreeable vs. Extremely Disagreeable

The social orientation spectrum tracking a person's tendency to be cooperative and compassionate versus antagonistic

Extremely Closed vs. Extremely Open

The cognitive spectrum tracking a person's receptivity to new ideas; abstract art; imaginative experiences; and change

Completely Proportionate Personality

The ideal psychodynamic state where all five major personality dimensions are perfectly balanced without tilting toward pathological extremes

Doctrine of Opposites

Freud's concept of opponent processing where every psychological impulse requires its opposite (e.g.; Eros/Life vs. Thanatos/Death)

Eros

The life instinct which drives survival; pleasure; and reproduction

Thanatos

The death instinct which drives self-destruction or aggressive behavior

Affective Forecasting

The psychological process where motivation is driven by predicting how positive or negative an experience will be

Affect Circumplex

Russell's (1980) model that maps emotions along two dimensions: activation-deactivation and pleasant-unpleasant

Oral Stage

Psychosexual stage from 0-1 years where pleasure centers on the mouth and the core conflict centers on trust and interdependency

Oral Fixation

A defense mechanism where a stressed adult regresses to oral-stage coping strategies (e.g.; nail biting; smoking)

Anal Stage

Psychosexual stage from 1-3 years which serves as the first experience with self-control via toilet training and ego rules

Anal Retentive

A personality structure caused by overly rigid parenting where an individual copes with stress through extreme organization

Anal Explosive

A term by Karl Abraham for individuals with overly permissive parents who struggle with chaotic environments and social norms

Phallic Stage

Psychosexual stage from 3-6 years where children develop awareness of others; empathy; and moral structures

Oedipus Complex

A phallic stage conflict where boys experience desire for their mother and castration anxiety regarding their father

Penis Envy

A phallic stage concept where girls recognize structural social discrepancies and navigate identification with their mother

Electra Complex

Carl Jung's symmetric concept of dad-daughter attraction during the phallic stage; which Freud rejected

Latency Stage

Psychosexual stage from 6-12 years where sexual concerns are dormant and kids focus on social and learning skills

Genital Stage

Psychosexual stage from puberty onward where individuals focus on conscious love; sex; transcendence; and legacy

Parapraxis

A collective term for psychological lapses (like forgetting) and slips that reveal unconscious thoughts

Freudian Slip

An inadvertent mental "leakage" where a person states an unconscious; often taboo thought when defenses are down

Defense Mechanisms

Psychological strategies that minimize anxiety or guilt produced during conflict without conscious awareness

Repression

Unknowingly pushing an unpleasant memory or threatening thought down into the unconscious mind

Regression

Reverting back to immature behaviors belonging to an earlier psychosexual stage of development

Displacement

Redirecting unacceptable feelings or anger from their original source to a safer; substitute target

Sublimation

Channeling socially unacceptable or aggressive impulses into productive; socially acceptable behaviors (e.g.; art or sports)

Reaction Formation

Acting in the exact opposite manner to one's genuine; unacceptable unconscious impulses

Projection

Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts; flaws; or feelings onto someone else

Rationalization

Creating false but plausible excuses to justify unacceptable behavior; thoughts; or feelings

Cognitive Dissonance Self-Threat

A threat caused by structural inconsistency in self-image; meaning praise can threaten someone with a negative self-image

Freudian Humor

A mechanism for successfully navigating past the superego to safely express taboo elements of the id