AP Psych | Unit 7: Personality, MESH, Positive Psychology

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 and creative

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 (how are traits assessed?)

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

only done by a professional

evaluating trait theories (pros and cons)

+: 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

fulfills our unconscious urges

operates on the pleasure principle

superego (angel)

The superego is the part of your personality that acts like your conscience. It helps you tell right from wrong and guides you to follow rules and moral standards. It's influenced by your family and society. The superego tries to keep your ego in check and makes you feel guilty if you do something you think is wrong.

ego (devil)

Ego is the part of your personality that helps you understand yourself and make decisions. It's the voice inside that says, "This is who I am" and "This is what I want." When balanced, it helps you stay confident; when it's too strong, it can make you overly focused on yourself.

OPERATES ON THE Reality Principle

purpose of defense mechanisms

unconscious reactions that protect a person from 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

a person behaves in the opposite way to what they are actually feeling.

displacement

a person redirects their emotions from the original source of stress to something or someone else that's less threatening.

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 (Thematic Apperception Test)

participants respond to vague stimuli in ways that may reveal the subject's unconscious need, feeling, and personality traits and cna be analyzed differently

Rorschach inkblot test

shown a series of inkblots; respond to what you see

humanistic perspective

focuses 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, allows others to develop self-awareness and self acceptance, leading to personal growth

self-actualizing tendencies

the motivation to fulfill one's potential

social-cognitive perspective

people learn from observing others (social learning) and how their beliefs and thoughts (cognition) shape their actions.

reciprocal determinism

how one's behavior, internal cognition, and environment all influence each other

self-concept

individual's perception of themselves, including their abilities, traits, and identity.

(how you see and understand yourself)

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

behavior is driven by innate, biological instincts that are hardwired into us (not observed in nature)

Yerkes-dodson theory

the principle that performance increases with arousal only up to points, the performance decreases

higher arousal benefits simple tasks

moderate arousal benefits complex tasks and leads to optimal performance

drive-reduction theory

we are motivated to maintain homeostasis, explains physiological needs

homeostasis

state of physiological equilibrium or stability

drive

internal state of tension that motivates an organism to behave in a certain way in order to restore homeostasis

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

we are motivated to obtain desirable stimuli or avoid negative stimuli

ex: money, promotion, food

arousal theory

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

sensation seeking theory

individuals levels of desire for new and intense experiences vary (overarching theory)

experience seeking

a preference for new and unconventional experiences

ex: traveling, meeting new people, or trying new foods

thrill/adventure seeking

a desire to engage in physically risky activities

ex: skydiving, bungee jumping, or fast driving

disinhibition

the desire to engage in impulsive, carefree behavior

ex: partying and socializing in uncontrolled situations

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

realased by empty stomach- stimulates appetite; causes stomach contractions (growling)

leptin

realased from fat cells, send safety signal to the brain

external factors

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)

physical reactions ------> emotion

cannon-bard

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

brain ---------> emotion and physical

schater-singer

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

physical and cognitive ------> emotion

broaden-and-build theory

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

universal emotions (6)

happiness, sadness, surprise, fear, disgust, anger

display rules

a social group or culture's 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 where we perceive and respond stressors that we beileve are threatening or challenging

eustress

positive form of stress, benefiting health, motivation, performance, and wellbeing

distress

negative stress harming health, motivation, performance, and wellbeing

acute stressors

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

(most types of stress)

chronic stressors

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

catastrophes

unpredictable, large-scale disasters that create a tremendous need to adapt and adjust

ex: natural disasters, floods, droughts, etc.

approach-approach conflict

a decision must be made between two (or more) attractive options

avoidance-avoidance conflict

a decision must be made between choose between two unattractive options

approach-avoidance conflict

A decision must be made between a single option with both attractive and unattractive aspects

fight-or-flight response

physiological reaction to threats in which the autonomic NS 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. 3-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, sympathetic NS working hard

fight or flight

resistance (phase 2)

provides the energy we need to fight the stressor

Sympathetic NS engaged to get us through stressor (not as much as in the alarm reaction)

exhaustion (phase 3)

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

tend-and-befriend

under stress, people (especially women), may respond to stress by nurturing themselves and others (tending) and seeking social support (befriending)

appraisal

the cognitive interpretation of the stressor

(how someone evaluates a situation and determines their emotional response)

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

belief that intelligence, talent, and other qualities are innate and unchangeable

growth mindset

belief that intelligence, talent, and other qualities can be developed with effort and practice

problem-focused coping

taking direct action to solve or manage the source of stress

emotion-focused coping

managing the emotional response to the stressor

different because it is about not about changing the problem

positive psychology

the study of human strength and well-being

subjective well-being

perceived satisfaction with life (how happy do you think you are?)

objective well-being

physical health indicators, income living conditions, etc.

resilience

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

gratitude

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 underline healthy community in life

temperance

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

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

positive psychological changes as a result of struggling with highly challenging life circumstances

Ex: A cancer survivor may experience posttraumatic growth by developing a renewed sense of life's value, engaging in advocacy work, or deepening relationships with loved ones, illustrating how adversity can lead to profound personal growth and a positive outlook on life.