psychology 101 exam

Core motivations

Fundamental needs that drive human behavior, including the need to belong, self-perception, positive group perception, understanding the world, and feeling in control.

Social Psychology vs. Personality Psychology

Social psychology focuses on how the immediate environment affects behavior, whereas personality psychology examines stable characteristics in individuals.

Social norms

Patterns of behavior, traditions, and preferences that are tacitly approved of by a specific culture.

Conformity

The process where individuals mimic or adopt the behaviors and preferences of those around them.

Social loafing

The tendency to exert less effort in a group task than when working alone.

Milgram experiments

Studies that tested obedience, where participants administered shocks to others under authoritative instructions.

Aggression

Behavior directed toward harming another living being.

Prosocial behavior

Actions that assist others towards their goals, sometimes at the expense of one's own goals.

Norm of reciprocity

The automatic tendency to help others who have helped us in the past.

Stereotype

A mental representation or schema we have about a group, often learned early in life.

Contact hypothesis

The idea that prejudice can be reduced through cooperative interactions between different groups working together towards a common goal.

Clinical assessment

A procedure for gathering information to evaluate an individual’s psychological functioning.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A therapy approach combining behavioral and cognitive techniques to address maladaptive thoughts and behaviors.

Acceptance and commitment therapy

A therapeutic approach that encourages clients to accept their thoughts and feelings without judgment.

Evidence-based practices

Therapies and techniques that have been validated through psychological research and peer-reviewed studies.

Green exercise

Physical activity conducted in natural environments, shown to enhance mood and self-esteem.

Empirically Supported Treatments (ESTs)

Treatments that have been shown through research to be effective for specific disorders.