Unit 8 Vocabulary: Personality, Motivation, and Emotion

Psychodynamic Approach

An approach to psychology emphasizing unconscious thought, the conflict between biological drives and society's demands, and early childhood family experiences.

Psychoanalysis

Sigmund Freud's therapeutic technique. Freud believed the patient's free associations, dreams, etc. - and the therapist's interpretations of them - released previously repressed feelings, allowing the patient to gain self-insight.

Id

Primitive part of personality seeking immediate gratification.

Ego

Mediator between id and reality, rational decision-maker.

Superego

Moral component of personality, internalized societal norms.

Defense Mechanisms

Psychological strategies to cope with anxiety.

Denial

Refusal to accept reality or facts.

Displacement

Redirecting emotions to a safer target.

Projection

Attributing one's own unacceptable feelings to others.

Rationalization

Justifying behaviors with logical reasons.

Reaction Formation

Expressing opposite emotions to conceal true feelings.

Regression

Reverting to earlier developmental stages under stress.

Repression

Unconsciously blocking unpleasant thoughts and memories from awareness.

Sublimation

Channeling unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable activities.

Projective Tests

Assess personality through ambiguous stimuli interpretation.

Preconscious

Thoughts not currently in awareness but accessible.

Unconscious

Part of mind containing repressed memories and desires.

Humanistic Approach

An approach to psychology emphasizing a person's positive qualities, the capacity for positive growth, and the freedom to choose any destiny.

Unconditional Positive Regard

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

Self-Actualization

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

Self-Actualizing Tendency

An innate drive to reach full potential - an underlying assumption of Rogers' approach to therapy is that people generally have this drive.

Traits

Stable characteristics influencing behavior across situations.

Personality Inventory

Questionnaire assessing various personality traits.

The Big Five Theory

identifies five main characteristics that account for most individual differences in personality: Openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism.

Openness to Experience

A personality dimension that characterizes someone in terms of imagination, sensitivity, and curiosity.

Conscientiousness

A personality dimension that characterizes someone in terms of responsibility, dependability, persistence, and organization

Neuroticism (emotional stability)

A personality dimension that characterizes someone in terms of emotional stability, hostility, anxiety, and coping abilities. High = unstable, low = stable

Agreeableness

A personality dimension that characterizes someone in terms of trust, altruism, compliance, honesty, and empathy

Factor Analysis

a statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items on a test; used to identify different dimensions of performance that underlie a person's total score.

Social-Cognitive Approach

An approach that views personality in terms of how the person thinks about the situations encountered in daily life and behaves in response to them

Behavioral Approach

in personality theory, this perspective focuses on the effects of learning (conditioning, observation) on our personality development

Motivation

A need or desire that energizes and directs behavior

Physiological Needs

Basic requirements for human survival. Food, water, oxygen, warmth, etc.

Homeostasis

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

Incentive

External stimulus motivating behavior.

Drive-Reduction Theory

the idea that a physiological need creates an aroused tension state (a drive) that motivates one to satisfy the need

Arousal Theory

A theory of motivation suggesting that people are motivated to maintain an optimal level of alertness and physical and mental activation.

Optimal Level of Arousal

the level of alertness at which performance peaks

Yerkes-Dodson Law

The principle that performance peaks at moderate arousal levels; too little arousal is not motivating enough and too much is overwhelming

Self-Determination Theory

A theory of motivation that is concerned with the beneficial effects of intrinsic motivation and the harmful effects of extrinsic motivation

Intrinsic Motivation

a desire to perform a behavior for its own sake and to be effective

Extrinsic Motivation

A desire to perform a behavior due to promised rewards or threats of punishment

Instincts

Biologically determined and innate patterns of behavior triggered by specific stimuli

Lewin's Motivational Conflicts Theory

Describes various types of conflict involved in the decision making process. (i.e. approach-approach, avoidance-avoidance, approach-avoidance.)

Approach-Approach Conflict

Choosing between two desirable but incompatible options.

Approach-Avoidance Conflict

conflict occurring when a person must choose or not choose a goal that has both positive and negative aspects

Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict

Choosing between two undesirable options.

Sensation-Seeking Theory

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

Hormones

Chemical messengers regulating physiological processes.

Ghrelin

Hormone stimulating appetite and hunger.

Leptin

Hormone that signals the hypothalamus and brain stem to reduce appetite and increase the amount of energy used

Hypothalamus

Brain region regulating hunger, thirst, and temperature.

Pituitary Gland

Master gland controlling hormone release.

Emotion

a response of the whole organism, involving (1) physiological arousal, (2) expressive behaviors, and (3) conscious experience

Affect

Observable expression of emotion.

Facial-Feedback Hypothesis

the idea that facial expressions can influence emotions as well as reflect them (e.g. smiling can make you feel happier)

Broaden-and-Build Theory

the proposition that positive emotions expand an individual's attention and mind-set

Universality of Emotions

The finding that, to some extent, emotional responses and expressions are innate and universal

Display Rules

culturally determined rules about which nonverbal behaviors are appropriate to display

6 Universal Emotions

happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger, surprise