Unit 8 & 9: Personality & Clinical Psychology - Vocabulary (copy)

free association

in psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing

psychoanalysis

Freud’s theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts; the techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions

unconscious

according to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories

personality

an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feelings, and acting

ego

the largely conscious, “executive” part of personality that, according to Freud, mediates among the demands of id, superego, and reality; operates on the reality principles, satisfying the id’s desires in ways that will realistically bring pleasure rather than pain; balances id and superego

id

a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that, according to Freud, strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives; operates on the pleasure principles, demanding immediate gratification

superego

the part of personality that, according to Freud, represent internalized ideals and provides standards for judgement (the conscience) and for future aspirations

psychosexual stages

the childhood stages of development (oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital) during which, according to Freud, the id’s pleasure-seeking energies focus on distinct erogenous zones

oral stage

the first psychosexual stage; from 0 to 18 months; pleasure center on the mouth-sucking, biting, chewing

anal stage

the second psychosexual stage; from 18 to 36 months; pleasure focuses on bowel and bladder elimination; coping with demands for control

phallic stage

the third psychosexual stage; from 3 to 6 years old; pleasure zone is the genitals; coping with incestuous sexual feelings

latency stage

the fourth psychosexual stage; from 6 years old to puberty; a phase of dormant sexual feelings

genital stage

the fifth psychosexual stage; from puberty on; maturation of sexual interests

oedipus complex

according to Freud, a boy’s sexual desires toward his mother feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival father

fixation

according to Freud, a lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at an earlier psychosexual stage, in which conflicts were unresolved

defense mechanisms

in psychoanalytic theory, the ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality

repression

in psycho analytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories; underlies all other defense mechanisms

regression

a defense mechanism; retreating to a more infantile psychosexual stage, where some psychic energy remains fixated

reaction formation

a defense mechanism; switching unacceptable impulses into their opposites

projection

a defense mechanism; disguising one’s own threatening impulses by attributing them to others

rationalization

a defense mechanism; offering self-justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening unconscious reasons for one’s actions

displacement

a defense mechanism; shifting sexual or aggressive impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object or person

sublimation

a defense mechanism; transferring of unacceptable to impulses into socially valued motives

denial

a defense mechanism; refusing to believe or even perceive painful realities

psychodynamic theories

modern-day approaches that view personality with a focus on the unconscious and the importance of childhood experiences

collective unconscious

archetypes; Carl Jung’s concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species’ history

projective test

a personality test that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics

thematic apperception test (TAT)

a projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes

Rorschach inkblot test

the most widely used projective test, a set of 10 inkblots, designed by Hermann Rorschach; seeks to identify people’s inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots

false consensus effect

the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and our behaviors

terror-management theory

a theory of death-related anxiety; explores people’s emotional and behavioral responses to reminders of their impending death

humanistic theories

views personality with a focus on the potential for healthy personal growth; emphasizes human potential

self-actualization

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

Carl Rogers’ conditions for ideal growth

acceptance, genuineness, and empathy

genuineness

a condition for ideal growth according to Carl Rogers; open with their own feelings, drop their facades, and are transparent and self-disclosing

acceptance

a condition for ideal growth according to Carl Rogers; offer unconditional positive regard

unconditional positive regard

according to Rogers, an attitude of total acceptance toward another person

empathy

a condition for ideal growth according to Carl Rogers; share and mirror other’s feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question “who am I?”; the central feature of personality

trait

a characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act, as assessed by self-report inventories and peer reports

Myers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI)

sorts people according to Carl Jung’s personality types, based on their responses to 126 responses

factor analysis

a statistical procedure used to identify clusters of test items that tap basic components of intelligence (such as spatial ability or verbal skill)

personality inventory

a questionnaire) often with true-false or agree-disagree items) on which people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors; used to assess selected personality traits

empirically derived test

a test (such as MMPI) developed by testing a pool of items and then selecting those that discriminate between groups

Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory (MMPI)

the most widely researched and clinically used of all personality tests; originally developed to identify emotional disorders (still considered most appropriate use), now used for many other screening purposes

“big five’ personality factors

conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism (emotional stability vs. instability), openness, and extraversion

social-cognitive perspective

views behavior as influenced by the interaction between people's traits (including their thinking) and their social context

behavioral approach

in personality theory, this perspective focuses on the effects of learning on our personality development

reciprocal determinism

the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment

positive psychology

the scientific study of optimal human functioning; aims to discover and promote strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive

self

in contemporary psychology, assumed to be the center or personalty, the organizer of our thoughts, feelings, and actions

spotlight effect

overestimating others’ noticing and evaluating our appearance, performance, and blunders

self-esteem

one’s feelings of high or low self-worth

self-efficacy

one’s sense of competence and effectiveness

self-serving bias

a readiness to perceive oneself favorably

narcissm

excessive self-love and self-absorbtion

individualism

giving priority to one’s own goals over group goals and defining one’s identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications

collectivism

giving priority to the goals of one’s group (often one’s extended family or work group) and defining one’s identity accordingly

psychological disorder

a syndrome marked by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior

attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

a psychological disorder marked by the appearance by age 7 of one or more of 3 key symptoms: extreme inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity

medical model

the concept that diseases, in this case psychological disorders, have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and, in most cases, cured, often through treatment in a hospital

DSM-5

the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and statical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition; a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders

neurodevelopment disorder

a group of conditions with onset in the developmental period

neurocognitive disorders

including delirium, mild cognitive impairment and dementia - are characterized by decline from a previously attained level of cognitive functioning (a reduction in your cognitive ability).

anxiety disorders

psychological disorder characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety

generalized anxiety disorder

an anxiety disorder in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal

panic disorder

an anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable, minutes-long episodes of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensation; often follow by worry over a possible next attack

phobia

an anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity, or situation

social anxiety disorder

intense fear of social situations, leading to avoidance of such; formerly called social phobia

agora

fear or avoidance of situations, such as crowds or wide open places, where one has felt loss of control and panic

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

a disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions)

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

a disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, numbness of feeling, and/or insomnia that lingers for 4 weeks or more after a traumatic experience

persistent depressive disorder

a milder form of depression that lasts for 2 years or more

seasonal depressive disorder

depression that occurs during specific seasons (usually winter)

post-traumatic growth

positive psychological changes as a result of struggling with extreme challenging circumstances and life crises

mood disorders

psychological disorders characterized by emotional extremes

major depressive disorder

a mood disorder in which a person experiences, in the absence of drugs or another medical condition, two or more weeks with 5 or more symptoms , at least one of which must be either: depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure

mania

a mood disorder marked by a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state

bipolar disorder

a mood disorder in which a person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania; formerly called maniac-depressive disorder

rumination

compulsive fretting; overthinking about our problems and their causes

explanatory style

who or what they blame for their failures (or credit for their successes)

schizophrenia

a psychological disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and/or diminished or inappropriate emotional expression

psychosis

a psychological disorder in which a person loses contact with reality, experiencing irrational ideas, and distorted perceptions

delusions

false beliefs, often of persecution or grandeur, that may accompany psychotic disorders; the types are grandeur and persecution

hallucination

false sensory experience, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus

positive symptoms of schizophrenia

the presence of inappropriate behaviors, such as hallucinations, talking in disorganized and deluded ways, and exhibiting inappropriate laughter, tears, or rage

negative symptoms of schizophrenia

the absence of appropriate behaviors, such as a toneless voice, expressionless face, or mute and rigid bodies

dissociative amnesia

disassociating when going through a traumatic event

chronic schizophrenia (process schizophrenia)

when schizophrenia is a slow developing processes; recovery is doubtful; exhibits social withdrawal

acute schizophrenia (reactive schizophrenia)

when previously well-adjusted people develop schizophrenia rapidly following particular life stresses; recovery is much more likely; more often have positive symptoms that are responsive to drug therapy

somatic symptom disorder

a psychological disorder in which the symptoms take a somatic (bodily) form without apparent physical cause

conversion disorder (functional neurological symptom disorder)

a disorder in which a person experiences very specific genuine physical symptoms for which no physiological basis can be found

illness anxiety disorder

a disorder in which a person interprets normal physical sensations as symptoms of a disease; formerly called hypochondriasis

dissociative disorders

disorders in which conscious awareness becomes separated (dissociated) from previous memories, thoughts, and feelings

dissociative identity disorder (DID)

a rare dissociative disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities; formerly called multiple personality disorder

anorexia nervosa

an eating disorder in which a person (usually an adolescent female) maintains a starvation diet despite being significantly (15% or more) underweight

bulimia nervosa

an eating disorder in which a person alternates binge eating (usually of high-calorie foods) with purging (by vomiting or laxative use), excessive exercise, or fasting

binge-eating disorder

significant binge-eating episodes, followed by distress, disgust, or guilt, but without the compensatory purging or fasting that marks bulimia nervosa

personality disorder

psychological disorders characterized by inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning

antisocial personality disorder

a personality disorder in which a person (usually a man) exhibits lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even toward friends and family members; may be aggressive and ruthless or a clever con artist

psychotherapy

treatment involving psychological techniques; consists of interactions between a trained therapist and someone seeking to overcome psychological difficulties or achieve personal growth