AP Psychology Modules 55-59

Sigmund Freud

Founder of psychoanalysis

Free Association

A psychoanalytic technique in which a patient says whatever comes to mind to uncover unconscious thoughts.

Psychoanalysis

Freud's theory of personality and therapeutic technique that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts.

Unconscious

A reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts

Id

The part of personality that seeks immediate gratification of basic drives

Ego

The largely conscious part of personality that mediates between the demands of the id

Superego

The part of personality that represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment and future aspirations.

Psychosexual Stages

Freud's childhood stages of development (oral

Oedipus Complex

A child's unconscious sexual desires for the opposite-sex parent and jealousy toward the same-sex parent.

Identification

The process by which children incorporate their parents' values into their developing superegos.

Fixation

A lingering focus on an earlier psychosexual stage due to unresolved conflicts.

Defense Mechanisms

Psychoanalytic theory's unconscious strategies used by the ego to reduce anxiety by distorting reality.

Repression

The unconscious banishment of anxiety-arousing thoughts

Regression

Retreating to a more infantile psychosexual stage when faced with stress or anxiety.

Reaction Formation

Switching unacceptable impulses into their opposites (e.g.

Projection

Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or impulses to others.

Rationalization

Offering self-justifying explanations in place of the real

Displacement

Shifting aggressive or sexual impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object or person.

Sublimation

Channeling unacceptable impulses into socially approved activities.

Denial

Refusing to believe or perceive painful realities.

Neo-Freudians

Psychologists who built on Freud's theories but placed more emphasis on social factors and conscious thought.

Alfred Adler

Neo-Freudian who proposed the inferiority complex and emphasized social tensions in personality development.

Inferiority Complex

A feeling of inadequacy stemming from childhood experiences

Karen Horney

Neo-Freudian who criticized Freud’s theory of female development and emphasized social and cultural influences on personality.

Carl Jung

Neo-Freudian who introduced the concepts of the collective unconscious and archetypes.

Collective Unconscious

Jung’s theory that humans share inherited memory traces from our species' evolutionary past.

Projective Test

A personality test that provides ambiguous stimuli to trigger projection of inner dynamics (e.g.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

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

Rorschach Inkblot Test

A projective test where people describe what they see in a series of inkblots to analyze their inner feelings.

Terror-Management Theory

A theory exploring how awareness of mortality affects behavior and self-esteem.

Abraham Maslow

Psychologist who developed the hierarchy of needs and the concept of self-actualization.

Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s pyramid of human needs

Self-Actualization

The motivation to fulfill one's potential after basic needs are met.

Self-Transcendence

The striving for meaning

Carl Rogers

Humanistic psychologist who emphasized unconditional positive regard and self-concept in personality development.

Unconditional Positive Regard

An attitude of total acceptance toward another person.

Self-Concept

All the thoughts and feelings we have about ourselves in response to the question

Gordon Allport

Psychologist who emphasized traits as the fundamental units of personality.

Trait

A characteristic pattern of behavior or tendency to feel and act in certain ways.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

A personality test based on Jungian typology that categorizes individuals into 16 personality types.

Factor Analysis

A statistical method used to identify clusters of related traits in personality research.

Hans Eysenck

Psychologist who proposed a personality model based on extraversion-introversion and emotional stability-instability.

Personality Inventory

A questionnaire designed to assess various personality traits.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

A widely used personality test designed to identify psychological disorders and personality structure.

Empirically Derived Test

A test developed by selecting items that differentiate between groups.

The Big Five Factors

Five broad personality dimensions: openness

Person-Situation Controversy

The debate over whether behavior is more influenced by personality traits or situational factors.

Social-Cognitive Perspective

A view that personality is shaped by interactions between personal traits

Albert Bandura

Psychologist known for social learning theory and reciprocal determinism.

Reciprocal Determinism

The interacting influences between personality

Personal Control

The extent to which people perceive control over their environment rather than feeling helpless.

External Locus of Control

The belief that outside forces control one's fate.

Internal Locus of Control

The belief that one controls their own destiny.

Learned Helplessness

A state of passive resignation that occurs when unable to avoid repeated negative events.

Positive Psychology

The scientific study of optimal human functioning

Self

The center of personality that organizes thoughts

Spotlight Effect

The tendency to overestimate how much others notice and evaluate our appearance and behavior.

Self-Esteem

One’s feelings of high or low self-worth.

Self-Efficacy

One’s belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish tasks.

Self-Serving Bias

A tendency to perceive oneself favorably.

Narcissism

Excessive self-love and self-absorption.

Individualist

A person who prioritizes personal goals over group goals and defines identity based on personal attributes rather than group identification.