Unit 10 Flashcards

Module 55

  • Personality

    • Individuals characteristic, pattern of thinking, feeling

  • Free association

    • in psycho- analysis, 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.

  • Unconsious

    • according to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories. According to contemporary psychologists, information processing of which we are unaware.

    • We store some thoughts in a preconcious area

    • Other thoughts we repress

  • Id

    • a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that, according to Freud, strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives. The id operates on the pleasure principle, demanding immediate gratification.

  • Ego

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

  • Superego

    • the part of personality that, according to Freud, represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and for future aspirations.

  • Psychosexual stages

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

  • Oedipus Complex

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

    • Electra complex is the girl parallel 

  • Identification

    • the process by which, according to Freud, children incorporate their parents’ values into their developing superegos.

  • Fixation

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

  • Defense Mechansims

    • in psycho- analytic theory, the ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality.

    • All defense mechanisms function indirectly and unconsiously (for freud)

  • Repression

    • in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories.

    • Underlies all other defense mechanisms

    • repression is often incomplete, repressed urges may appear as symbols in dreams or as slips of the tongue in casual conversation.

  • Today we view development as lifelong, not just in childhood

  • Freud’s theory is criticized for offering after-the-fact explanations rather than making testable predictions.

Module 56

  • Psychodynamic Theories

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

  • Neo freudians 

    • Agreed with Freud’s basic concepts, but put more emphasis on conscious thought processes and less emphasis on sex 

  • Collective Unconsious

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

  • Projective tests

    • a personality test, such as the Rorschach, that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics.

  • Thematic Apperception Test

    • 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.

  • Modern psychology sees the unconscious as automatic thoughts and behaviors, not just hidden desires.

Module 57

  • Humanistic Theories

    • view personality with a focus on the potential for healthy personal growth.

  • 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.

  • Maslow studied successful people and found that self-actualized individuals are self-aware, compassionate, and focused on meaningful goals rather than others’ opinions.

  • Person Centered Perspective Conditions:

    • Genuineness

    • Acceptance 

    • Empathy

  • Unconditional Positive Regard

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

  • Self Concept

    • All our thoughts and feelings about ourselves

  • Humanistic psychologists used self-report questionnaires and interviews to assess personality. 

  • Rogers believed that a smaller gap between one’s actual and ideal self indicated a positive self-concept.



Module 58

  • Trait

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

  • 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.

  • MMPI

    • the most widely researched and clinically used of all personality tests. Originally developed to identify emotional disorders (still considered its most appropriate use), this test is now used for many other screening purposes.

  • Empirically Derived Test

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

  • Genetically Influenced personality traits can occur in

    • Music preferences

    • Bedroom and offices

    • Personal websites

    • Electronic Communication

Module 59

  • 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.

  • Social cognitive theorists focus on how we and our environments interact

  • Reciprocal determinism

    • the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment.

  • Social Cognitive Optimism vs Pessimism

    • Students who think “theres nothing I can do about this” perform lower

  • Positive Thinking can help, but Being realistic is important

    • Unrealistic optimism leads to underestimating risks and Realistic anxiety about future failures can fuel efforts to avoid negative outcomes

  • Positive Psychology

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

  • Social-cognitive psychologists predict behavior by observing it in realistic situations.

  • Self

    • in contemporary psychology, assumed to be the center of personality, the organizer of our thoughts, feelings, and actions.

  • Spotlight Effect

    • overestimating others’ noticing and evaluating our appearance, performance, and blunders (as if we presume a spotlight shines on us).

  • Self esteem

    • Ones feelings of self worth

  • Self efficacy

    • Ones sense of competence and effectiveness

  • Self Serving Bias

    • A readiness to perceive oneself favorably

    • People accept more responsibility for good deeds than for bad, and for successes than for failures.

    • Most people see themselves as better than average

  • Narcisissm

    • Excessive self love and self absorption

  • Defensive self esteem is stronger than secure self esteem



  • 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.

  • Collectivist

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