Ch. 13 AP Psychology

rating

a test that is self rated (Brigs Myers Test/MMPI)

interactionists

theorists who believe that behavior is determined jointly by underlying dispositions and situations

pigeonhole

when someone can't change their personalities because other people have been around them so long and won't let them by treating them the same forever

behavior sampling

A method of measuring certain specific traits of personality by creating a situation in which the individual displays the behavior being studied.

temperament

A person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

central traits

Allport's term for personality characteristics that have a widespread influence on the individual's behavior across situations

secondary traits

Allport's term for specific traits that influence behavior in relatively few situations

cardinal traits

Allport's term to describe personality traits that dominate an individual's life, such as passion to serve others or to accumulate wealth

nomothetic

Concepts or rules that can be applied universally

personality types

Different categories into which personality characteristics can be assigned based on factors such as developmental experiences or physical characteristics

life instinct

Freud's concept for drives or sources of energy (libido) directed toward the preservation of life and sexual gratification.

pleasure principle

Freud's theory regarding the id's desire to maximize pleasure and minimize pain in order to achieve immediate gratification.

psychodynamic theory

Freudian theory that unconscious forces, such as wishes and motives, influence behavior

(Gordon) Allport

Had three levels of traits: 1. Cardinal trait is the dominant trait that characterizes your life, 2. Central trait is one common to all people, and 3. Secondary trait which surfaces in some situations and not in others

OCEAN

Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion/introversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism

projective measures

Personality tests made up of relatively unstructured stimuli in which responses are seen as reflecting the individuals' unconscious needs, fantasies, conflicts, thought patterns, and other aspects of personality.

projection

a defense mechanism by which your own traits and emotions are attributed to someone else

rationalization

a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is concealed by explaining your actions and feelings in a way that is not threatening

reaction formation

a defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously develops attitudes and behavior that are the opposite of unacceptable repressed desires and impulses and serve to conceal them

denial

a defense mechanism in which unpleasant thought or desires are ignored or excluded from consciousness

regression

a defense mechanism in which you flee from reality by assuming a more infantile state

generosity error

a less than accurate rating or evaluation by a rater due to that rater's general tendency to be lenient or insufficiently critical (aka leniency error)

interview

a one on one conversation in which questions are asked and answered

Rorschach

a projective personality test in which people are asked to report what they see in a set of ink blots

TAT (Thematic Apperception Test)

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

Freudian slip

a slip-up that results from the operation of unconscious wishes or conflicts and can reveal unconscious processes in normal healthy individuals

factor analysis

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

unconscious

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

unconditional positive regard

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

inventory

an assessment tool used to determine which of these personality types a person falls into: extroverted, introverted, thinking, feeling, sensing, intuitive, judging, and perceptive

ideographic

character or figure in a writing system in which the idea of a thing is represented rather than its name

conscious

consists of whatever one is aware of at a particular point in time

id

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

intellectualization

defense mechanism; thinking abstractly about stressful problems as a way of detaching oneself from them

(Abraham) Maslow

humanism; Contributions: hierarchy of needs-needs at a lower level dominate an individual's motivation as long as they are unsatisfied, self-actualization, transcendence

peak experiences

humanistic- According to Maslow, times in a person's life during which self-actualization is temporarily achieved; transcendent moments of intense excitement and tranquility marked by a profound sense of connection to the world.

becoming

humanistic- Developmental process involving movement toward self-realization

self-concept

humanistic- a sense of one's identity and personal worth

self-actualization

humanistic- 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

congruence

humanistic- consistency between one's ideal self and actual self that results in a positive self concept - Rogers

separate realities

humanistic- our perception of what is reality, which influences our behavior and personalities

self

humanistic- your consciousness of your own identity

(Carl) Rogers

humanistic; Contributions: founded person-centered therapy, theory that emphasizes the unique quality of humans especially their freedom and potential for personal growth, unconditional positive regard, fully functioning person

preconscious

in Freud's theory, the level of consciousness in which thoughts and feelings are not conscious but are readily retrieveable to consciousness

defense mechanisms

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

sublimation

modifying the natural expression of an impulse or instinct (especially a sexual one) to one that is socially acceptable

humanistic

perspective in psychology that stresses the goodness of people and their possibility of reaching their fullest potential

libido

psychic and emotional energy or urges behind human activity; sexual desire

displacement

psychoanalytic defense mechanism that shifts sexual or aggressive impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object or person, as when redirecting anger toward a safer outlet

personal unconscious

psychoanalytic- According to Jung, the level of awareness that houses material that is not within one's conscious awareness because it has been repressed or forgotten.

inferiority complex

psychoanalytic- Adler's theory of the feelings of inadequacy or inferiority in young children that influence their developing personalities and create desires to overcome

anima/animus

psychoanalytic- An archetype from Jung's theory referring to the feminine behaviors in males, and the masculine behaviors in females.

collective unconscious

psychoanalytic- Jung's concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species' history

shadow

psychoanalytic- Jung's name for the architype of the dark, morally repugnant side of human nature

superiority complex

psychoanalytic- Psychological condition that exists when a person concentrates to much on his own need to succeed while ignoring the needs of others. Such a person tends to be vain, domineering, and condescending.

persona

psychoanalytic- a character in a novel or play; the outward character or role that a person assumes

lifestyle

psychoanalytic- a manner of living that reflects the person's values and attitudes

extravert

psychoanalytic- a person chiefly interrested in things outside the self, directing thoughts outward rather than inward; outgoing

introvert

psychoanalytic- a person whose thoughts and interests are directed inward

ego

psychoanalytic- the largely conscious, "executive" part of personality that, according to Freud, mediates among the demands of the id, superego, and reality; operates on the reality principle, satisfying the id's desires in ways that will realistically bring pleasure rather than pain

(Karen) Horney

psychoanalytic; Contributions: criticized Freud, stated that personality is molded by current fears and impulses, rather than being determined solely by childhood experiences and instincts, neurotic trends

(Alfred) Adler

psychoanalytic; Contributions: inferiority complex, organ inferiority; Studies: birth order influences personality

(Carl) Jung

psychoanalytic; Contributions: people had conscious and unconscious awareness; archetypes; collective unconscious; libido is all types of energy, not just sexual; Studies: dream studies/interpretation

locus of control

socio-cognitive- A person's tendency to perceive the control of rewards as internal to the self or external in the environment

reciprocal determinism

socio-cognitive- Bandura's model in which cognitions, behaviors, and environmental factors both influence and are influenced by each other

pessimism

socio-cognitive- a general disposition to look on the dark side and to expect the worst in all things

optimism

socio-cognitive- a tendency to expect the best possible outcome or to look on the bright side

learned helplessness

socio-cognitive- the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events

trait

specific characteristic that varies from one individual to another

personality

the complex of all the attributes--behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental--that characterize a unique individual

suppression

the conscious exclusion of unacceptable thoughts or desires

superego

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

halo effect

the tendency to assume that people who have one good trait also have other good traits.

temperament traits

traits that describe our general behavior style in responding to our environment (ex: how assertive, easy-going, or irritable we are)

ability traits

traits that describe our skills and how efficiently we will be able to work toward our goals