Psychology in your life: Chapter 13

Displacement

Shifting of the attention of emotion from one object to an other, easier target.

Ego

In psychodynamic theory, the component of personality that tries to satisfy the wishes of the id.

self-report measures

Personality tests that use questionnaires to let people respond to items that reveal traits and behaviors.

Rationalization

Creating a seemingly logical reason or excuse for behavior that might otherwise be shameful.

Working self-concept

Reflects how a person thinks of themselves at a certain moment.

downward comparisons

Comparing oneself to another person who is less competent or in a worse situation, which tends to protect a persons high self-esteem.

Upward comparisons

Comparing oneself to another person who is more competent or in a better situation, which tends to confirm a person's low self esteem.

Personality

The characteristic thoughts, emotional responses, and behaviors that are stable in an individual over time and across circumstances.

Basic tendencies

is the general tendency to feel or act in certain ways.

Self-esteem

The affective aspect of the self.

Self-schema

An integrated set of memories, beliefs and generalizations about the self. ( a belief or idea about oneself that leads to a bias that is self-perpetuating)

Projection

Attributing unacceptable qualities of the self to someone else.

characteristic adaptations

Changes in behavioral expression of basic tendencies based on the demands of specific situations.

Sublimation

Channeling socially unacceptable impulses into constructive, even admirable, behavior.

Repression

Excluding source of anxiety from awareness.

Id

In psychodynamic theory, the component of personality that is completely submerged in the unconscious and operates according to the pleasure principle.

Denial

Refusing to acknowledge source of anxiety.

Self-serving bias

The tendency for people to take personal credit for success but blame failure on external factors.

situationism

The theory that behavior is determined more by situations than by personality traits. interactionists

interactionists

Theorists who believe that behavior is determined jointly by situations and underlying traits.

defense mechanisms

Unconscious mental strategies that the mind uses to protect itself from distress.

Reaction formation

Warding off an uncomfortable thought by overemphasizing its opposite.

Temperament

is the general tendency to feel or act in certain ways.

superego

In psychodynamic theory, the component of personality that reflects the internalization of societal and parental standards of conduct.

Trait approaches

Personality can be described by our characteristics. their tendencies to act in a certain way over time and across circumstances. (Big five)(Eyseneck bio trait theory)

Social cognitive approaches.

Personality is based on how we think. (rotter)(Bandura)

Humanistic approaches.

Personality is based on our tendency to fulfill our potential through personal growth. Self actualization (rogers)

Psychodynamic theory

Personality is based on our unconscious wishes that create conflict between the id, ego, and superego. Unconscious forces determine behavior. (Freud)

projective measures

Personality tests that examine unconscious processes by having people interpret ambiguous stimuli.