Psychology - Sublimation Vocabulary Terms

Personality Trait

a durable disposition to behave in a particular way in a variety of situations

Regression

a reversion to immature patterns of behavior

Five Factor Model of Personality

a theory that personality is made up of five traits - extraversion, neuroticism, openness to experience, conscientiousness, and agreeableness

Projection

attributing one's own thoughts, feelings, or motives to another

Reaction Formation

behaving in a way that's exactly the opposite of one's true feelings

Identification

bolstering self-esteem by forming an imaginary or real alliance with some person or group

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

Preconscious

contains material just beneath the surface of awareness that can easily be retrieved; ex. what did you have for lunch yesterday?

Unconscious

contains thoughts, memories, and desires that are well below the surface of conscious awareness but that nonetheless exert great influence on behavior

Factor Analysis

correlations among many variables are analyzed to identify closely related clusters of variables

Rationalization

creating false but plausible excuses to justify unacceptable behavior

Conscientiousness

diligent, disciplined, well-organized, punctual, and dependable

Displacement

diverting emotional feelings (usually anger) from their original source to a substitute target

Extraversion

positive emotionality; outgoing, talkative, sociable, assertive, friendly, gregarious

Psychology

scientific study of individual behavior and mental processes

Agreeableness

sympathetic, trusting, cooperative, modest

Ego

the decision-making component of personality that operates according to the reality principle; how do you get what you desire in a socially acceptable way?

Sublimation

turning acceptable impulses and energies (usually sexual or aggressive) into socially valued behaviors such as exercise, art, music, etc.

Pleasure Principle

(psychoanalysis) the governing principle of the id

Psychodynamic Theories

All theories, descended from Freud, that focus on unconscious mental forces

Superego

(psychoanalysis) that part of the unconscious mind that acts as a conscience; what should you do?

Reality Principle

(psychoanalysis) the governing principle of the ego

Personality

an individual's unique collection of consistent behavioral traits

Openness to Experience

flexibility, imaginative or practical, interested in variety or routine, independent or conforming

Repression

keeping distressing thoughts and feelings buried in the unconscious

Defense Mechanisms

largely unconscious reactions that protect a person from unpleasant emotions such as anxiety and guilt

Neuroticism

negative emotionality; anxious, hostile,self conscious, insecure, vulnerable

Sigmund Freud

• Created psychoanalytic theory • Personality is set in childhood - psychosexual stages • Terms to associate - unconscious, id, ego, superego, psychosexual stages - oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital, identification, fixation, Oedipus complex, penis envy, defense mechanisms, free association, repression, Freudian slip