| Term | Definition |
|---|
| personality | the consistent, enduring and unique characteristics of a person |
| unconscious | the part of the mind that contains material of which we are unaware but that strongly influences conscious processes and behaviors |
| id | the part of the unconscious personality that contains our needs, drives, instincts, and repressed material |
| ego | the part of the personality that is in touch with reality and strives to meet demands in socially acceptable ways |
| superego | the part of the personality that is the source of conscience and counteracts socially undesirable impulses |
| defense mechanisms | certain specific means by which the ego unconsciously protects itself against unpleasant impulses or circumstances |
| collective unconscious | the part of the mind that contains inherited instincts, urges, and memories common to us all |
| archetype | an inherited idea, based on the experiences of one's ancestors, which shapes one's perception of the world |
| inferiority complex | a pattern of avoiding feelings of inadequacy rather than trying to overcome their source |
| behaviorism | the belief that the proper subject matter of psychology is objectively observable behavior |
| contingencies of reinforcement | the occurence of rewards or punishments following particular behaviors |
| humanistic psychology | a school of psychology that emphasizes personal growth and the achievement of maximum potential by each unique individual |
| self-actualization | the humanist term for realizing one's unique potential |
| self | one's experience or image of oneself, developed through interaction with others |
| positive regard | viewing oneself in a favorable light due to supportive feedback received from interaction with others |
| conditions of worth | the conditions a person must meet in order to regard him/herself positively |
| unconditional positive regard | the perception that individuals' significant others value them for what they are, which leads to the individual granting themself the same favorable view |
| fully functioning | an individual whose person and self coincide |
| trait | a tendency to react to a situation in a way that remains stable over time |
| cardinal trait | a characteristic or feature that is so pervasive the person is almost identified with it |
| factor analysis | a sophisticated mathematical technique that describes the extent to which different personality variables are related |
| surface trait | a stable characteristic that can be observed in certain situations |
| source trait | a stable characteristic that can be considered to be at the core of personality |
| extravert | an outgoing, active person who directs his/her energies and interests toward other people and things |
| introvert | a reserved, withdrawn person who is preoccupied with his/her inner thoughts and feelings |
| rationalization | when a person makes up acceptable excuses for behaviors that cause them to feel anxious |
| repression | when a person pushes disturbing thoughts out of consciousness into the unconscious |
| denial | when a person refuses to accept the reality of something that makes them anxious |
| projection | when a person avoids anxiety by believing that impulses coming from within are really coming from other people |
| reaction formation | when a person replaces an unacceptable feeling or urge with an opposite one |
| regression | when a person goes back to an earlier and less mature pattern of behavior |
| displacement | when a person cannot take out their anger on the source of their frustration, so they take it out on a less powerful person |
| sublimation | when a person redirects a forbidden desire into a socially acceptable desire |
| Sigmund Freud | he developed the psychosexual development theory |
| Carl Jung | he took a positive view of human nature, believing that people try to develop their potential |
| Alfred Adler | he believed that the driving force in people's lives is a desire to overcome feelings of inferiority |
| Erich Fromm | his theory centered around the need to belong and the loneliness that freedom can bring |
| Karen Horney | she believed that if a child is raised in an atmosphere of love and security, that child could avoid psychosexual parent-chold conflict |
| Erik Erikson | he outlined eight psychosocial stages that every person goes through and that describe the importance of interacting with other people |
| B.F.Skinner | he focused on precisely what causes a person to act in a specific way |
| reinforcement | according to Skinner, this is what behavior is motivated by |
| Albert Bandura | he theorized that (social cognitive theory) personality is acquired not only by direct reinforcement of behavior but also by observational learning, or imitation |
| locus of control | our beliefs about how much control we have over situations |
| internal locus of control | the belief that you do have control over situations |
| external locus of control | the belief that your fate is determined by forces beyond your control |
| reciprocal determinism | the interaction that occurs among the observing individual, the behavior of the individual, and the environment in which the behavior occurs |
| self-efficacy | our view of our ability to succeed |
| Abraham Maslow | he set out to create a "third force in psychology", based on studies of healthy, creative, self-actualizing people |
| Carl Rogers | he believed that many people suffer from a conflict between what they value in themselves and what the believe other people value in them; concerned with the path to becoming "full functioning" |
| George Kelly | he believed (personal construct theory) our personality consists of our thoughts about ourselves, including our biases, errors, mistakes, and false conclusions |
| cognitive theory | this theory is based on analysis of our own perceptions, thoughts, and feelings |
| Gordon Allport | he believed a person's traits will be consistent in different situations |
| central trait | a characteristic or feature that makes the person predictable in most situations |
| secondary trait | a characteristic or feature that have a less consistent influence on people (our preferences in things like food and music) |
| Raymond Cattell | he proposed that characteristics that can be observed in certain situations make up 46 traits of observable behavior |
| Hans Eysenck | he proposed the dimensions of personality (first identifying two dimensions, then a third) |
| extraversion | associated with warmth, talkativeness, and being energetic |
| agreeableness | involves being sympathetic to others, kind, and trusting |
| conscientiousness | identifies individuals who are dutiful, dedicated to completing tasks, organized, and responsible |
| openness to experience | describes people who are open-minded and willing to try intellectual experiences, new ideas, or creative experiences |
| emotional stability | identifies individuals who experience things relatively easily and withouth getting upset |
| trait theories | these theories focus on identifying, measuring, and classifying similarities and differences in personality characteristics |
| psychoanalytic theories | these theories emphasize the importance of early childhood experiences, repressed thoughts, and conflict between conscious and unconscious forces |
| behaviorist theories | these theories focus on the way rewards and punishment shape our actions |
| social learning theories | these theories cognitive-personal factors, our behaviors, and environmental factors interact to shape our personalities |
| humanistic theories | these theories emphasize our capacity for personal growth, development of our full potential, and freedom to make choices |
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