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AP Psych. Unit 9 Flashcards

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6079585571free associationin psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing0
6079585572idcontains 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.1
6079585573psychoanalysisFreud's theory of personality and therapeutic technique that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts. Freud believed the patient's free associations, resistances, dreams, and transferences—and the therapist's interpretations of them—released previously repressed feelings, allowing the patient to gain self-insight2
6079585574egothe 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 pain3
6079585575unconsciousaccording to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories. According to contemporary psychologists, information processing of which we are unaware4
6079585576superegothe part of personality that, according to Freud, represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and for future aspirations5
6079585577psychosexual stagethe childhood stages of development (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital) during which, according to Freud, the id's pleasure-seeking energies focus on distinct erogenous zones6
6079585578identificationthe process by which, according to Freud, children incorporate their parents' values into their developing superegos.7
6079585579fixationaccording to Freud, a lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at an earlier psychosexual stage, in which conflicts were unresolved8
6079585580defense mechanismsin psychoanalytic theory, the ego's protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality9
6079585581repressionin psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness10
6079585582regressionpsychoanalytic defense mechanism in which an individual faced with anxiety retreats to a more infantile psychosexual stage, where some psychic energy remains fixated11
6079585583rationalizationdefense mechanism that offers self-justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening, unconscious reasons for one's actions12
6079585584displacementpsychoanalytic 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 outlet13
6079585585reaction formationpsychoanalytic defense mechanism by which the ego unconsciously switches unacceptable impulses into their opposites. Thus, people may express feelings that are the opposite of their anxiety-arousing unconscious feelings14
6079585586subliminalbelow one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness15
6079585587projectionpsychoanalytic defense mechanism by which people disguise their own threatening impulses by attributing them to others16
6079585588denialdefense mechanism by which people refuse to believe or even to perceive painful realities17
6079585589collective unconsciousCarl Jung's concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species' history18
6079585590projective testa personality test, such as the Rorschach or TAT, that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one's inner dynamics19
6079585591Oedipus complexaccording to Freud, a boy's sexual desires toward his mother and feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival father20
6079585592Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)a projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes21
6079585593Rorschach inkblot testthe 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 blots22
6079585594Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (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 purposes23
6079585595terror-management theorya theory of death-related anxiety; explores people's emotional and behavioral responses to reminders of their impending death24
6079585596self-actualizationaccording 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 potential25
6079585597unconditional positive regarda caring, accepting, nonjudgmental attitude, which Carl Rogers believed to be conducive to developing self-awareness and self-acceptance26
6079585598self-conceptall our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, "Who am I?"27
6079585599traita characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act, as assessed by self-report inventories and peer reports28
6079585600personality inventorya 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 traits29
6079585601empirically derived testa test (such as the MMPI) developed by testing a pool of items and then selecting those that discriminate between groups30
6079585602social-cognitive perspectiveviews behavior as influenced by the interaction between people's traits (including their thinking) and their social context31
6079585603reciprocal determinismthe interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment32
6079585604personal controla sense of controlling your environment rather than feeling helpless33
6079585605external locus of controlthe perception that chance or outside forces beyond your personal control determine your fate34
6079585606internal locus of controlthe perception that you control your own fate35
6079585607positive psychologythe scientific study of optimal human functioning; aims to discover and promote strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive36
6079585608spotlight effectoverestimating others' noticing and evaluating our appearance, performance, and blunders (as if we presume a spotlight shines on us)37
6079585609self-serving biasa readiness to perceive oneself favorably38
6079585610collectivismgiving priority to goals of one's group (often one's extended family or work group) and defining one's identity accordingly39

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