02/13 Flashcards
personality
an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.
unconcious
(1) Freud: reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories. (2) Contemporary psychologists: information processing of which we are unaware.
free association
method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing.
psychoanalysis
Freud’s theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts; the techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions.
id
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.
ego
the 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 pain.
superego
the part of personality that, according to Freud, represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and for future aspirations.
oral
0-18 months
pleasure focused on the mouth: biting sucking, chewing
anal
18-36 months
pleasure focuses on bladder and bowel elimination, coping with demands for control
phalic
3-6 years
pleasure zone is in the genitals, coping with incestuous sexual feelings
latency
6 to puberty
a phase of dominant sexual feelings
genital
puberty onwards
maturation of sexual instincts
defense mechanisms
Ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously
distorting reality. All defense mechanisms function indirectly and unconsciously
repression
basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories. Underlies ALL other defense mechanisms.
regression
Retreating to an earlier psychosexual stage, where some psychic energy remains fixated
Curls up with an old stuffed animal and watches cartoons for comfort
reaction formation
Switching unacceptable impulses into their opposites
Feeling the urge to cry with disappointment, instead declares loudly that “Getting cut from the soccer team was the best thing that ever happened to me”
projection
Disguising one’s own threatening impulses by attributing them to others
Tells everyone how mad his parents are at the coach
rationaliztion
Offering self-justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening unconscious reasons for one’s actions
Explains that he wasn’t working very hard in tryouts and could have made the team if he’d really wanted to
displacement
Shifting sexual or aggressive impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object or person
Yells at his little brother for no reason
sublimation
Transferring of unacceptable impulses into socially valued motives
Feels an urge to go to a practice and yell at the coach; instead, offers to teach his little brother to play soccer that day
denial
Refusing to believe or even perceive painful realities
Insists there was an error on the team list and he’s going to set things right with the coach
projective test
a personality test, such as the Rorschach, that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics.
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes.
Rorschach inkblot
a set of 10 inkblots, designed by Hermann Rorschach; seeks to identify people’s inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots.
humanistic theories
view personality with a focus on the potential for healthy personal growth. Focused on the individual.
self actualization
according 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 potential.
