CED Unit 4 (Psychodynamic & Humanistic Theories of Personality) Flashcards
Psychodynamic theory
Personality is shaped by unconscious drives, childhood experiences, and conflicts
Unconscious processes
Mental activities occurring automatically and outside of conscious awareness
Ego defense mechanisms
A way to deal with conflicts between the Id’s (instant pleasure) impulses and the Superego’s (moral values) demands
Denial
When someone refuses to accept the truth because it’s too painful.
Displacement
Happens when someone takes out their emotions on the wrong person or thing
Projection
When a person blames others for their own feelings
Rationalization
Making excuses to avoid feeling bad about something
Reaction formation
Acting the opposite of how you really feel
Regression
When a person deals with stress by acting younger than they are
Repression
When the mind pushes away painful thoughts or memories
Sublimation
Turning negative feelings into something positive
Projective tests
A type of personality test that help reveal hidden thoughts and feelings
Preconscious mind
Refers to information that is not currently in conscious awareness but can be readily recalled and brought into consciousness
Unconscious mind
The part of our mental processes that are not accessible to conscious awareness, but still influence our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
Humanistic psychology
Sees personality as shaped by a person’s experiences, choices, and natural drive to grow
Unconditional positive regard
Feeling valued and accepted no matter what
Self-actualizing tendency
The natural motivation to grow, improve, and reach one’s full potential
