exam 4 vocab (14, 16,17) Flashcards
the law of Pragnanz
asserts that all cognitive experiences will tend to be as organized, symmetrical, simple, and regular as they can be, given the pattern of brain activity at any given moment.
psychophysical isomorphism
how does the physical world get translated to thought; raw sensory data comes in and is shaped and transformed by fields of activity in our brain
continuity
patterns appear to continue
proximity
things come together in physical space
similarity
things that are like each other
closure
to fill in something
constancy
The contention that there is a strict one-to-one correspondence between physical stimuli and sensations, in the sense that the same stimulation will always result in the same sensation regardless of circumstances.
size - things that are farther away are usually bigger than we perceive them
color - our brain color corrects the things we see (ex. the dress)
insightful learning
learning that involves suddenly perceiving the solution to a problem after a period of cognitive trial and error. more meaningful than memorization.
Transference
patients will feel strongly about their therapist
Countertransference
therapists can become attached to their patients
Conservation of energy
mental energy/cognitive load cannot be created or destroyed. only so much of it can exist at a time and distributed in different ways.
objective anxiety
arises when there is an objective threat to a persons well being
neurotic anxiety
arises when the ego feels that is going to be overwhelmed by the id; when the needs of the id become so powerful that the ego feels it will be unable to control it
moral anxiety
arises when one is about to violate an internalized value; shame or guilt
rationalization
involves giving a rational and logical, but false, reason for a failure or shortcoming rather than the true reason for it.
sublimation
what Freud considered to be the basis of civilization; the process for when displacement involves substituting a nonsexual goal for a sexual one
projection
attributing an anxiety provoking thought to someone or something other than one’s self
reaction formation
acting strongly the opposite way than you actually feel (ex. telling a crush they’re stupid)
pleasure principle
immediate gratification/hedonism; related to the id
reality principle
delayed gratification; the marshmallow test
altruistic surrender
An ego defense mechanism, postulated by Anna Freud, whereby a person avoids personal anxiety by vicariously living the life of another person.
libido
life instinct (self preservation and sexual instincts)
id
pleasure principle, something we’re born with, unconscious, our animal instincts, immediate gratification
ego
reality principle, develops 2-3 years of age, delayed gratification, the self, learned, the rules of society
superego
ego ideal and conscience, develops around 5 years, morals, learned, internalize society rules
ego-ideal
part of the superego that rewards
conscience
part of the superego that punishes
collective unconscious
we have shared unconscious knowledge
Persona
our public mask we wear when we are around others
animus and anima
masculine/feminine traits that we all have
the shadow
the id, our darker thoughts and feelings
the self
the central archetype of our mind, holds other parts of the self together
compensation
According to Adler, the making up for a weakness by developing strengths in other areas
overcompensation
According to Adler, the conversion of a weakness into a strength.
feelings of inferiority
According to Adler, those feelings that all humans try to escape by becoming powerful or superior.
inferiority complex
According to Adler, the condition one experiences when overwhelmed by feelings of inferiority instead of being motivated toward success by those feelings.
basic hostility/anxiety
basic hostility: the feeling of anger that a child experiences when he or she experiences the basic evil.
basic anxiety: when basic hostility is repressed, the “all-pervading feeling of being lonely and helpless in a hostile world.”
neurotic trends
Horney proposed three specific neurotic trends, which are rooted in how an individual interacts with and perceives other people.
the compliant type: moves towards people
the aggressive type: moves against people
the detached type: moves away from people
Dasein
“to be there/here”; to be present in the moment, allows us to live a more real life; person and world cannot be separated
authentic vs inauthentic life
authentic - the type of life that is freely chosen and not dictated by the values of others.
inauthentic - a life lived in accordance with values other than those freely and personally chosen. Such a life is characterized by guilt.
self-concept
everyone has a conception of who they are; multifaceted
Carl Rogers believed that self-concept was influenced by three factors: 1)Our parents’ attitudes toward us (our early environment).2) The beliefs we hold about ourselves (our internal world).3) Our perceptions of others (the external world).
congruence
matching experience and awareness, when your feelings match your actions.
incongruence
essentially the same as the “inauthentic person.” no longer true to his or her own feelings, the cause of mental disorders, in Rogers’s opinion.
self-actualization
according to Rogers and Maslow, the innate human tendency toward wholeness. the self- actualizing person is open to experience and embraces the higher values of human existence
client-centered therapy
an approach to psychotherapy based on a belief that the client is best able to decide what to explore and how. It is unique in a field where the therapist characteristically acts like an expert who knows how to resolve the client’s problems.
