Unit 4 Part 2- Personality, Motivation, and Emotion Flashcards
Psychodynamic Theory of Personality
a psychological perspective that explains behavior by analyzing the interplay of unconscious mental forces, particularly drives, desires, and conflicts often rooted in childhood experiences, with a primary focus on the structures of the mind (id, ego, and superego) as outlined by Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory; essentially, it suggests that our personality is shaped by these unconscious forces that we may not be fully aware of, and that early life events play a crucial role in shaping our behavior as adults
Lewin: Approach- Approach Conflict
one of Kurt Lewin’s basic types of conflict; conflict dilemma where an individual is attracted to 2 appealing goals; the stress in this type of conflict is the fact that in choosing one desirable option, the individual must give up another desirable option
Lewin: Approach-Avoidance conflict
one of Kurt Lewin’s basic types of conflict; conflict dilemma where an individual is both attracted to and repelled by the same goal; the most common form of conflict; there is both good and bad about the goal; the tendency to avoid increases as an individual gets closer to the goal
Lewin: Avoidance- Avoidance conflict
one of Kurt Lewin’s basic types of conflict; conflict dilemma where an individual is attracted to 2 possibilities are undesirable or threatening and do not any positive features; people tend to “escape” the situation or choose the possibility which is the least worst or wait for the situation to resolve the conflict for the individual
Lewin: multiple approach-avoidance conflict
A conflict involving a choice between two or more options, each of which has both positive and negative aspects
Facial Feedback
The idea that facial expressions trigger the experience of emotion
Motivation
Feelings or ideas that cause us to act toward a goal
Instincts
automatic, involuntary, and unlearned responses. common motivation for animals, not in humans
Arousal Theory
we are motivated by activities that help us achieve our needed level of stimulation
Instinct Theory of Motivation
all organisms are born with innate biological tendencies that help them survive. This theory suggests that instincts drive most behaviors of animals
Drive Reduction Theory of Motivation
the idea that a physiological need creates an aroused tension state (a drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy the need
Homeostasis
is the tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state; theregulation of any aspect of body chemistry.
Yerkes- Dodson Law
we might perform well at an easy task with a very high arousal level the same high level would worsen our performance on a difficult task- moderate arousal is best for most tasks
Basal Metabolic Rate
This is the rate that we burn energy when at rest. (Ex:)When semi-starved, people will see their basal metabolic rate drop by about a quarter. And thus, their weight drops then stabilizes at about 75% of their normal weight.
Environment Eating Cues
Some of us eat even though our hypothalamus is not sending us any cues. If you are motivated to eat by external cues, such as stress, smell, or just the fact that food is in front of you, then you are en external. If you are more motivated to eat by internal cues, empty stomach, feelings of hunger, then you are an internal.
Hypothalamus
Part of the brain that controls hunger and thirst (receives neural messages from the liver)
Self-Actualization
A realization of fulfillment of one’s talents and potential
Incentive theory of motivation
Theory that focuses on motivation, involves concepts of conditioning, homeostasis and positive reinforcement
Extrinsic Motivation
Behavior that is driven by external rewards such as money
Intrinsic Motivation
Behaviors that are driven by internal rewards
Self-Efficacy
One’s belief in one’s ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task
Humanistic Theories of Personality
Rogers, Maslow and Kelly Theories that personality is based on human needs and growth
Self-concept
an idea of the self constructed from the beliefs one holds about oneself and the responses of others
Unconditional Positive Regard
attitude of grace, an attitude that values us even knowing our failings
Trait Theories of Personality
Combination and integration of traits form a personality
Big Five Personality Traits
openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism are the traits used to determine personality
Factor Analysis
A statistically procedure that Ids clusters of related items (called factors) on a test; used to ID different dimensions of a performance that underlie ones total score
Self Serving Bias
A readiness to preceive oneself favorably.
Reciprocal Determinism
a theory proposed by Albert Bandura that states a person’s behavior is influenced by and influences both their internal factors (thoughts, feelings) and their external environment, meaning all three elements constantly interact and impact each other in a cyclical manner; essentially, your behavior can shape your environment, and your environment can shape your behavior, creating a continuous feedback loop
Personality- definition
A person’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.
Ego Defensive mechanisms
A defence mechanism is a coping technique that reduces anxiety arising from unacceptable or potentially harmful stimuli. Defence mechanisms are unconscious and are not to be confused with conscious coping strategies. Sigmund Freud was one of the first proponents of this construct.
Repression
in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness.
Displacement
psychoanalytic 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 outlet.
Reaction formation
In psychoanalytic theory, defensive process (defense mechanism) in which emotions and impulses which are anxiety-producing or perceived to be unacceptable are mastered by exaggeration.
Rationalization
Psychoanalytic defense mechanism that offers self-justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening, unconscious reasons for one’s actions.
Regression
psychoanalytic defense mechanism in which an individual faced with anxiety retreats to a more infantile psychosexual stage, where some psychic energy remains fixated.
Denial
psychoanalytic defense mechanism by which people refuse to believe or even to perceive painful realities.
Sublimation
psychoanalytic defense mechanism by which people re-channel their unacceptable impulses into socially approved activities.
Projection
a defense mechanism where someone unconsciously attributes their own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or behaviors to another person, essentially “projecting” their own internal state onto someone else to avoid confronting it within themselves
Social-Cognitive Theory
a psychological perspective that suggests people learn behaviors primarily through observing others, interacting with their environment, and considering their own thoughts and beliefs, emphasizing the dynamic interplay between personal factors, behavior, and the environment
Self-esteem
a person’s overall evaluation of their own worth, essentially how positively or negatively they feel about themselves, encompassing their beliefs about their abilities, value, and self-image
Personality Inventory
a self-report questionnaire where individuals respond to a series of statements designed to assess various aspects of their personality traits, usually by indicating whether the statement applies to them as “true” or “false,” allowing psychologists to gauge their overall personality profile
Optimal Level of Arousal
the ideal level of physiological and psychological alertness where an individual is motivated to maintain, meaning not too aroused (stressed) and not too relaxed (bored)
Self-Determination Theory
a motivational theory that proposes individuals are most motivated when their basic psychological needs for autonomy (feeling in control), competence (feeling capable), and relatedness (feeling connected to others) are fulfilled, leading to intrinsic motivation and personal growth
Sensation-Seeking Theory
a motivational trait where individuals actively search for experiences, thrills or adventures, experience disinhibition, and boredom susceptibility.
Ghrelin
a hormone primarily produced in the stomach that is often called the “hunger hormone” because it signals the brain to stimulate appetite and the desire to eat when stomach is empty
Leptin
a hormone produced by fat cells that signals the hypothalamus about the body’s fat stores, essentially acting as a “satiety” signal to regulate appetite; when leptin levels are high, it indicates the body has enough fat and suppresses hunger
Pituitary Gland
the pituitary gland is not directly responsible for hunger, but it is controlled by the hypothalamus, which is the brain region that regulates hunger signals by releasing hormones that influence appetite through the pituitary gland
Affect (emotion)
the observable expression of an emotion, encompassing the outward display of feelings through facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice, essentially describing how someone “appears” to be feeling, rather than the internal emotional experience itself; it is often used interchangeably with the term “emotion” in this context
broaden-and-build theory
positive emotions expand an individual’s momentary thought-action repertoire, allowing them to consider a wider range of ideas and actions, which in turn builds personal resources like social connections, physical health, and cognitive skills over time, essentially enhancing their overall well-being
Universal emotions
a set of emotions, typically identified as happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust, that are believed to be recognized and expressed through facial expressions across different cultures
Display rules
the socially learned norms that govern how and when individuals express their emotions, varying significantly across different cultures, essentially dictating what emotions are appropriate to show in a given situation and to what degree
elicitors
stimuli, like a specific event, image, or person’s facial expression, that trigger or “elicit” a particular emotional response in an individual; essentially, anything that causes someone to feel a specific emotion
