Unit 4B - personalities, motivation, emotions. Flashcards
Psychoanalysis
(1) 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. (2) Sigmund Freud’s therapeutic technique. Freud believed the patient’s free associations, resistances, dreams, and transferences — and the analyst’s interpretations of them — released previously repressed feelings, allowing the patient to gain self-insight.
Unconscious Processes
mental activities that occur outside of our awareness, such as thoughts, desires, and memories that are hidden from conscious thought
Psychodynamic Theory
relates to not just the behavior that an individual engages in, but why they engage in it
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
Ego is a person’s sense of self-importance and identity, often influencing their behavior and decisions.
Superego
the partly conscious part of personality that, according to Freud, represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and for future aspirations.
Defense Mechanisms
unconscious strategies used by the ego to protect itself from anxiety and perceived threats.
Preconscious Mind
contains thoughts and feelings that are not currently in conscious awareness but can be easily accessed when needed.
Unconscious Mind
consists of processes and memories that are beyond conscious awareness and significantly influence thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Denial
an ego defense mechanism where an individual unconsciously refuses to acknowledge reality or facts, thereby protecting themselves from uncomfortable truths.
Displacement
an ego defense mechanism where emotional impulses are redirected from the original source to a safer or more acceptable substitute target.
Projection
an ego defense mechanism where individuals attribute their own unacceptable feelings, thoughts, or motives to someone else, thus deflecting self-criticism.
Rationalization
an ego defense mechanism where individuals justify and explain their behaviors or feelings in a seemingly rational or logical manner to avoid confronting the true underlying reasons.
Reaction Formation
an ego defense mechanism where individuals suppress unacceptable impulses by unconsciously displaying the opposite behavior or emotion.
Regression
an ego defense mechanism where an individual reverts to earlier stages of development and childlike behaviors when faced with stress or emotional conflict.
Repression
an ego defense mechanism where distressing thoughts and feelings are unconsciously blocked from entering conscious awareness.
Sublimation
an ego defense mechanism where negative urges and impulses are channeled into socially acceptable or constructive activities
Neofreudians
those who were influenced by Sigmund Freud but developed their own competing theories
Karen Horney
a psychoanalyst who proposed that individuals seek approval from others due to feelings of insecurity and a lack of self-confidence.
Alfred Adler
Adler (who gave us the still popular inferiority complex idea)
Carl Jung and Collective Unconscious
the part of the human psyche that contains information that has been inherited from our ancestors and is commonly shared among all humans. The concept of the collective unconscious was first developed by Swiss psychologist Carl Jung.
Terror-Management Theory
Terror-Management Theory
Projective Tests/Hypothesis
a personality test in which subjects are shown ambiguous images and asked to interpret them
Thematic Apperception Test
a projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes.
Rorschach Inkblot Tests
presents a patient with an ambiguous image and asks the patient to interpret what they see
Humanistic Psychology (strengths/weaknesses)
Humanistic Psychology (strengths/weaknesses) - nvolves too much common sense and not enough objectivity. One of the greatest strengths of humanisticpsychology is that it emphasizes individual choice and responsibility.
Unconditional Positive Regard
accepting and respecting others as they are without judgment or evaluation.
Self-Actualizing Tendency
the process of realizing and fulfilling one’s potential and capabilities
Self-Transcendence
psychological needs that arises after basic physical and psychological needs are met and self-esteem is achieved; the motivation to fulfill one’s potential.
