Unit 6 Key Terms

Question 1

Personality

Answer 1

An individual’s unique, relatively consistent pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors

Question 2

Sigmund Freud

Answer 2

The father of Psychoanalysis

Question 3

Psychoanalysis

Answer 3

A method of studying the mind and treating psychiatric disorders by exposing the unconscious mind

Question 4

Unconscious

Answer 4

a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories

Question 5

Free Association

Answer 5

A method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing

Question 6

Id

Answer 6

the impulsive part of your personality that is driven by pleasure; made of unbiological urges that seek satisfaction

Question 7

Ego

Answer 7

The conscious part of your personality that moderates impulses between the id, superego, and reality; makes decisions

Question 8

Superego

Answer 8

The “morally correct” part of the personality; represents our morals and conscience

Question 9

Psychosexual Stages

Answer 9

Stages that capture the main growth points of a person from infancy to adulthood. Focuses on different wants, needs, and desires.

Question 10

Oedipus Complex

Answer 10

(according to Freud) The attachment of a child to the parent of the opposite sex, accompanied by envious and aggressive feelings toward the parent of the same sex.

Question 11

Repression (Freudian Slip)

Answer 11

A defense mechanism where one aims to keep information out of conscious awareness. Ex) A soldier cannot remember a traumatic event, or a liar accidentally tells the truth (freudian slip)

Question 12

Displacement

Answer 12

A defense mechanism where one takes out their frustrations, feelings, and impulses on people or objects that are less threatening. Ex) taking your anger out on your friend because you mom made you mad.

Question 13

Projection

Answer 13

A defense mechanism where one projects their insecurities on other people. Ex) making fun of someone about their weight because you are insecure about being oversized

Question 14

Regression

Answer 14

A defense mechanism where one reverts back to previous behavior from earlier in life when faced with a stressful situation. Ex) an adult throwing a tantrum because things didn’t go their way.

Question 15

Denial

Answer 15

A defense mechanism where one denies the truth about what is actually happening and tries to convince themselves that it’s not real/true. Ex) you see a video of your boyfriend cheating on you, but you refuse to believe that it’s him in the video.

Question 16

Rationalization

Answer 16

A defense mechanism where a person does something wrong, but tries to convince themselves using logic or reasoning as to why it’s okay. Ex) A student watches TV instead of studying, saying that “additional study wouldn’t do any good anyway”

Question 17

Reaction-Formation

Answer 17

A defense mechanism where a person hides their true feelings by doing something opposite. Ex) A parent who unconsciously resents a child spoils the child with outlandish gifts

Question 18

The Big Five Factors

Answer 18

This theory says that there are five main personality traits that people could fall under:
1. openness (being imaginative vs. practical)
2. consciousness (being careful vs. careless)
3. extraversion (being sociable vs. reserved)
4. agreeableness (being compliant vs. unwilling)
5. neuroticism (being optimistic vs. pessimistic).

Question 19

Humanistic Theories

Answer 19

This theory puts priority on free will and independence in the development of personality.

Question 20

Environmental Determinism

Answer 20

This theory states that people’s behavior is caused by outside environmental forces.

Question 21

Self

Answer 21

A systematic and consistent set of beliefs and perceptions about ourselves, that is developed by life experiences

Question 22

Self-esteem

Answer 22

confidence in your worth or abilities

Question 23

Self-efficacy

Answer 23

believing that you can perform a specific task largely increases the chances that you can actually do it

Question 24

Self-serving bias

Answer 24

seeing yourself in an overly positive light (a good bias) to improve your self-esteem

Question 25

Narcissism

Answer 25

a personality trait where you think of yourself to be superior to others, with a lack of empathy and a need for admiration

Question 26

Identification

Answer 26

according to Freud, the process where children integrate the values of their parents into their developing superegos

Question 27

Fixation

Answer 27

when a person is “stuck” in one stage of psychosexual development due to an attachment to a person or thing