psychological test in which individuals answer questions about themselves, usually by responding yes or no or true or false
projective test
test that involves the use of unstructured or ambiguous stimuli in an effort to assess personality
Barnum effect
tendancy to accept generalized personality descriptions as accurate descriptions of oneself
comprehensiveness
the extent to which a theory explains a broad range of personality phenomena.
parsimony
the simplicity of a theory
usefulness
the degree to which a theory is helpful in the sense of having important practical applications, such as strategy for therapy
heuristic function
the degree to which a theory guides or influences future research
empirical validity
the degree to which a theory is supported by scientific research
traits
summary terms that describe tendencies to respond in particular ways that account for differences among people 4500
Psychic determinism
the psychodynamic assumption that all behaviors result from early childhood experiences, especially conflicts related to sexual instincts
unconscious
part of the personality that lies outside of awareness yet is believed to be a crucial determinant of behavior
id
in psychodynamic theory, the most basic element of the personality; it is the source of the instincts and operates on the pleasure principle
ego
the element of the mind that operates according to the reality principle and serves to satisfy the id and the superego
superego
the element of the mind that incorporates parental and societal standards in what is commonly referred to as the conscience as well as the idealistic ego ideal
defense mechanism
psychodynamic term used to describe primarily unconscious methods of reducing anxiety or guilt that results from conflicts among the id, ego, and superego
oral stage
the first stage of psychosexual development in which the mouth is the focus of pleasure-seeking activity
fixation
cessation of further development, resulting in behaviors that are characteristic of the stage of development in which the fixation occurred
anal stage
second stage of psychosexual development, during which the focus of pleasure is the anus and conflict often occurs as efforts are made to toilet-train the child
phallic stage
the third stage of psychosexual development, in which the genital organs become the focus of pleasure-seeking behavior
oedipal complex
process that occurs during the phallic stage in which a boy wishes to possess his mother sexually and fears retaliation by his father
electra complex
process that occurs during the phallic stage in which a girl wishes to possess her father sexually
latency stage
stage of psychosexual development that extends from about age 6 until the onset of puberty and is characterized by a low level of sexual interest
genital stage
stage of psychosexual development that begins at puberty and usually leads to normal adult sexual development
social learning theory
theory that learning occurs through watching and imitating the behaviors of others
locus of control
whether the person sees his or her behavior as controlled by external factors (external locus) or internal forces (internal locus)
reciprocal determinism
contention that person variables, situation variables, and behavior constantly interact
self-efficacy
a person’s expectancy concerning his or her ability to engage in effective behaviors; such expectancies differ from one behavior to another
humanistic psychology
general approach to psychology, associated with Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers, that emphasizes individuals’ control of their behavior
self-actualization
need to develop one’s full potential
deinstitutionalization
the policy of discharging mentally ill patients from institutions on the assumption that they can be cared for in their communities; the policy also led to the closing of part or all of these institutions
biomedical therapies
a set of treatments for mental illness that includes drugs, psychosurgery, and electroconvulsive therapy
psychological therapies
treatments for psychological disorders such as psychotherapy or therapies based on classical or operant conditioning principles
psychotherapy
a special relationship between a distressed person and a trained therapist in which the therapist aids the client in developing awareness and changing his or her thinking, feeling, and behavior
psychoanalytic therapy
treatment of maladaptive behavior developed by Sigmund Freud; its goal is to uncover unconscious conflicts and feelings and bring them to the conscious level
free association
a psychoanalytic technique in which the patient is asked to say whatever comes to mind without censoring anything
resistance
a stage of psychoanalysis in which blocking of free association occurs because critical unconscious material is close to conscious awareness
transference
in psychoanalysis, the patient’s positive or negative reaction to the therapist, which is believed to reflect the patient’s relationship to a significant person outside of therapy
humanistic therapies
therapies that emphasize the present and the ability of clients to solve their own problems once they are able to accept themselves
client-centered therapy
therapy designed to create an environment in which the client is able to find solutions to his or her problems
cognitive therapies
therapies designed to change cognitions in order to eliminate maladaptive behaviors
rational-emotive behavior therapy
a cognitive therapy in which the therapist challenges and questions the client’s irrational ideas
rational-emotive behavior therapy
a cognitive therapy in which the therapist challenges and questions the client’s irrational ideas
systematic desensitization
a behavioral technique, based on classical conditioning, that is used to treat phobias; the technique usually combines training in relaxation with exposure to imagined scenes related to a phobia
aversion therapy
classical conditioning technique for reducing or eliminating behavior by pairing the behavior with an unpleasant (aversive) stimulus
token economy
a technique that reinforces desirable behaviors with tokens (secondary reinforcers), which can be redeemed for other reinforcers, especially primary reinforcers
cognitive behavior therapy CBT
a therapeutic approach that consciously combines behavioral and cognitive theories and practices
group therapy
therapy in which clients discuss problems in groups that may included individuals with similar problems
antianxiety drugs
minor tranquilizers, such as the benzodiazepines, used to reduce anxiety, usually by increasing the ability of the neurotransmitter GABA to bind at synapses
antipsychotic drugs
drugs that reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia by blocking dopamine receptors in the brain; the typical antipsychotic drugs work by blocking dopamine, whereas the atypical drugs (such as clozapine) also block serotonin
tardive dyskinesia
a serious adverse effect of antipsychotic drugs characterized by involuntary motor symptoms such as lip smacking
electroconvulsive therapy ECT
a biomedical treatment in which an electric current is passed through the brain to induce a seizure; most often used to treat severe depression
psychosurgery
the alteration of brain tissue in an attempt to alleviate psychological disorders
