Chapter 12 7th edition Psychology Themes and Variations Wayne Weiten


Emotionally charged images and thought forms that have universal meaning.



Collective unconscious

A storehouse of latent memory traces inherited from people's ancestral past


Involves putting group goals ahead of personal goals and defining one's identity in terms of the groups one belongs to


Involves efforts to overcome imagined or real inferiorities by developing one's abilities


Consists of whatever one is aware of at a particular point in time

Defense mechanisms

Largely unconsciuos reactions that protect a person from unpleasant emotions such as anxiety and guilt




The decision- making component of personality that operates according to the reality principle


Tend to be interested in the external world of people and things

Factor analysis

Correlations among many variables are analyzed to identify closely related clusters of variables


A failure to move forward from one stage to another as expected

Hierarchy of needs


Hindsight bias



A theoretical orientation that emphasizes the unique qualities of humans, especially their freedom and their potential for personal growth


The primitive, instinctive component of personality that operates according to the pleasure principle


Bolstering self esteem by forming an imaginary or real alliance with some person or group






Tend to be preoccupied with the internal world of their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences


A person whose behavior is observed by another

Need for self-actualization

Which is the need to fulfill one's potential

Observational learning

Occurs when an organism's responding is influenced by the observation of others, who are called models

Oedipal complex

Children manifest eroticall tinged desires for their opposite sex parent, accompained by feelings of hostility toward their same-sex parent

Personal unconscious



Refers to an individual unique constellation of consistent behavioral traits

Personality traits

A durable disposition to behav in a particular way in a variety of situations

Phenomenological approach

Assumes that one has to appreciate individuals' personal. subjective experiences to truly understand their behavior

Pleasure principle

Demends immediate gratification of its urges


Contains material just beneath the surface of awarenes that can easily be retrieved


Attributing one's own thoughts,feelings, or motives to another

Projection tests


Psychodynamic theories

Include all the diverse theories descended from the work of Sigmund Freud, which focus on unconscious mental forces

Psychosexual stages

Development periods with a characteristics sexual focus that leave their mark on adult personality


Creating false but plausible excuses to justify unacceptable bahvior

Reaction formation

Behaving in a way that's exactly the opposite of one's true feelings

Reality principle

Seeks to delay gratification of the id's urges until appropriate outlets and situations can be found

Reciprocal determinism

The idea that internal mental events, external envrionmental events, and overt behavior all influence one another


A reversion to immature patterns of behavior


Keeping distressing thoughts and feelings buried in the unconscious

Self- actualzing persons

People with exceptionally healthy personalities, marked by continued personal growth

Self- concept



Refers to one's belief about one's ability to perform behaviors that should lead to expected outcomes

Self- report inventories


Striving for superiority

As a universal drive to adapt, improve oneself, and master life's challenges


The moral component of personality that incoporates social standards about what represents right and wrong



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