Glossary

anal stage	According to Freud, a stage from 12 to 18 months to 3 years of age, in which a child's pleasure is centered on the anus



behavioral assessment	Direct measures of an individual's behavior used to describe characteristics indicative of personality



biological and evolutionary approaches to personality	The theory that important components of personality are inherited



collective unconscious	A set of influences we inherit from our own particular ancestors, the whole human race, and even animal ancestors from the distant evolutionary past



defense mechanisms	Unconscious strategies people use to reduce anxiety by concealing the source of the anxiety from themselves and others



ego	The part of the personality that provides a buffer between the id and the outside worldego (123.0K)



fixation	Conflicts or concerns that persist beyond the developmental period in which they first occurfixation (133.0K)



genital stage	According to Freud, the period from puberty until death, marked by mature sexual behavior (i.e., sexual intercourse)



humanistic approaches to personality	The theory that people are basically good and tend to grow to higher levels of functioning



id	The raw, unorganized, inborn part of personality, whose sole purpose is to reduce tension created by primitive drives related to hunger, sex, aggression, and irrational impulses



identification	The process of trying to be like another person as much as possible, imitating that person's behavior and adopting similar beliefs and values



inferiority complex	According to Adler, a complex developed by adults who have not been able to overcome the feelings of inferiority they developed as children, when they were small and limited in their knowledge about the world



latency period	According to Freud, the period between the phallic stage and puberty during which children temporarily put aside their sexual interests



Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2)	A test used to identify people with psychological difficulties as well as to predict such behavior as job performance



neo-Freudian psychoanalysts	Psychoanalysts who were trained in traditional Freudian theory but who later rejected some of its major points



Oedipus conflict	A child's sexual interest in his or her opposite-sex parent, typically resolved through identification with the same-sex parentoedipus_confilict (191.0K)



oral stage	According to Freud, a stage from birth to 12 to 18 months, in which an infant's center of pleasure is the mouth



personality	The pattern of enduring characteristics that differentiates a person-the patterns of behaviors that make each individual unique



phallic stage	According to Freud, a period beginning around age 3 during which a child's interest focuses on the genitalsphallic_stage (168.0K)



projective personality test	A test in which a person is shown an ambiguous stimulus and asked to describe it or tell a story about it



psychoanalytic theory	Freud's theory that unconscious forces act as determinants of personality



psychological tests	Standard measures devised to assess behavior objectively and used by psychologists to help people make decisions about their lives and understand more about themselves



Rorschach test	A test by developed by Swiss psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach that consists of showing a series of symmetrical stimuli to people and then asking them to say what the figures represent to themrorschach_test (262.0K)



self-actualization	According to Rogers, a state of self-fulfillment in which people realize their highest potential



self-report measures	A method of gathering data about people by asking them questions about a sample of their behavior



social cognitive approaches to personality	The theory that emphasizes the influence of a person's cognitions-thoughts, feelings, expectations, and values-in determining personality



superego	According to Freud, the final personality structure to develop; it represents society's standards of right and wrong as handed down by a person's parents, teachers, and other important figures



temperament	Basic, innate disposition



test standardization	A technique used to validate questions in personality tests by studying the responses of people with known diagnoses



Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)	A test consisting of a series of ambiguous pictures about which the person is asked to write a story



trait theory	A model of personality that seeks to identify the basic traits necessary to describe personality



traits	Enduring dimensions of personality characteristics along which people differ



unconditional positive regard	An attitude of acceptance and respect on the part of an observer, no matter what the other person says or does



unconscious	A part of the personality of which a person is not aware, and which is a potential determinant of behavior

2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education
Any use is subject to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
McGraw-Hill Higher Education is one of the many fine businesses of The McGraw-Hill Companies.