Glossary
- altruism
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a motivation for helping that has the improvement of another’s welfare as its ultimate goal, with no expectation of any benefits for the helper
- anal stage
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psychosexual stage in which children experience pleasure in their bowel and bladder movements
- arousal: cost–reward model
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arousal: cost–reward model
- conscious
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the small portion of our mind's activities of which we are aware
- defense mechanisms
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unconscious protective behaviors that aim to reduce anxiety
- displacement
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Transferring inappropriate behaviors or urges onto a more acceptable or less threatening target.
- ego
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The rational part of the personality, balancing the demands of the id and superego in the context of reality.
- genital stage
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psychosexual stage in which the focus is on mature sexual interests
- humanism
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perspective within psychology that emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans
- id
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The portion of the mind responsible for primitive drives or urges, including hunger, thirst, and sex. Operates on the "pleasure principle."
- latency period
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psychosexual stage in which sexual feelings are dormant
- neurosis
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a tendency to experience negative emotions
- oral stage
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psychosexual stage in which an infant’s pleasure is focused on the mouth
- Personality
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long-standing traits and patterns that propel individuals to consistently think, feel, and behave in specific ways
- phallic stage
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psychosexual stage in which the focus is on the genitals
- projection
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Attributing unacceptable desires to others
- psychosexual stage of development
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stages of child development in which a child’s pleasure-seeking urges are focused on specific areas of the body called erogenous zones
- rationalization
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Justifying behaviors by substituting acceptable reasons for less-acceptable real reasons.
- reaction formation
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Reducing anxiety by adopting beliefs contrary to your own beliefs
- regression
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Returning to coping strategies for less mature stages of development
- repressed
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A memory that is removed from conscious awareness due to the memory's intense emotional nature.
- Sternberg’s triangular theory of love
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model of love based on three components: intimacy, passion, and commitment; several types of love exist, depending on the presence or absence of each of these components
- sublimation
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Redirecting unacceptable desires through socially acceptable channels.
- superego
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The part of the mind that acts as a conscience; it is the moral compass that tells us how we should behave.
- unconscious
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Freud's concept of the mental activity of which we are unaware and are unable to access
