Psychology Concepts Overview

Important Terms

• State: Temporary states of being.
• Trait: Long-lasting, consistent part of personality.
• Free Association: Starting with a concept or word, saying everything that comes to mind.
• Self-concept: A person's perception of themselves.
• Individualism: Trusting in oneself.
• Person-Situation Controversy: Discusses whether personality or situations are more impactful in determining a person's behavior.

Narcissism

• Pseudo Psychology (not supported): Physiognomy (physical characteristics influencing personality), and Phrenology (bumps/dents in the head).
• Four Humors: Personality determined by the balance of four bodily fluids (blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm). Too much of any fluid is associated with certain personality traits (e.g., too much blood: happy).

Freud's Ideas

• Unconscious: Parts of the mind not consciously accessible. Most personality is driven by the unconscious.
• Preconscious: Thoughts not currently in awareness but accessible.
• Conscious: Currently available thoughts and active in the mind.
• Id: Part of the mind seeking to fulfill desires.
• Ego: Part of the mind that interacts with the outside world and is influenced by the Id.
• Superego: Concerned with morality and societal expectations.

Freud's Psychosexual Stages

• Oral Stage (0-18 months): Erogenous zone is the mouth. Focuses on eating and sucking.
• Anal Stage (18-36 months): Erogenous zone is the anus. Focuses on potty training.
• Phallic Stage (3-6 years): Erogenous zone is the genitals. Recognition of gender differences.
• Latency Stage (6-puberty): No erogenous zone. Repression of sexual feelings.
• Genital Stage (puberty onwards): Erogenous zone is genitals. Focused on sexual feelings and relationships.

Freud's Defense Mechanisms

• Regression: Retreating to an earlier psychosexual stage to avoid problems.
• Denial: Refusal to acknowledge reality.
• Projection: Attributing one's own feelings to another person.
• Displacement: Taking feelings out on a less threatening target.
• Reaction Formation: Expressing the opposite of what one feels.
• Rationalization: Creating excuses to justify behavior.

Freud's Ideas (Continued)

• Development: Infants develop certain capabilities at different stages.
• Dreams: Dreams are gateways to the unconscious.
• Defense Mechanisms: The ego's methods to protect itself from the unconscious and reality.
• Repression: Burying uncomfortable thoughts in the unconscious.

Big Five (Modern Theories)

• Openness: Willingness to try new things.
• Conscientiousness: Following rules and being organized.
• Extraversion: Comfort level with social interactions.
• Agreeableness: How easily one gets along with others.
• Neuroticism: Level of worry and anxiety.

Other Theories

• Rogers' Person-Centered Theory: Humans have the capacity for good. Acceptance and empathy are essential for positive growth.

Eysenck's Dimensional Theory

• Neuroticism: Emotional stability (low) or instability (high).
• Extraversion: Introversion (low) or extraversion (high).

Assessment

• Projective Tests: Given ambiguous stimuli, asked to explain it.
• Inkblot tests / Thematic Apperception Test (TAT): Interpreting ambiguous images.
• Personality Inventories: Long questionnaires to measure traits and conditions.
• Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI): A widely used personality inventory to identify personality disorders.

Psychological Disorders

• Comorbidity: Two or more disorders occurring at the same time.
• Lifetime Prevalence Rate: Probability of a disorder occurring at any point in one's life.
• Etiology: Cause of a disorder.

Abnormal Behavior

• Deviance: Unusual behavior compared to norms.
• Maladaptiveness: Behavior disrupting daily life.
• Personal Distress: Level of emotional strain.

DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual)

• Diagnostic Criteria: Manual listing symptoms for each disorder, and diagnostic standards.
• Evolution of Diagnostic Methods: The DSM goes through revisions as understanding of disorders improves.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

• Examples: Intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and learning disorders.
• Causation: Multiple factors (genetic, environmental) can contribute to these disorders.

Depressive Disorders

• Major Depressive Disorder: Persistent depressed mood, loss of interest in activities.
• Seasonal Affective Disorder: Related to changes in seasons.
• Persistent Depressive Disorder: Chronic, low-grade depression.

Anxiety Disorders

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Persistent and excessive worry.
• Phobias: Intense fears of specific objects or situations.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Obsessions and compulsions.
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Response to trauma.
• Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Unrealistic perception of flaws.

Schizophrenia

• Symptoms: Hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thoughts and behavior.
• Types: Paranoid, disorganized, and undifferentiated, catatonic.

Bipolar Disorders

• Mania: Period with elevated mood, high energy, and impulsiveness.
• Depressive Episodes: Periods with depressed mood and loss of interest.
• Bipolar I: Marked by severe manic and depressive episodes.
• Bipolar II: Marked by hypomania and depressive episodes.
• Causes: Genetic and environmental factors.

Dissociative Disorders

• Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): Multiple personality disorder.
• Dissociative Amnesia: Memory loss (often after a traumatic event).
• Dissociative Fugue: Memory loss and identity change with a period of travel.
• Causes: Trauma is a primary factor.

Suicide

• Geographic Differences: Differences in suicide rates across locations.
• Racial Differences: Differences in suicide rates across different racial groups. Gender Differences Men and women face different risks

Treatments for Disorders

• Importance of Rationale: Understanding why people have a disorder is key for effective treatment.
• Barriers to Therapy: Cost concerns, time constraints, and personal beliefs.
• Medication: Medications play a role in some conditions
• ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy): Treatment used for severe cases of depression.

Specific therapies (techniques)

• Systematic Desensitization: Gradual exposure to fears.
• Social Skills Training: Training for improving social skills.
• Therapeutic Analysis: providing objective insight into a patient's behaviours.

Explore essential psychological terms and theories in this quiz, focusing on concepts such as state, trait, and Freud's ideas. Understand the foundations of personality, including highlights of narcissism and individualism. Test your knowledge of key psychological principles and their implications.