Psychology Concepts Quiz

Key Psychological Definitions

• Analytical Psychology: Jung's theory emphasizing the unconscious mind and archetypes, suggesting a collective unconscious shared by all.
• Classical Conditioning: Learning through association; a neutral stimulus paired with a meaningful one elicits a response. (e.g., Pavlov's dogs).
• Cognition: Mental processes including thinking, learning, memory, and problem-solving.
• Conditioned Stimulus: A formerly neutral stimulus that now triggers a learned response. (e.g., the bell in Pavlov's experiment).
• Defense Mechanism: Unconscious strategies to manage anxiety (e.g., denial, repression).
• Displacement: A defense mechanism where emotions are redirected to a safer target. (e.g., anger at boss transferred to family).
• Fixation: Stuck at a developmental stage, leading to unresolved conflicts.
• Id: The part of the mind seeking instant gratification.
• Superego: Represents moral standards and ideals; acts as a conscience.
• Ego: The reality-based part of the mind; mediates the id and superego.
• Neurotic Disorder: Mental disorders involving anxiety, fear, or irrationality, with insight into reality maintained.
• Psychoanalytic Theory: Freud's theory emphasizing unconscious drives and early experiences as shaping behavior.

Comparing Psychological Theories

• Behaviorism vs. Psychodynamic Psychology: Behaviorism focuses on observable behaviors learned from the environment (rewards/punishments), while psychodynamic psychology focuses on unconscious internal drives and early childhood experiences.
• Cognitive vs. Humanistic Psychology: Cognitive psychology examines mental processes like memory and problem-solving, while humanistic psychology emphasizes self-actualization and personal growth.
• Psychodynamic vs. Humanistic Psychology: Psychodynamic emphasizes unconscious conflicts, and humanistic emphasizes personal development and free will.
• Humanistic vs. Behaviorism: Humanism centers on free will, personal growth, and self-actualization, while behaviorism focuses on how observable behaviors change through environmental reinforcement.

Conditioning Concepts

• Operant Conditioning: Learning from consequences (rewards/punishments) increasing/decreasing behaviors.
  • Reinforcement: Increases behavior (positive: reward, negative: removal of unpleasant).
  • Punishment: Decreases behavior (positive: adding unpleasant, negative: removing a reward).
  • Key Figure: B.F. Skinner
• Classical Conditioning: Learning through association; a previously neutral stimulus now elicits a response after pairing with a meaningful stimulus.
  • Key Figure: Ivan Pavlov (dog experiment)
• Difference: Classical conditioning is association, operant conditioning is consequences.
• Applications: Classical conditioning is used in advertising, operant conditioning is used in education and parenting.

Theories of Dreaming

• Psychoanalytic Theory: Dreams reveal repressed desires/emotions (Freud).
• Activation-Synthesis Theory: Dreams are the brain's attempt to make sense of random neural activity.
• Cognitive Theory: Dreams aid memory and emotion processing.
• Evolutionary Theory: Dreams may simulate potential threats.

Nature vs. Nurture

• Nature: Genetics determines behavior/traits. (e.g., similar behaviors in identical twins raised separately).
• Nurture: Environment shapes behavior/traits (e.g., different upbringings result in different behaviors).
• Modern View: Nature and nurture interact to influence development.

Key Developmental Theories

• Psychosexual Stages (Freud): Five stages focused on pleasure areas: oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital. Unresolved conflicts may result in personality issues.
• Karen Horney on Neurosis: Neurosis stems from interpersonal relationships and feelings of inadequacy. Childhood experiences lead to insecurity.
• Alfred Adler's Individual Psychology: Striving for superiority and overcoming inferiority motivates behavior. Importance of social interest.
• Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development: Four stages describing children's cognitive development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational.
• Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development: Eight stages with challenges and conflicts to resolve for healthy development: Trust vs. Mistrust, etc.
• Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment: Observational learning demonstrated via imitation of aggressive behaviors.
• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Five-level pyramid of needs: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, self-actualization.
• Harlow's Monkey Experiments: Demonstrated importance of emotional attachment instead of just basic needs.
• Ainsworth's Infant-Mother Attachment: "Strange Situation" experiment described attachment styles (secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-ambivalent).
• Birth Order: Adler's theory proposes birth order might influence personality development, firstborn, middle, and youngest child.
• Sex vs. Gender: Sex refers to biological differences, gender refers to socially constructed roles and behaviors.

Study Tips

• Memorize definitions and examples.
• Understand theory differences.
• Apply concepts to real-world scenarios.
• Learn dreaming theories and the nature versus nurture perspective.

Test your knowledge of fundamental concepts in psychology, including key figures, theories, and experiments. This quiz covers topics ranging from analytical psychology to attachment styles and conditioning. Perfect for students and enthusiasts of psychology alike!