Personality Psychology

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acculturation

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The process of social influence by which a person partially or fully acquires a new cultural outlook, either by having contact with or by living in a different culture from his or her culture of origin.

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acquiescence response set

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In personality testing, the tendency to respond "true" regardless of the content of the item.

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adrenal cortex

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The outer layer of the adrenal gland, atop the kidneys, that secretes several behaviorally important hormones.

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amygdala

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A structure located near the base of the brain that is believed to play a role in emotion, especially negative emotions such as anger and fear.

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anal stage

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In psychoanalytic theory, the stage of psychosexual development, from about eighteen months to three-and-a-half or four years of age, in which the physical focus of the libido is located in the anus and associated eliminative organs.

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anatta

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In Zen Buddhism, the fundamental idea that the single, isolated self is an illusion.

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Angst

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In existential philosophy, the anxiety that stems from doubts about the meaning and purpose of life.

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anicca

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In Zen Buddhism, the recognition that all things are temporary and that therefore it is best to avoid attachments to them.

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anima

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In Jung's version of psychoanalysis, the idea of the typical as held in the mind of a male.

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animus

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In Jung's version of psychoanalysis, the idea of they typical male as held in the mind of a female.

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anterior cingulate

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The front part of a brain structure called the cingulate, which runs from the front to the back of the brain in the middle, just above the corpus callosum. The anterior cingulate is believed to be important for the experience of normal emotion and self-control.

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antisocial personality disorder

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An extreme patter of deceitful, manipulative, and sometimes dangerous behavior.

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approach-avoidance conflict

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In Dollard and Miller's social learning theory, the conflict indued by a stimulus that is at once attractive and aversive.

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archetypes

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In Jung's version of psychoanalysis, the fundamental images of people that are contained in the collective unconscious, including the earth mother, the hero, the devil, and so forth.

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ascending reticular activating system (ARAS)

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A part of the upper brain stem through which information flows into the brain and stimulates it.

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associationism

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The idea that all complex ideas are combinations of two or more simple ideas.

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association method

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In molecular behavioral genetics, the attempt to link genes to personality by comparing the DNA of people who score high and low on trait scales and behavioral measures.

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authentic existence

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In existential philosophy, living with an awareness of the dilemmas concerning the meaning of life, morality, and free will.

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avoidant personality disorder

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An extreme pattern of feelings of inadequacy accompanied by fear of social contact.

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Axis I disorders

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In the DSM-IV, patterns of severe mental illness.

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Axis II disorders

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In the DSM-IV, the personality disorders.

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basic approach (to personality)

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A theoretical view of personality that focuses on some phenomena and ignores others. The basic approaches are trait, biological, psychoanalytic, phenomenological, behavioral, and cognitive.

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B data

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"Behavioral data," or direct observations of another's behavior that are translated directly or nearly directly into numerical form. B data can be gathered in natural or contrived (experimental) situations.

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behavioral confirmation

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The "self-fulfilling prophecy" tendency for a person to become the kind of person others expect him or her to be. Also called the expectancy effect.

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behavioral prediction

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The degree to which a judgment or measurement can predict the behavior of the person in question.

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behaviorism (or behavioristic approach)

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The theoretical view of personality that focuses on overt behavior and the ways in which it can be affected by rewards and punishments in the environment. A modern variant is the social learning approach, which adds a concern with how behavior is affected by observation, self-evaluation, and social interaction. Also called learning approach.

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Binomial Effect Size Display (BESD)

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One method for displaying and understanding more clearly the magnitude of an effect reported as a correlation.

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biological approach

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The view of personality that focuses on the way behavior and personality are influenced by neuroanatomy, biochemistry, genetics, or evolution.

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borderline personality disorder

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An extreme and sometimes dangerous pattern of emotional instability, emotional emptiness, confused identity, and tendencies toward self-harm.

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California Q-set

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A set of one hundred descriptive items (e.g., "is critical, skeptical, not easily impressed") that comprehensively cover the personality domain.