Accommodation (cognitive theory)

The process of altering a schema when a new

situation cannot be incorporated within an existing schema

Accommodation (culture)

Process of partial or selective cultural change in which

members of nondominant groups follow the norms, rules, and standards of the dominant culture only in specific circumstances and contexts

Assimilation (cognition)

In cognitive theory, the incorporation of new experiences into

an existing schema

Assimilation (cultural)

The process of change whereby individuals of one society or

ethnic group are culturally incorporated or absorbed into another by adopting the

patterns and norms of the host culture

Attribution theory

A theory of emotional behavior that asserts that the experience of

emotion is based on conscious evaluations persons make about their physiological

sensations in particular social settings

Cognition

Conscious thinking processes; mental activities of which the individual is fully aware. These processes include taking in information from the environment, synthesizing that information, and formulating plans of action based on that synthesis

Cognitive mediation

The influence of thinking between the occurrence of a stimulus and

one’s response to the stimulus

Cognitive operations

Use of abstract thoughts and ideas that are not tied to sensory and

motor information

Conventional morality

In Kohlberg’s theory of moral development, a stage in which moral decisions are based on adherence to social rules

Ego

A mental structure of personality that is responsible for negotiating between internal needs of the individual and the outside world

Ego psychology

A theory of human behavior and clinical practice that views activities of the ego as the primary determinants of behavior

Emotion

A feeling state characterized by one’s appraisal of a stimulus, changes in bodily

sensations, and expressive gestures

Emotional intelligence

A person’s ability to process information about emotions accurately and effectively, and consequently to regulate emotions in an optimal manner

Information processing theory

A sensory theory of cognition that sees information flowing from the external world through the senses to the nervous systems, where it is coded

Mood

A feeling disposition that, in contrast to an emotion, is more chronic, less intense,

and less tied to a specific situation

Multiple intelligences

The eight distinct biopsychosocial potentials, as identified by Howard Gardner, with which people process information that can be activated in cultural settings to solve problems or create products that are of value in the culture

Narrative theory

A theory that proposes that all of us are engaged in an ongoing process

of constructing a life story

Postconventional morality

In Kohlberg’s theory of moral development, a stage in which moral decisions are based on moral principles that transcend those of one’s own society

Preconscious

Mental activity that is out of awareness but can be brought into awareness with prompting

Preconventional morality

In Kohlberg’s theory of moral development, a stage in which

moral decisions are made on the basis of avoiding punishment and receiving rewards

Primary emotions

Emotions that developed as specific reactions and signals with survival

value for the human species. They serve to mobilize an individual, focus attention, and signal one’s state of mind to others; examples include anger, fear, sadness, joy, and anticipation

Psychoanalytic theory

A theory of human behavior and clinical intervention that assumes the primacy of internal drives and unconscious mental activity in determining human behavior

Schema (plural: schemata):

An internalized representation of the world, including systematic patterns of thought, action, and problem solving

Secondary emotions

Emotions that are socially acquired. They evolved as humans developed more sophisticated means of learning, controlling, and managing emotions to promote flexible cohesion in social groups. Examples include envy, jealousy, anxiety, guilt, shame, relief, hope,

depression, pride, love, gratitude, and compassion

Self

An essence of who we are that is more or less enduring

Self psychology

A theory, based in psychoanalytic theory, that conceives of the self as experienced cohesion through action and reflection

Unconscious

Mental activities of which one is not aware but that influence behavior