Chapter 2 Vocabulary

personality

a person's behaviors, attitudes, feelings, and ways of thinking that make them who they are

psychologist

a person who studies how people think, feel, and behave

modeling

to learn how to behave by observing and copying older people; a child who learns to be respectful by watching a parent be respectful is modeling.

peer group

a group of friends who share similar interests and are about the same age

identity

a person's sense of him or herself

self-esteem

how much you respect and enjoy yourself

self-actualization

the process by which people achieve their full potential

hierarchy of needs

Maslow's idea of a pyramid of human needs; physiological needs must first be satisfied, then safety needs, then belonging needs, then esteem needs, and last is self-actualization needs

emotion

a reaction to a situation that involves the mind, body, and behavior

primary emotions

emotions expressed by people in all cultures, such as happiness or anger

grief

a period of deep sorrow, typically triggered by the death of a loved one

learned emotion

emotions not expressed the same way by all people

coping strategy

a way of coping with an uncomfortable or unbearable situation or feeling

defense mechanism

coping strategies that help a person to protect him or herself from difficult feelings