Glossary G-3conformity (Fromm) Means of escaping from
isolation and aloneness by giving up one’s self and
becoming whatever others desire.
congruence (Rogers) The matching of organismic
experiences with awareness and with the ability to
express those experiences. One of three “necessary and
sufficient” therapeutic conditions.
conscience (Freud) The part of the superego that
results from experience with punishment and that,
therefore, tells a person what is wrong or improper
conduct.
conscientiousness (Buss) One’s capacity and
commitment to work and to be focused and detail
oriented.
conscious (Freud) Those mental elements in
awareness at any given time.
conscious (Jung) Mental images that are sensed by the
ego and that play a relatively minor role in Jungian
theory.
consistency paradox Mischel’s term for the
observation that clinical intuition and the perceptions of
laypeople suggest that behavior is consistent, whereas
research finds that it is not.
constructing obstacles (Adler) Safeguarding tendency
in which people create a barrier to their own success,
thus allowing them to protect their self-esteem by either
using the barrier as an excuse for failure or by
overcoming it.
construction corollary Kelly’s assumption that people
anticipate events according to their interpretations of
recurrent themes.
constructive alternativism Kelly’s view that events
can be looked at (construed) from a different (alternative)
perspective.
continuous schedule (Skinner) The reinforcement of
an organism for every correct trial; opposed to the
intermittent schedule in which only certain selected
responses are reinforced.
core pathology (Erikson) A psychosocial disorder at
any of the eight stages of development that results from
too little basic strength.
core role (Kelly) People’s construction of who they
really are; their sense of identity that provides a guide for
living.
correlation coefficient A mathematical index used to
measure the direction and magnitude of the relationship
between two variables.
cosmology The realm of philosophy dealing with the
nature of causation.
countertransference Strong, undeserved feelings that
the therapist develops toward the patient during thechoice corollary Kelly’s assumption that people
choose the alternative in a dichotomized construct that
they perceive will extend their range of future choices.
classical conditioning Learning by which a neutral
stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus
and acquires the capacity to elicit a similar response.
client-centered therapy Approach to psychotherapy
originated by Rogers, which is based on respect for the
person’s capacity to grow within a nurturing climate.
cognitive-affective personality systems (CAPs) Mischel
and Shoda’s system that accounts for variability of
behavior across situations as well as stability of behavior
within a person.
cognitive-affective personality theory Mischel’s
theory that views people as active, goal-directed
individuals capable of exerting influence on both their
situation and themselves.
cognitive needs (Maslow) Needs for knowledge and
understanding; related to basic or conative needs, yet
operating on a different dimension.
collective efficacy (Bandura) The confidence people
have that their combined efforts will produce social
change.
collective unconscious Jung’s idea of an inherited
unconscious, which is responsible for many of our
behaviors, ideas, and dream images. The collective
unconscious lies beyond our personal experiences
and originates with repeated experiences of our
ancestors.
common traits (Allport) (See trait)
commonality corollary Kelly’s theory that personal
constructs of people with similar experiences tend to be
similar.
competencies (Mischel) People’s cognitive and
behavioral construction of what they can and cannot do,
based on their observations of the world, themselves, and
others.
complex (Jung) An emotionally toned conglomeration
of ideas that comprise the contents of the personal
unconscious. Jung originally used the word association
test to uncover complexes.
conative needs Needs that pertain to willful and
purposive striving, for example Maslow’s hierarchy of
needs.
conditioned reinforcer (Skinner) Environmental
event that is not by nature satisfying but becomes so
because it is associated with unlearned or unconditioned
reinforcers such as food, sex, and the like.
conditions of worth (Rogers) Restrictions or
qualifications attached to one person’s regard for
another.