G-4 Glossary
displacement A Freudian defense mechanism in which
unwanted urges are redirected onto other objects or
people in order to disguise the original impulse.
disposition, cardinal (Allport) Personal traits so
dominating in an individual’s life that they cannot be
hidden. Most people do not have a cardinal disposition.
disposition, central (Allport) The 5 to 10 personal
traits around which a person’s life focuses.
disposition, secondary (Allport) The least
characteristic and reliable personal traits that still appear
with some regularity in an individual’s life.
dispositional theories Are the class of theory that
argue that unique and long-term tendencies to behave in
particular ways are the essence of our personality.
distortion (Rogers) Misinterpretation of an experience
so that it is seen as fitting into some aspect of the self-
concept.
D-love (Maslow) Deficiency love or affection
(attachment) based on the lover’s specific deficiency and
the loved one’s ability to satisfy that deficit.
dream analysis (Freud) The therapeutic procedure
designed to uncover unconscious material by having a
patient free associate to dream images. (See also free
association)
dystonic Erikson’s term for the negative element in
each pair of opposites that characterizes the eight stages
of development.
dynamic processes McCrae and Costa’s term for the
interconnectedness of central and peripheral components
of personality.E
early childhood (Erikson) The second stage of
psychosocial development, characterized by the
anal-urethral-muscular psychosexual mode and by the
crisis of autonomy versus shame and doubt.
early recollections Technique proposed by Adler to
understand the pattern or theme that runs throughout a
person’s style of life.
eclectic Approach that allows selection of usable
elements from different theories or approaches
and combines them in a consistent and unified
manner.
ego (Freud) The province of the mind that refers to the
“I” or those experiences that are owned (not necessarily
consciously) by the person. As the only region of the
mind in contact with the real world, the ego is said to
serve the reality principle.
ego (Jung) The center of consciousness. In Jungian
psychology, the ego is of lesser importance than the
more inclusive self and is limited to consciousness.course of treatment. These feelings can be either positive
or negative and are considered by most writers to be a
hindrance to successful psychotherapy.
creative power Adler’s term for what he believed to
be an inner freedom that empowers each of us to create
our own style of life.
D
Dasein An existential term meaning a sense of self as a
free and responsible person whose existence is embedded
in the world of things, of people, and of self-awareness.
deductive method Approach to factor analytical
theories of personality that gathers data on the basis of
previously determined hypotheses or theories, reasoning
from the general to the particular.
defense mechanisms (Freud) Techniques such as
repression, reaction formation, sublimation, and the like,
whereby the ego defends itself against the pain of
anxiety.
defensiveness (Rogers) Protection of the self-concept
against anxiety and threat by denial and distortion of
experiences that are inconsistent with it.
delay of gratification A reference to the observation
that some people some of the time will prefer more
valued delayed rewards over lesser valued immediate
ones.
denial (Rogers) The blocking of an experience or
some aspect of an experience from awareness because it
is inconsistent with the self-concept.
depreciation Adlerian safeguarding tendency whereby
another’s achievements are undervalued and one’s own
are overvalued.
depressive position (Klein) Feelings of anxiety over
losing a loved object coupled with a sense of guilt for
wanting to destroy that object.
desacralization (Maslow) The process of removing
respect, joy, awe, and rapture from an experience, which
then purifies or objectifies that experience.
destructiveness (Fromm) Method of escaping from
freedom by eliminating people or objects, thus restoring
feelings of power.
diathesis-stress model Eysenck accepted this model
of psychiatric illness, which suggests that some people
are vulnerable to illness because they have both genetic
and an acquired weakness that predisposes them to an
illness.
dichotomy corollary Kelly’s assumption that people
construe events in an either/or (dichotomous) manner.
disengagement of internal control (Bandura) The
displacement or diffusion of responsibility for the
injurious effects of one’s actions.