fei75766_glo_G1-G15.indd G-7  02/19/20 09:26 AM
GlossaryG-7
hoarding c haracters (Fromm)  People whoseektosave
andnotletgoofmaterial possessions, feelings, orideas.
holistic-dynamic  Maslow’s theory ofpersonality, which 
stresses boththeunity oftheorganism andthe
motivational aspects ofpersonality.
human agency (Bandura)  Theability ofpeople touse
cognitive abilities tocontrol theirlives.
human dilemma (Fromm)  Thepresent condition of
humans whohavetheability toreason butwholack
powerful instincts needed toadapt toachanging world.
humanistic psychoanalysis  Fromm’s personality theory 
thatcombines thebasics ofbothpsychoanalysis and
humanistic psychology.
humanistic-existential theories  Theprimary assumption 
ofthehumanistic (currently known as“positive 
psychology”) approach isthatpeople strive toward 
meaning, growth, well-being, happiness, andpsychological 
health. Existential theories assume thatnotonlyarewe
driven byasearch formeaning butalsonegative 
experiences, suchasfailure, awareness ofdeath, death of
aloved one,andanxiety arepartofthehuman condition 
andcanfoster psychological growth.
hypochondriasis  Obsessive attention toone’s health; 
typically characterized byimaginary symptoms.
hypothesis  Anassumption oreducated guess thatcanbe
scientifically tested.
hysteria (Freud)  Amental disorder marked bythe
conversion ofrepressed psychical elements intosomatic 
symptoms suchasimpotency, paralysis, orblindness, 
when nophysiological bases forthese symptoms exist.
I
id (Freud)  Theregion ofpersonality thatisalien tothe
egobecause itincludes experiences thathavenever been 
owned bytheperson. Theidisthehome baseforallthe
instincts, anditssolefunction istoseekpleasure 
regardless ofconsequences.
ideal self (Rogers)  One’s viewofselfasonewould 
liketobe.
idealistic principle (Freud)  Areference totheego-ideal, 
asubsystem ofthesuperego thattellspeople what they
should do.
idealized self-image (Horney)  Anattempt tosolve basic 
conflicts byadopting abelief inone’s godlike qualities.
identity crisis  Erickson’s termforacrucial period or
turning point inthelifecycle thatmayresult ineither 
more orlessegostrength. Identity crises canbefound in
those Eriksonian stages thatfollow thedevelopment of
identity, ordinarily during adolescence.
idiographic  Approach tothestudy ofpersonality based 
onthesingle case.incestuous symbiosis (Fromm)  Extreme dependence on
amother ormother substitute.
incongruence (Rogers)  Theperception of
discrepancies between organismic self,self-concept, and
ideal self.
individual psychology  Theory ofpersonality and
approach topsychotherapy founded byAlfred Adler.
individuality corollary  Kelly’s assumption thatpeople 
havedifferent experiences andtherefore construe events 
indifferent ways.
individuation  Jung’s termfortheprocess ofbecoming a
whole person, thatis,anindividual withahighlevelof
psychic development.
inductive method  Aform ofreasoning based on
observation andmeasurement without preconceived 
hypotheses.
infancy (Erikson)  Thefirststage ofpsychosocial 
development—one marked bytheoral-sensory mode and
bythecrisis ofbasic trustversus basic mistrust.
infantile stage (Freud)  Firstfourorfiveyears 
oflifecharacterized byautoerotic orpleasure-seeking 
behavior andconsisting oftheoral,anal, and
phallic substages.
inferiority complex (Adler)  Exaggerated orabnormally 
strong feelings ofinferiority, which usually interfere with
socially useful solutions tolife’sproblems.
instinct (Freud)  From theGerman Trieb, meaning drive 
orimpulse; refers toaninternal stimulus thatimpels 
action orthought. Thetwoprimary instincts aresexand
aggression.
instinct (Jung)  Anunconscious physical impulse toward 
action. Instincts arethephysical counterpart of
archetypes.
instinctoid needs (Maslow)  Needs thatareinnately 
determined butthatcanbemodified through learning. 
Thefrustration ofinstinctoid needs leads tovarious types 
ofpathology.
intentionality (May)  Theunderlying structure thatgives 
meaning toourexperience.
interactionist  Onewhobelieves thatbehavior results 
from aninteraction ofenvironmental variables and
person variables, including cognition.
intermittent schedule (Skinner)  Thereinforcement ofan
organism ononlycertain selected occurrences ofa
response; opposed toacontinuous schedule inwhich the
organism isreinforced forevery correct trial.Thefour
most common intermittent schedules arefixed-ratio, 
variable-ratio, fixed-interval, andvariable-interval.
internal reinforcement (Rotter)  Theindividual’s 
perception ofthepositive ornegative value ofany
reinforcing event.Final PDF to printer