Psychology Glossary

Psychology Glossary Do you know how people think? If understanding how people think and you want to help people escape their fear and confusion, you might be interested in Psychology. If you would like to be able to discuss and read about psychology in English, youll benefit from a psychology-related glossary like the one below. Psychology word cloud Glossary abrecationThe expression and consequent release of a previously repressed emotion, achieved through reliving the experience that caused it. accommodationThe process of modifying a structure in order to assimilate new elements. acute stressA transient state of arousal with typically clear onset and offset patterns. adequacyThe concordance between the temperament of a child and characteristics or environmental constraints. alexithymiaA personality construct characterized by the sub-clinical inability to identify and describe emotions in the self. algolagniaDesire for sexual gratification through inflicting pain on oneself or others; sadomasochism. analyse, analyzeTo study or examine something in detail in order to understand or explain it. analyticalRelating to or using analysis or logical reasoning. animismThe attribution of a soul to plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena. anorexia nervosaA psychiatric disorder characterized by an unrealistic fear of weight gain, self-starvation, and conspicuous distortion of body image. anxietyAn intense emotional response caused by the preconscious recognition that a repressed conflict is about to emerge into consciousness. aphoniaLoss of the voice resulting from disease, injury to the vocal cords, or various psychological causes, such as hysteria. assessEvaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of. assimilationProcess integration of external elements to a given structure. attitudeAn enduring, learned predisposition to behave in a consistent way toward a given class of objects, events, or people. attributionThe process by which people use information to make inferences about the causes of behavior or events. autohypnosisThe process or result of self-induced hypnosis. behaviorThe way in which one acts or conducts oneself toward others. BehaviorismThe theory that human and animal behavior can be explained in terms of conditioning, without appeal to thoughts or feelings, and that psychological disorders are best treated by altering behavior patterns. behaviourThe way or manner in which one conducts oneself. Behavioural ApproachThe behavioral approach is based on the concept of explaining behavior through observation, and the belief that our environment is what causes us to behave differently or suffer illnesses. bipolar disorderA mental illness that brings severe high and low moods and changes in sleep, energy, thinking, and behavior. butterfly effectNotion that an effect or a trivial thing can have serious consequences if it causes an imbalance and causes other changes that create a big upheaval. causalityCausality, or causation, is the relation between an event and a second event, where the second event is understood as a consequence of the first. centrationThe tendency to focus on only one aspect of a situation, problem or object. cerebral dominanceThe normal tendency for one half of the brain, usually the left cerebral hemisphere in right-handed people, to exercise more control over certain functions than the other. child developmentChild development refers to the biological, psychological and emotional changes that occur in human beings between birth and the end of adolescence, as the individual progresses from dependency to increasing autonomy. classical conditionningA learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired. clinical psychologistA mental health professional with highly specialized training in the diagnosis and psychological treatment of mental illness. code switchingWhen a speaker alternates between two or more languages, or language varieties, in the context of a single conversation. cognitionThe mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses. cognitive consistencyThe tendency to seek consistency in one’s thinking. cognitive dissonanceA condition of conflict or anxiety resulting from inconsistency between one’s beliefs and one’s actions, such as opposing the slaughter of animals and eating meat. cognitive psychologyThe study of mental processes such as attention, language use, memory, perception, problem solving, creativity and thinking. cognitive scienceThe interdisciplinary scientific study of the mind and its processes. cohortGroup of people born a few years apart and exposed to the same historical and social conditions. conformismSeeking orthodoxy in thoughts and belief. consolabilityThe degree of relief or alleviation of grief, sadness, anger, pain afforded by touch. consultationA meeting of physicians to evaluate a patient’s case and treatment. copingExpending conscious effort to solve personal and interpersonal problems, and seeking to master, minimize or tolerate stress or conflict. dependanceThe real need of the organism, or something that individuals can not provide for themselves. discriminationTreating people less fairly because they belong to a different group. dispositionA natural or acquired habit or characteristic tendency in a person or thing. dissociative disorderA personality disorder marked by a disturbance in the integration of identity, memory, or consciousness. dream stateA state of sleep characterized by rapid eye movement. egocentrismAn inability on the part of a child to see any point of view other than his or her own. emotionAn affective state of consciousness in which joy, sorrow, fear, hate is experienced. empathic listeningA way of listening and responding to another person that improves mutual understanding and trust. empathyThe ability to understand and share the feelings of another. ethnocentrismBelief in the superiority of one’s own ethnic group. evidenceThe available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid. Evolutionary PsychologyAn approach in the social and natural sciences that examines psychological traits such as memory, perception, and language from a modern evolutionary perspective. experimental methodThe experimental method is a scientific method of enquiry that emphasizes the control, observation, and measurement of variables in research. . expressive language disorderA communication disorder in which there are difficulties with verbal and written expression. floodingA therapy for phobias in which clients are exposed, with their permission, to the stimuli most frightening to them. frustrationThe feeling of being upset or annoyed because of an inability to change or achieve something. habituationA decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated presentations. halo effectThe tendency for an impression created in one area to influence opinion in another area. Humanistic PsychologyA psychological perspective that emphasizes the study of the whole person and stresses the importance of growth and self-actualization.. hypermnesiaExceptionally exact or vivid memory, especially as associated with certain mental illnesses. ideal selfAn evolving construct which represents the goals and aspirations of an individual. illnessA disease or period of sickness affecting the body or mind. insightThe capacity to gain an accurate and deep intuitive understanding of a person or thing. intergenerationalBetween generations, between different age layers. internalizingMake attitudes or behavior part of one’s nature by learning or unconscious assimilation. interpersonal relationshipsRelations between persons. interventionAny measure whose purpose is to improve health or alter the course of disease. intrapsychic conflictAn emotional clash of opposing impulses within oneself, for example, of the id versus the ego or the ego versus the superego. intuitionThe ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. lucid dreamingThe view that conscious awareness of dreaming is a learnable skill that can enable dreamers to control the direction and content of their dreams. memoryThe process in which information is encoded, stored, and retrieved. mentalInvolving the mind or an intellectual process. mental disabilityA mental anomaly that causes either suffering or an impaired ability to function in ordinary life, and which is not developmentally or socially normative. mental distressA range of symptoms and experiences of a person’s internal life that are commonly held to be troubling, confusing or out of the ordinary. mental healthPsychological well-being and satisfactory adjustment to society and to the ordinary demands of life. mental illnessAny of various disorders in which a person’s thoughts, emotions, or behaviour are so abnormal as to cause suffering to himself, herself, or other people. mental processThe process of thinking or remembering. mindThe human consciousness that originates in the brain and is manifested especially in thought, perception, emotion, will, memory, and imagination. narcissismIt is used to describe a person characterized by egotism, vanity, pride, or selfishness. neurosisA class of functional mental disorders involving distress but neither delusions nor hallucinations, whereby behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms. neuroticSuffering from, caused by, or relating to neurosis. nonverbal communicationThe process of communication through sending and receiving visual cues between people. observationThe action or process of observing something or someone carefully or in order to gain information. obsessiveâ€"compulsive disorderAn anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry; by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety. operant conditioningA type of learning where behavior is controlled by consequences. operant extinctionWhen a behavior no longer produces predictable consequences, its return to the level of occurrence it had before operant conditioning. outcomeThe way a thing turns out; a consequence. paranoiaA mental condition characterized by delusions of persecution, unwarranted jealousy, or exaggerated self-importance, typically elaborated into an organized system. perceptionA process by which an organism becomes aware of and interprets external stimuli. perception biasA perception bias is a psychological tendency to lose objectivity in perception of people and situations. personalityThe sum total of all the behavioural and mental characteristics by means of which an individual is recognized as being unique. persuasionThe action or fact of persuading someone or of being persuaded to do or believe something. phobiaAn extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something. phonemePerceptually distinct units of sound in a specified language that distinguish one word from another. placeboA simulated or otherwise medically ineffectual treatment for a disease or other medical condition intended to deceive the recipient. placebo effectA beneficial effect, produced by a placebo drug or treatment, that cannot be attributed to the properties of the placebo itself, and must therefore be due to the patient’s belief in that treatment. prejudiceAn unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. prenatal developmentThe process in which a human embryo or fetus gestates during pregnancy, from fertilization until birth. preoperational stageA stage between the ages of 2 and 7 that is characterized by a difficulty taking the point of view of others. primacy effectThe increased ability to remember the first items in a list. profilingThe recording and analysis of a person’s psychological and behavioral characteristics to assist in identifying a particular subgroup of people. prosopagnosiaA disorder of impaired face perception. pruningElimination process of synapses, dendrites and certain nerve pathways rarely used or redundant. PsychoanalysisA method of studying the mind and treating mental and emotional disorders based on investigating the role of the unconscious mind. PsycholinguisticsThe study of the psychological and neurobiological factors that enable humans to acquire, use, comprehend and produce language. psychological nativismThe view that certain skills or abilities are native or hard-wired into the brain at birth. psychologistA specialist in psychology. PsychologyThe scientific study of all forms of human and animal behaviour, sometimes concerned with the methods through which behaviour can be modified. psychosisA severe mental disorder in which thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality. psychosocial developmentThe development of the personality, and the acquisition of social attitudes and skills, from infancy through maturity. punishmentThe infliction or imposition of a penalty as retribution for an offense. pygmalion effectThe phenomenon in which the greater the expectation placed upon people, the better they perform. realismThe quality or fact of representing a person, thing, or situation accurately or in a way that is true to life. recency effectThe principle that the most recently presented items or experiences will most likely be remembered best. reinforcementAnything that increases the likelihood that a response will occur. resilienceIs an individual’s tendency to cope with stress and adversity. respondent conditioningA type of conditioning, first studied by Pavlov, in which a previously neutral stimulus elicits a response as a result of pairing it a number of times with a natural stimulus for that response. retrograde amnesiaAmnesia caused by a trauma such as concussion, in which the memory loss relates to material learnt before the trauma. schizophreniaA long-term mental disorder involving faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, and withdrawal from reality and social relationships. self-actualizationThe realization or fulfillment of one’s talents and potentialities. self-awarenessThe capacity for introspection and the ability to recognize oneself as an individual separate from the environment and other individuals. self-esteemConfidence in one’s own worth or abilities; self-respect. self-monitoringThe ability to observe yourself and know when you are doing an activity act according to a standard. sensory motor stageThe first stage of Piaget’s theory lasts from birth to approximately age two and is centered on the infant trying to make sense of the world. slip of the tongueA mistake in speaking where one word is substituted for another. social constructsConceptions of things based on common perceptions by members of a society, not objective reality. social identityThe portion of an individual’s self-concept derived from perceived membership in a relevant social group. social normSocially accepted rules of behaviour and conduct which are prescribed by society and expected of an individual by that society. sociodramaA dramatic play in which several individuals act out assigned roles for the purpose of studying and remedying problems in group or collective relationships. stereotypeBelieving that people of a certain group, race or religion all have the same characteristics when they don’t. stimulusAny phenomenon that causes a reaction or response in an organism. stressA state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. stutteringA speech disorder characterized by spasmodic repetition of the initial consonant or syllable of words and frequent pauses or prolongation of sounds. survey researchA method for collecting information or data as reported by individuals through the use of questionnaires. therapyThe treatment of disease or disorders, as by some remedial, rehabilitative, or curative process. unconsciousThe part of the mind that is inaccessible to the conscious mind but that affects behavior and emotions. unconscious mindThat part of the mind wherein psychic activity takes place of which the person is unaware. variablesFactors or conditions that affect or may affect the known behavior of an individual or a group. welfareThe health, happiness, and fortunes of a person or group. withdrawalEstrangement and isolation from others. 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