Psychology Glossary

20 Psychology terms

I have been studying Social Science for one and a half years. This program includes multiple fields of study but this glossary is going to be specialized about Psychology. This glossary could help the new student in my program who wants to learn some basic concept that could help to understand the complex notions.

attitude

An enduring, learned predisposition to behave in a consistent way toward a given class of objects, or a persistent mental and/or neural state of readiness to react to a certain class of objects, not as they are but as they are conceived to be.

behaviorism

The theory or doctrine that human or animal psychology can be accurately studied only through the examination and analysis of objectively observable and quantifiable behavioral events, in contrast with subjective mental states.

causality

Causality (also referred to as causation[1]) is the relation between an event (the cause) and a second event (the effect), where the second event is understood as a consequence of the first.

cognitive psychology

The study of mental processes such as attention, language use, memory, perception, problem solving, creativity and thinking

emotion

A natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.

humanistic psychology

Humanistic psychology was instead focused on each individual's potential and stressed the importance of growth and self-actualization.

interdependance

A reciprocal relation between interdependent entities (objects or individuals or groups).

memory

In psychology, memory is the process in which information is encoded, stored, and retrieved.

mental health

Psychological well-being and satisfactory adjustment to society and to the ordinary demands of life.

mind

The human consciousness that originates in the brain and is manifested especially in thought, perception, emotion, will, memory, and imagination.

personnality

The sum total of all the behavioural and mental characteristics by means of which an individual is recognized as being unique.

placebo

Is a simulated or otherwise medically ineffectual treatment for a disease or other medical condition intended to deceive the recipient.

psychoanalysis

A method of analyzing psychic phenomena and treating emotional disorders that involves treatment sessions during which the patient is encouraged to talk freely about personal experiences and especially about early childhood and dreams.

psychology

The scientific study of all forms of human and animal behaviour, sometimes concerned with the methods through which behaviour can be modified.

psychosocial development

The development of the personality, and the acquisition of social attitudes ans skills, from infancy through maturity.

social identity

A social identity is the portion of an individual's self-concept derived from perceived membership in a relevant social group.

stimulus

Any phenomenon that causes a reaction or response in an organism.

therapy

The treatment of disease or disorders, as by some remedial, rehabilitative, or curative process.

unconscious

The part of the mind that is inaccessible to the concious mind but that affects behaviour and emotions.

variables

Factors or conditions that affect or may affect the known behavior of an individual or a group.