Hi, my name is Axelle Richard-Lévesque. I live in Montreal. I am finishing my studies in psychology at Collège Ahuntsic this term. This glossary could be useful for any student in psychology as a way of learning some terms that are often mentioned in psychology textbooks and articles.
anorexia nervosa
noun
An eating disorder characterized by restriction of food intake leading to low body weight, typically accompanied by intense fear of gaining weight and disturbed perception of body weight and image.
Example: The history of Lea's eating behaviour would support a past diagnosis of ANOREXIA NERVOSA.
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fr: anorexie nerveuse
Attachment theory
noun
Attachment theory focuses on relationships and bonds (particularly long-term) between people, including those between a parent and child and between romantic partners. It is a psychological explanation for the emotional bonds and relationships between people.
Example: Human behaviour is now generally agreed to be a mixture of ethological factors as well as social ones, it was John Bowlby who was the first to successfully cross the gap between these two approaches, with his ATTACHMENT THEORY.
fr: théorie de l'attachement
behaviorism
noun
The theory that human and animal behavior can be explained in terms of conditioning, without appeal to thoughts or feelings, and that some mental conditions are best treated by altering behavior patterns.
Example: To begin with, BEHAVIORISM gave great emphasis on learners' immediate production.
fr: behaviorisme
catharsis
noun
The process of releasing strong emotions through a particular activity or experience, such as writing or theatre, in a way that helps you to understand those emotions.
Example: She saw "tragedy as the universal experience," so she opted for the traditional CATHARSIS, or purging of emotion that Maggie and Tom's death delivers to the reader.
fr: catharsis
collectivist
adjective
Relating to the practice or principle of giving a group priority over each individual in it.
Example: Where as in a 'COLLECTIVIST' society the family is paramount and non-conformism and liberalism is scarce.
fr: collectiviste
coping mechanism
noun
Coping is defined as the thoughts and behaviors mobilized to manage internal and external stressful situations.
Example: According to Lacey (1986), manipulation of eating behaviour is an individuals defence mechanism and a COPING MECHANISM for dealing with emotional stress.
fr: mécanisme d'adaptation
depression
noun
Depression is an illness characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that you normally enjoy, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities, for at least two weeks.
Example: They appear vulnerable to DEPRESSION, boredom, fear, sensitivity and anxiety.
fr: dépression
determinism
noun
The doctrine that all events, including human action, are ultimately determined by causes external to the will. Some philosophers have taken determinism to imply that individual human beings have no free will and cannot be held morally responsible for their actions.
Example: The prima facie implication this has that if DETERMINISM exists, free will is not possible.
fr: déterminisme
generalized anxiety disorder
noun
A mental condition characterized by excessive or unrealistic anxiety about two or more aspects of life (work, social relationships, financial matters, etc.), accompanied by symptoms such as increased muscle tension, impaired concentration, and insomnia.
Example: Although the diagnostic reliability of GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER is lower than that of other anxiety disorders, the features constituting the diagnostic criteria for generalized anxiety disorder have been found to be reliable.
fr: Trouble anxieux généralisé
hypochondriasis
noun
Hypochondriasis or hypochondria is a condition in which a person is excessively and unduly worried about having a serious illness.
Example: The fear of death is a common theme in HYPOCONDRIASIS.
fr: hypocondrie
individualist
adjective
Relating to or characterized by the habit or principle of being independent and self-reliant.
Example: In the 'INDIVIDUALIST' society people act according to their own interest so the author's work will prevail over personal relationships.
fr: individualiste
post–traumatic stress disorder
noun
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event.
Example: POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER affects multiple biological systems, such as brain circuitry and neurochemistry, and cellular, immune, endocrine and metabolic function.
fr: trouble de stress post-traumatique
projection
noun
Defense mechanism that applies one’s own negative behavior to others.
Example: Conflicts create anxieties that are dealt with by defence mechanisms like repression, displacement, PROJECTION and denial.
fr: projection
psychoanalysis
noun
A system of psychological theory and therapy that aims to treat mental conditions by investigating the interaction of conscious and unconscious elements in the mind and bringing repressed fears and conflicts into the conscious mind by techniques such as dream interpretation and free association.
Example: By refusing to listen to opposing points of view, and surrounding himself with only the people who agreed with him, Freud was creating a cult like status for PSYCHOANALYSIS as opposed to a scientific discipline.
fr: psychanalyse
repression
noun
Repression, in psychoanalytic theory, the exclusion of distressing memories, thoughts, or feelings from the conscious mind.
Example: Friendship could work as a distraction for the soldiers, aiding them in the REPRESSION of their troubled memories.