20 Psychology, human behavior, therapy techniques terms
This will embody a mix of words concerning human behavior and its study. Including, different types of therapy, therapy techniques, psychology related words, neuroscience related words, as well as emotions and ideologies.
Abrecation
Verb
The expression and consequent release of a previously repressed emotion, achieved through reliving the experience that caused it.
Example: The therapist was quick to intervene and reassure him when he began to abreact.
Alexithymia
Noun
A personality construct characterized by the sub-clinical inability to identify and describe emotions in the self.
Example: My therapist said I have alexithymia because I find it difficult to express my affection or to articulate how I feel, let alone know how I feel.
Behaviorism
Noun
The 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.
Example: This specialist strongly believes in behaviorism.
Causality
Noun
Causality, or causation, is the relation between an event and a second event, where the second event is understood as a consequence of the first.
Example: I snoozed my alarm this morning and fell asleep again. I was then, late for class.
Cognition
Noun
The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.
Example: You can tell she has problems with her cognition whenever she tries to explain her thought process.
Cognitive dissonance
Noun
A 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.
Dialectical behavior therapy
Noun
Dialectical behavior therapy is a modified version of Cognitive behavior therapy. it focuses on learning how to regulate your emotions, mindfulness, ease anxiety using your senses and improve your relationship with others.
Example: Your therapist is suggesting for you to try Dialectical behavior therapy.
Disposition
Noun
A natural or acquired habit or characteristic tendency in a person or thing.
Example: This person seems to have a disposition regarding substance abuse.
Dissociative disorder
A personality disorder marked by a disturbance in the integration of identity, memory, or consciousness.
Example: She seems to forget her whereabouts, suddenly change mannerisms and overall personality and experience repetitive confusion. This sounds like a dissociative disorder.
Expressive language disorder
A communication disorder in which there are difficulties with verbal and written expression.
Example: They need pedagogy classes for their expressive language disorder.
Flooding
A therapy for phobias in which clients are exposed, with their permission, to the stimuli most frightening to them. This is often gradual in intensity.
Example: Your vaccine appointment is approaching, I know you are terrified and you apprehend it, let’s do some flooding to prepare you to it.
Halo effect
The tendency for an impression created in one area to influence opinion in another area.
Example: People with tattoos leave you under the impression that they are intimidating and bad, which is why you hate people with tattoos. This is called the halo effect.
Hypermnesia
Adjective
Exceptionally exact or vivid memory, especially as associated with certain mental illnesses. It is most commonly identified in autism spectrum disorder.
Example: The patient has hypermnesia, he remembers specific memories vividly from when he was 4 years old, and overall can recall images or events in mind-blowing details.
Intrapsychic conflict
An emotional clash of opposing impulses within oneself. For example, of the id versus the ego or the ego versus the superego.
Example: I am torn in between wanting to impulsively push him away and hug him, classic intrapsychic conflict.
Neurosis
Noun
A class of functional mental disorders involving distress but neither delusions nor hallucinations, whereby behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms.
Example: I observe neurosis in the patient’s anxiety.
Operant conditioning
A type of learning where behavior is controlled by consequences.
Example: Let’s talk about dog training and operant conditioning!
Operant extinction
When a behavior no longer produces predictable consequences, its return to the level of occurrence it had before operant conditioning.
Placebo
Noun
A stimulated or otherwise medically ineffectual treatment for a disease or other medical condition intended to deceive the recipient.
Placebo effect
A 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.
Psychoanalysis
A method of studying the mind and treating mental and emotional disorders based on investigating the role of the unconscious mind and beliefs.