Latest Terms Added
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Empathy
The human capacity for empathy involves the ability to both understand and share the feelings of others. It encompasses cognitive and affective forms of empathy. For instance, witnessing a friend in distress may lead someone to recognize the sadness and also evoke some pity. Empathy is linked with positive relational outcomes which include social connection,…
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Stressor
A stressor is any event, condition, or stimulus that physically or psychologically triggers stress. These can be short-term or acute, like an important exam, or long-term and chronic, like persistent problems with one’s finances. They can be classified into three categories described as environmental, physical, or social; environmental includes factors like noise and crowding, psychological…
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Population
In psychology, population describes the collective of individuals that a researcher aims to target. This may vary from all adolescents to as narrow as generalized anxiety disorder patients. Since it is often unreasonable to study a complete population, researchers tend to rely on representative samples. For instance, a study concerning stress among college students may…
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Critical-thinking
As it pertains to psychology, critical thinking describes the capability to breakdown, weight, merge one or more actions rationally and reasonably, and arrive at informed conclusions. It requires more than mere fact-memorization, for it necessitates the recognition of biases, the scrutiny of premises, and the forthcoming consideration of alternative outcomes associated with more than one…
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Attention-span
Attention span refers to how long a person is able to focus on a task or something before losing focus. Attention is a cognitive skill and plays an integral role in learning, work, and functioning on a day to day basis. A student with a strong attention span, for example, will be able to read…
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Awareness
Within the field of psychology, awareness refers to the conscious recognition and comprehension of psychological and physiological internal states, as well as external stimuli and ongoing experiences. Awareness is often defined as a kind of attention, and as such, is attentiveness to consciousness, internal sensations, and feelings and thoughts in real time. For example, awareness…
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Memory
Memory refers to the encoding, storage and retrieval of information of which an individual possesses. Retaining and recalling information is the basis of learning, identity, and the ability to self-govern, which is the apex of decision making. Memory is usually considered as consisting of short, long and working reminiscences which perform their own set of…
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Social-influence
The focus of social influence outlines the ways people change their behavior, attitude or belief because of the actions of others, or their presence around them. It involves processes like conformity, compliance, and obedience. For instance, someone of younger age may dress in a certain way in order to ‘fit in’ with a particular group…
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False-belief-task
The false-belief task is a well-structured instrument used to assess the development of the ‘theory of mind’ concept; it denotes having the ability to understand that other people may believe something that differs both from the facts and what the individual knows personally. An example would be the Sally-Anne task where a child is said…
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Suffering
Within the context of psychology, the notion of suffering is posited to encompass the conscious mental phenomena of distress and pain which can take on physical, emotional, or philosophical dimensions of existence. Suffering is not like pain, which is purely a sensation, for suffering entails a qualitatively deeper personal construction of pain infliction. Cognitive and…
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Theoretical-orientation
Theoretical orientation focuses on the understanding of human behavior and the psychology of the individual and also informs the clinician’s practice. It determines the ease with which therapists are able to identify the nature of the subject under discussion, the procedures to be carried out to solve the issues, and the modality of communication with…
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Visual-illusion
Visual illusions or optical illusions arise from disconnect between perception and reality often brought about by a misinterpretation of the sensory inflow. While perception functions in a constructive manner, contexts, expectations, and previous experiences are all considered in the interpretation of stimuli. A perfect example is the Müller-Lyer illusion, where marks with arrow fins at…
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Self
Within the context of psychology, ‘self’ refers to an individual’s sense of self-identity, as well as self-appraisal. It encompasses self-concept (beliefs about oneself), self-esteem (evaluation of worth), and self-awareness (consciousness regarding thoughts and patterns of behaviors). The self is formed and develops through relational interactions, while being influenced by culture, experiences, and personal relationships. The…
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Individualism
Individualism is defined as the tendency to foster and promote one’s own independence and self-sufficiency, placing one’s own goals above the objectives of any social unit. Societies such as the United States and Western Europe promote and reward the expression of individual preferences in the making of arbitrary decisions, and the attainment of goals is…
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Elation
In psychology, elation describes an emotional condition wherein an individual experiences an extreme high state of feeling a multiplicity of emotions, including happiness, joy, enthusiasm, and an uplifted mood. Elation is not to be confused with simple states of happiness. The feeling of elation is accompanied with an energized and excited state, for instance, the…
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Zygote
Within the field of developmental psychology, the zygote is recognized as the earliest possible human life stage, initiating the prenatal period which lasts for two weeks. This singular cell with the genetic makeup of a human is created at conception, which occurs when the sperm and ovum unite. This period is also called the germinal…
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Discrimination
Discrimination derives from the unjust or inequitable treatment of people based on socially constructed characteristics, such as one’s race, gender, age, or disability, rather than individual credentials or characteristics. Discrimination occurs on individual, larger institutional and societal levels, and results cumulatively in damage to one’s mental health, loss of self-esteem, and the subsequent loss of…
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Love object
In psychoanalytic discourse, the notion of a “love object” refers to the individual or entity toward which a person channels emotional investment, desire, or affection. Sigmund Freud introduced this concept to illuminate the roots of emotional bonds and the enduring relational patterns first forged in early childhood. Yet, love objects are not limited to caregivers;…
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Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy refers to an individual’s confidence in their ability to manage tasks and reach specific objectives. First outlined by psychologist Albert Bandura, this concept plays a significant role in motivation, learning processes, and resilience. Individuals with strong self-efficacy are generally more persistent and self-assured when facing challenges, whereas those with lower self-efficacy may experience hesitation,…
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Causation
Causation in psychology refers to a scenario where one event or factor directly produces a change in another, rather than merely being associated with it. This distinction is crucial: researchers need to determine whether a variable genuinely influences behavior or mental processes, as opposed to just occurring alongside them. Experimental designs are central here; by…