Latest Terms Added
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Ego-dystonic
Ego-dystonic refers to thoughts, feelings, impulses, or behaviors that are experienced as repugnant, distressing, or inconsistent with one’s self-image and values. This is in contrast to ego-syntonic experiences, which feel natural and consistent with one’s sense of self. In clinical psychology, ego-dystonic symptoms are commonly seen in conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder, where intrusive thoughts are…
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Implicit-behavior
An implicit behavior is an action or reaction that is automatic and done without intention and without conscious awareness. Such actions come from attitudes, memories, or learned associations that are not recognized or overtly remembered, but that still affect thinking and judgment. Psychologists study implicit behaviors to uncover and confirm biases and preferences. Implicit behaviors…
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Homunculus
In the fields of psychology and neuroscience, the term homunculus denotes the depiction of the body within the brain — specifically, the representation within the somatosensory and motor cortices. Certain regions of the body, such as the hands and the lips, are disproportionately represented as larger because they demand greater degrees of sensory and motor…
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Axon
An axon is defined as a projection of a neuron which is long and thin and which sends electrical impulses away from the neuronal cell body towards other neurons, muscle tissues, and glands on which the neuron exerts its influence. It is fundamental to the functioning of a neuron as well as the formation of…
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Meta-analysis
Meta-analysis integrates findings from several studies to determine overarching patterns and conclusions. In the field of psychology, it ascertains the strength and consistency of findings across various studies pertaining to a singular topic. By consolidating information, meta-analyses enhance precision, mitigate the influence of biases, and uncover trends obscured by single studies. This approach is vital…
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Confederate
In psychological studies, a confederate is a person who collaborates with the experimenter and pretends to be a participant. A confederate’s main task is to manipulate responses in order to study the unswayed reactions of the actual participants during controlled assessments. Social psychology focuses significantly on the functionality of confederates in deception studies involving compliance,…
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Gender-bias
In psychology, gender bias is the attitude of preference towards one gender over another in research, diagnosis, or societal expectations. It may manifest in the design of primary research, data interpretation, or the culture that frames the data. Psychologists have historically mainstreamed theories of psychology without adequately incorporating feminine perspectives. Understanding gender bias is crucial…
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Transposition
In relation to psychology and learning processes, transposition describes instances where an individual abstracts a previously learned relation or rule and applies it to a new problem. It entails the acquisition of higher-order relations and the grasping of an underlying structure to a problem, instead of merely recalling a specific item. Transposition, as the Gestalt…
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Moratorium
In psychology, a moratorium refers to a period of active exploration without long-term commitments, especially during identity development. James Marcia, a psychologist, considers it one of four identity statuses in adolescence, during which an individual queries their values, beliefs, and direction in life prior to committing to an identity. This phase is crucial for personal…
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Relationship-therapy
Relationship therapy is a form of psychotherapy where individuals in a relationship learn to communicate better, resolve conflicts, and restore trust, building on the principles of attachment, emotional intelligence, and behavioral change in psychology. Therapists assist partners in recognizing emotional requirements, navigating discord, and fostering intimacy. Therapy can assist distressed, betrayed, or disconnected couples, families,…
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Worry
Worry constitutes a process of thought and emotion, characterized by incessant and anxious streams of thought regarding outcomes which are potentially unfavorable. In psychological practice, worry is classified alongside anxiety disorders and is understood as an attempt of the mind to predict and manage future scenarios. While worry in moderation may stimulate the desire to…
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Passionate-love
Passionate love has a strong emotional and physical aspect with feelings of longing, enthusiasm, and exaltation. Psychologists view this stage as the first phase of a courtship, as there is a predominance of intense preoccupation within the cognitive system of the individual. In Sternberg’s triangular theory of love, passionate love is one component alongside intimacy…
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Psychoticism
Eysenck defined ‘psychoticism’ as a dimension of personality marked by impulsivity, hostility, and a scarcity of social concern. One manifests a high psychoticism score by exhibiting unconventional and antisocial behaviors, while scoring low reflects greater self-control and empathy. With respect to extraversion and neuroticism, psychoticism is one of the three pillars of personality proposed by…
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Moral
In psychology, “moral” pertains to the underlying principles that dictate certain forms of behavior and the corresponding actions which are considered right and wrong. Moral development encompasses mastery of ethical reasoning, empathy, and social responsibility. The works of Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg have posited the transformation of morality from sheer compliance to sophisticated moral…
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Disposition
Psychological dispositions are habitual patterns of emotional responses in relation to varying contexts. They capture the relative constancy of traits such as aggression, optimism, or sociability in the personality. Dispositions profoundly shape individuals’ perceptions, interactions, and personality, and hence figure prominently in the personality literature. For instance, a person with a cheerful disposition will more…
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Functionalism
Functionalism concerns itself with how psychological phenomena and behavior help someone adjust and accommodate to their surroundings. William James, in his opposition to the structuralists, was more concerned with the psychological functioning rather than the components of consciousness. He was also the first to emphasize applied psychology, with functionalism’s influence noted in educational and evolutionary…
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Encoding
The initial step in memory formation is encoding, which entails capturing raw information in a manner that it can later be recalled. The three components in the formation of memory are encoding, storage, and retrieval. Memories can be encoded in three different forms: visual, which entails the processing of images; acoustic, which entails the processing…
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Relative-deprivation
Relative deprivation theory describes the discontent felt by individuals as a result of a social comparison whereby one feels as if one is worse off than others, even when one’s position may be objectively satisfactory. The term explains how perceived inequality is a source of anger, grievance, and social disturbance. The phenomenon is studied and…
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Self-report-bias
Self-report bias occurs when respondents provide inaccurate or socially acceptable answers to surveys, interviews, or questionnaires. In the field of psychology, this phenomenon negatively impacts the validity of data obtained through self-report emotional, behavioral, or personality assessments. Self-report bias may arise due to a respondent’s faulty memory, misunderstanding of questions, or the tendency to engage…
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Split-half-reliability
Split-half reliability serves as an indicator of the internal consistency of a psychological test or measurement tool. It assesses reliability by splitting the test into two equal parts and correlating the results of each. If both halves result in similar outcomes, then the test is deemed reliable. This approach ascertains that the test items congruently…