Latest Terms Added
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Semantic-memory
Semantic memory is a long-term memory type that focuses on knowledge and concepts that does not concern specific personal experiences or events. Unlike episodic memory which captures personal events, semantic memory is designed to help the individual remember that the capital city of France is Paris, understand how to articulate simple words and sentences, and…
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Suppression
In psychology, suppression is an active defense mechanism, whereby an individual consciously attempts to forget or push unwanted thoughts, feelings, or memories out of consciousness. While unlike repression, which is an unconscious act, suppression is a conscious act used to cope with, or exert control over, a situation that may be perceived as overwhelming or…
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Competence
In Psychology, competence is the ability to perform tasks, solve problems, and meet the demands of life using one’s understanding, skills, and judgment. For instance, a child demonstrating competence in social scenarios will be able to make friends and settle arguments, whereas a competent adult will perform and take charge of sophisticated work activities. Competence…
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Episodic-memory
In psychology, an episodic memory is a form of personal long-term memory involving personal events, including unique memories of people, times, places, and emotions of the related events. Unlike episodic memory, semantic memory is objective and generalized. Personal recollections of one’s life story form the core of an episodic memory, such as reminiscences about one’s…
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Neurosis
Neurosis is a term that refers to a broad range of mental and emotional disorders including anxiety and distress, and coping mechanisms that are maladaptive, without a break from reality. In contrast to psychosis, which is the loss of touch and characterized by the presence of delusions and hallucinations, neurosis refers to excessive worry, irrational…
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Intuition
In psychology, intuition refers to instant comprehension, reasoning or analysis is not needed. It is oftentimes a ‘gut feeling’ or instinct that helps decision-making, particularly when there is a lack of time or information. As an example, a person might meet someone new and instantly feel trust or distrust for them, and not be able…
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Reuptake
In psychology and neuroscience, reuptake refers to the process by which neurotransmitters after being released to send messages between neurons through the synaptic gap, are reabsorbed into the presynaptic neuron. This process is important in the coordination of the neurotransmitters of the brain which include serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Reuptake removes surplus in the neurotransmitters…
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Informed-consent
Informed consent in psychology is the ethical and legal practices of the process by which a practitioner discloses information to a client and secures their understanding and voluntary agreement regarding the proposed intervention’s. The principle argues that an individual should be provided sufficient information in order to exercise autonomy over the decision. Informed consent entails…
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Anal-retentive-phase
Freud suggests that the anal stage of development, theorized to happen between the ages of 1 to 3, includes phase of anal retention that Freud describes as having psychological consequences of behavior as a personality trait. A child in this stage concerns themselves with the attainment of completing the toilet. The approach that a parent…
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Anergia
Lack of energy, drive, or will to do anything, especially anything structured or organized, is the definition of anergia in psychology and psychiatry. It goes beyond just being ‘tired,’ in fact, it often appears to be an overwhelming inability, both physically and mentally, to start or continue efforts of any kind. One who has anergia,…
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Pederasty
Within the domain of psychology and history, the term pederasty involves a publicly accepted relationship of an adult man and an underage boy during the certain periods of history, most notably in Classical Greece. Traditionally, it included a mentorship and knowledge, some of which might have included sexual interaction. In Greek society, this custom of…
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Dehumanization
The notion of dehumanization in psychology focuses on the concept of perceiving or treating someone in the absence of humanity, primarily by denying the notion of personhood, dignity, or worth. It can manifest in subtle forms such as stereotyping or objectification, and in extreme cases, extreme violence, discrimination, and oppression. For example, during a great…
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Masochism
In psychology, masochism is defined as deriving pleasure (often sexual, but sometimes emotional) from pain, humiliation, or suffering. This was first defined by psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing in the late 19th century, and was based on the writings of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, whose novels contained themes of erotic submission. Although commonly spoken about in sexual…
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Flashbulb-memory
In the field of psychology, flashbulb memories are vividly detailed and long-lasting memories of emotional events and tape recordings of unfortunate experiences. Such overwhelming memories are taken in a snapshot in such a way that a certain “photograph” in mind consists of the event, the people, and the entire occurrence of the moment. For instance,…
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Neologism
In psychology, neologism is defined as the use or the invention of new, meaningless words or expressions, which often possess only personal significance. Although the invention of words is prevalent in daily language and creativity (for example in technology or slang), in clinical psychology it is referred to as language that is atypical in relation…
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Attribution theory
Attribution theory describes the way in which individuals get to know of the factors that cause their actions and also those of other people. It examines how we respond to a question like, why did this happen? or why did the person do this? According to psychologists, when an event occurs we will associate it…
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Overgeneralization
Overgeneralization is a cognitive distortion where an individual is inclined to making a single event his/her reality. Such people see never-ending negative patterns in all events irrespective of any evidence to the contrary. A classic illustrative example is a student’s failure to perform and his subsequent projection of himself as a failure in all his…
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Repression
In psychology, the concept of repression was first developed by Sigmund Freud, and refers to the mechanism of forgetting thoughts, memories, and feelings of desire that causes one distress and the unconscious process by which such memories are placed out of conscious awareness. It acts as a psychological buffer preventing the person from succumbing to…
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Aversion
Aversion is a term representing a lack of interest in a specific object. It describes a feeling of unease disliking, distaste, discomfort, or avoidance of a stimulus, a situation, or a behavior. It is something that comes up often because of experiences that one views as hazardous, and worrying or unwelcoming. It is something that…
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Somnophilia
Somnophilia, also referred to as a sleeping beauty fetish, is a rare inclination to obtain sexual gratification while engaging with someone who is asleep or unconscious. The paraphilia was discussed for the first time by John Money, a sexologist, in the 1980s. The concept of somnophilia is troubling and unethical, as it involves a fetish…