Latest Terms Added
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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…
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Just World Hypothesis
The view that the environment, surroundings and societies are fair and follow a set order, where people typically receive what is rightfully theirs. This term was coined by Melvin Lerner (1980) following a series of experiments he conducted in 1966, observing that people could justify the suffering of seemingly innocent people. There are other ways…
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Homogeneity
The degree to which a ‘being’ is same or consists of the same thing. There are various ways of understanding homogeneity in psychology; through cultural, trait-wise, statistical or research-based lens. Homogenous sampling: Gathering a group of research participants that share various similar traits. The extent to which different ethnic or demographic based groups share similar…
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Behavior
Behavior can be understood as the coordinated activity of a living organism, expressed in actions or responses that are observable in relation to internal states and environmental conditions. What the literature says In psychology, biology, and philosophy, the term “behavior” has been defined in a variety of ways. Each definition in the literature emphasizes a…
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Conformity
Psychology defines conformity as the adjustment of one’s behavior, belief, or attitude to that of a group owing to real or perceived social pressure. Psychologists have posited that the impact of social rules on individual self-determination is very significant which is why conformity is so crucial in the analysis of social behavior. There are several…
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Mnemonic
In psychology, “mnemonic” refers to mechanisms that facilitate the encoding, storage, and retrieving of necessary pieces of information. This works by attaching novel information to recognizable structures, stimuli, or links, thus enabling the brain to recollect information more readily. They help a lot in the retention of information in bulk, such as lists of…
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Identification
In psychology, identification is the unconscious ability of an individual to accept the values, behaviors, or attitudes of other persons or groups. It is also considered a way of forming a unique self, particularly in childhood and adolescence, when learners seek advice from parents, peers, or other models. For instance, a child has the habit…
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Temprament
In psychology, temperaments are described as the biological, emotional patterns, and the self-reactions associated with them, which require an early on appearance, and guide how individuals engage with their surroundings. It is an integral element of personality, and, thus, also exerts a considerable influence on behavior, social relations, and emotional advancement. One of the distinctions…
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Heredity
In psychology, heredity pertains to the biological process by which parents transfer biological characteristics to their children. It remains pivotal in the development of particular physical attributes, temperament, intellectual abilities, and even predispositions to certain behaviors or mental health issues. Heredity is carried through genes, which are an array of DNA segments that provide the…
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Stimulation
Within the domain of psychology, the term stimulation denotes the process through which the senses, the mind, or the body gets activated by the reception of internal or external information, thereby encountering a change in perception, feeling, or behavior. External stimulation could include sights, sounds, or social interactions. Internal stimulation includes thoughts or feelings. For…
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Adulthood
Psychology regards the start of adulthood as the period after adolescence and spanning the rest of life. While not solely based on age, adulthood must also be characterized by achieving specific milestones of development such as independence, stable interpersonal attachments, taking on occupational tasks, and the fulfillment of personal identity. Traditionally, adulthood is viewed as…
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Ethical-dilemma
In psychology, an ethical dilemma occurs when a counselor, therapist, or a researcher, has to make a decision with two or more conflicting moral principles which makes it unclear to choose which decision to make. In a situation like this, adhering to one ethical principle means breaching another ethical principle and this creates an imbalance.…
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Rapport
Rapport, in the field of psychology, refers to the warmth and trust that develops between two or more people, relevant to therapy, professional, or even casual interactions. It is understood as the absence of discord, the respect of one another, which makes communication smooth and more profound. Rapport is crucial in counseling and therapy. There…
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Transsexualism
Transsexualism is a term historically used in psychiatry and psychology that defines a state in which a person feels that they are strongly and persistently identified with the opposite gender of the one he or she was born. Such identification commonly comes along with a lot of discomfort or distress about their biological sex and…