Latest Terms Added
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Counselor
A counselor is a qualified practitioner who offers support, advice and organized plans to assist individuals to overcome emotional, psychological, social, or academic difficulties. The task of a counselor is not to provide direct advice, but to establish a nonjudgmental and safe environment in which individuals can examine their thoughts and emotions, form awareness, and…
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Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
The Intelligence quotient (IQ) is a measure of the comparative cognitive ability of an individual in relation to others of the same age. This is frequently assessed using standardized tests of abilities such as reasoning, problem-solving, memory, and verbal ability. The score is typically scaled such that the mean IQ is 100 and most individuals…
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Interdependence
Interdependence in psychology is the characteristic by which individuals depend upon each other for support, connection and development. It shows that human beings are social beings by nature and that the quality of our relationships is important to our happiness and success. Unlike dependence, which can involve relying too much on others, interdependence is a…
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Disorder
In psychology, a disorder is a condition that affects a person’s thinking, feeling, or behavior such that someone’s daily life is significantly disturbed or affected by distress. Disorders aren’t passing struggles or everyday challenges; they are persistent patterns and often hinder someone’s ability to function in work, school or relationships. Mental disorders can be very…
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Experiment
An experiment is a psychological study used to explain cause and effect relationships. It is the technique of carefully varying conditions of an experiment so that the effects of changing one of the factors (independent variable) on another of the factors (dependent variable) can be observed. For example, a researcher may vary the amount of…
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Predisposition
In psychology, predisposition is a tendency, inclination or a susceptibility to developing a disorder or disease that can make a person more likely to think, feel or behave in specific ways. That does not mean that it is certain that you will always have the result, but it makes it more likely to occur. Predispositions…
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Conscious
Conscious means the condition of being conscious or aware of yourself and of objects around you. In the context of psychology, it refers to the aspect of the mind that contains thoughts, feelings and experiences that we consciously access and reflect on. For instance, when you’re deciding what to eat or recalling a conversation or…
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Free Association
Free association is a psychological technique that was originally developed by Sigmund Freud as part of psychoanalysis. It’s a basic process in psychoanalysis where a person says whatever is on his mind, without any inhibition, no matter how random, embarrassing or unrelated it may seem. The purpose is to get past conscious control and uncover…
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Cognitive psychology
Cognitive psychology is the branch of psychology that researches how the mind works. It is concerned with mental activity like learning, memory, problem solving, decision making, and language. Cognitive psychology has been influenced by some major founders who defied behaviorism by emphasizing mental processes. The field was defined by Ulric Neisser, commonly known as the…
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Cognition
Cognition is the general term used in psychology to refer to mental activities associated with the acquisition of knowledge and understanding. It involves thinking skills such as memory, learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making. In simple terms, cognition is a mind’s ability to process information by taking it in, processing it, and then using it to…
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Schema
A schema, as used in the field of psychology, is a cognitive map that humans use to structure and interpret information. It is a type of mental shortcut that helps us to quickly make sense of the world based on our previous experiences and knowledge. For instance, when you enter a restaurant, you already have…
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Adolescence
Adolescence is a stage of development which starts with puberty (8 to 12 years) and ends around the age of 20 to 24. This period varies depending on when the person is mature enough physiologically or neurologically. In this stage there are extreme changes in developmental domains including biological, psychosocial, emotional and cognitive changes. Noticeable…
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Culture
Culture is defined as the characteristic behaviors and attitudes of a society or a group within a society. These behaviors can include but are not limited to shared traditions, rituals, beliefs, values and religions. These attitudes and behaviors are passed down to generations within a social group. Culture can also form in groups based on…