Psychology Definitions and Terms
Psychology definitions can sometimes be hard to come by unless you purchase a book or visit a library. Given that our counseling and therapy website is all about human behavior and by extension, psychology, we thought it would be helpful to provide 100 of the common psychology definitions used in the field of behavioral science. We could not fit all of the terms here but many of the major psychology definitions are included.
| Psychology Term | Definition |
| Absolute Threshold | Intensity at which one can detect a given stimuli 50% of the time |
| Action Potential | Electrical process by which information travels transmits through length of an axiom |
| Addiction | Psychological and/or physiological dependency on a substance. Can be a behavioral addiction, such as sex addiction. |
| Aggression | Non-subtle or subtle hostility; either innate or resulting from ongoing frustration and directed towards self and/or others. Can be fueled by anger |
| Anti-social personality | Behaviors that are usually not acceptable in society; i.e. setting fires, physically harming other living things |
| Anxiety | A state of psychic tension, producing emotional and physiological stress symptoms as a result of worry and/or part of an mental health issue (disorder) |
| Anxiety Disorders | Cluster of anxiety disorders outlined in the DSM including: social anxiety, panic disorders, phobias, generalized anxiety disorder [GAD] and obsessive compulsive disorder [OCD]. Courtesy of the best anxiety therapists in Chicago. |
| Associationism | A simple association and/or co-occurrence of thoughts and/or sensations as the primary basis of meaning, thought, or learning. |
| Anorexia | Eating disorder whereby a person experiences cognitive distortions regarding weight and body size. Clinical features include below healthy body weight |
| Attachment theory | Forms of attachment developed by Henry Harlow; either secure or insecure |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder | Referred to commonly as ADHD Characterized by a person’s difficulty holding attention. May or may not be impulsive and/or overly active |
| Attitude | A person’s mindset at any given point in time; does not always remain constant or match behavior |
| Attribution theory | A theory used to describe one’s behavior based on their situation or disposition |
| Avoidant behaviors | Intentional avoidance of a person, place or situation that historically has caused someone anxiety. |
| Behavioral science | The systematic analysis and investigation of human behavior through controlled and naturalistic observation |
| Bereavement | A state of sadness that is similar to depression; occurs after the loss of a loved one or a tragic event and is hallmarked by grief |
| Bigorexia | Considered “reverse anorexia”. Clinical features include feelings of being puny or not muscular enough |
| Central nervous system | Made up of brain and spinal chord |
| Cerebellum | Brain area that controls learned motor activities like walking or riding a bike |
| Cerebral hemispheres | Right or left side of the brain |
| Classical conditioning | A method of learning whereby a neutral stimulus is used to evoke a response that is usually a natural response to a given stimulus |
| Cognitive behavioral therapy | A type of therapy designed to dispute irrational thoughts to reduce anxiety and treat depression. Considered a “here and now” therapy. Also referred to as CBT |
| Cognitive development | A person’s thinking, problem solving conceptual understanding, information processing and intelligence skills measured throughout the lifespan |
| Cognitive dissonance | A state in which a person has conflicting thoughts and perceptions of an event or situation, commonly linked to personal behaviors |
| Cognitive distortion | Thinking distortion in thinking with 10 common themes |
| Conditioned reflex | A new response to a stimuli after conditioning. Commonly referred to as a conditioned response |
| Cognitive rehearsal | Term used to describe a mental rehearsal of a given situation. Used to lower anxiety and stress |
| Conditioned stimulus | Used in classical conditioning. A previously neutral stimulus that changes to become the elicited, conditioned response |
| Conformity | Adjusting personal behaviors to meet a given group’s standard |
| Consciousness | An awareness of one’s environment and the self |
| Contrast | A psychological phenomenon where two similar and related stimuli are dualistically presented simultaneously and perceived to be more different than they truly are |
| Control group | Subjects of an experiment who do not experience the independent variable but measured for the dependent variable |
| Consumerism | The study of a person or persons’ purchasing behaviors. |
| Construct | A term used to describe a theory or way of thinking |
| Companionate | A love style theorized by Lee; companion style love |
| Created family | Circle of support that is outside of biological origins but functions much like a family. May have patriarch figure |
| Dependent Variable | A variable that the researcher measures at the end of an experiment |
| Depression | A mind body psychiatric condition characterized by lack of motivation, inability to concentrate, sadness and helplessness. May be part of major depressive disorder or seasonal type |
| Determinism | Doctrine of science that suggests that all occurrences in nature take place according to natural laws |
| Developmental stages | Various periods of life from birth to death that are representative of important life stages across the lifespan |
| Dysthymia | A low grade form of depression that lasts for 2 years or more. Dysthymic disorder associated with this condition |
| Ego | Sigmund Freud’s theoretical construct of personality; ego is the mediator between ID and super-ego |
| Ethnocentric | Judging another culture based solely on one’s own personal culture |
| Empirical research | Research that is conducted by strict standards of science; usually quantifiable and measurable |
| Etiology | Study of origins – the beginnings of something usually connected to medicine, biology or behavioral science |
| Evolution | Term linked to Darwin; theory of how life evolved in different forms |
| Experimental group | Group that is exposed to a treatment; exposed to independent variable |
| Extinction | Classical conditioning term; process of losing previously acquired stimulus associated with a conditioned response |
| Extrovert | Opposite of introvert; personality type that enjoys being social and in social settings |
| Family of origin | A person’s family. May or may not be biological |
| Free association | A term used in psychoanalysis and commonly used in personal journaling |
| Free recall | Term associated with memory recollection; words, sounds, numbers and memories |
| Functionalism | Adaptive survival based on a given environment |
| Generalized Anxiety Disorder | Referred to as “GAD”. Characterized by excessive worry and is fueled by irrational thoughts |
| Gestalt | Often associated with Fredrick Pearls; German for “whole” |
| Gestalt Psychology | Therapy designed to integrate the person and complete the whole; resolution of unfinished business |
| Guided imagery | Use of mental imagery, visual and sometimes auditory, to create an experience, Used in meditation |
| Humanistic psychology | Branch of psychology concerned with free will, creativity and human potential. Characteristically devoid of judgment. Highly influenced by Carl Rogers |
| Hypochondriac | A person who is preoccupied with becoming ill; holds irrational beliefs about becoming “sick”. Clinical term is hypochondriasis |
| Hypothesis | A prediction of the outcome of an experiment |
| Id | Sigmund Freud’s theoretical construct of personality; Id rules sex and aggression and has no sense of time or space – only knows what it wants. Often represented by “devil on shoulder” Part of relational therapy. |
| Independent variable | The variable that can be manipulated or changed by the researcher/experimenter |
| Information processing | The process of information either consciously or subconsciously in humans |
| Instrumental behavior | Behavioral theory suggesting disorders are learned responses to traumatic experiences |
| Intelligence | One’s ability to learn from a situation, add knowledge and problem solve |
| Intelligence quotient (IQ) | Measurement of intelligence. Many tests exists for measurement. Average is around 100. |
| Introversion | Opposite of extroversion; characterized by the liking to be with oneself and do things in a solitary manner. Not typically social |
| Jungian psychology | School of psychology coined after Carl Jung; father of Jungian psychology/theory. Can contain psycho-spiritual elements |
| Law of effect | Law proffered by Thorndike that positive outcomes are generally repeated |
| Long term memory | Memories that are stored in the brain and can be accessed for recall from long ago |
| Longitudinal study | Study of a given behavior or outcome over extended periods of time as part of a research program |
| Munchhausen syndrome | Parent or caregiver who fabricates signs and/or symptoms of an illness in a child |
| Mental illness | Psychological condition that impairs functioning. Can be organic or non-organic in nature |
| Mental imagery | Projection of thoughts, sensations and experiences in the mind. Used with guided meditation |
| Mindfulness | A process of living in there here and now and using all five senses to focus on the present. Commonly connected to mindfulness based living |
| Narcissist | Psychological disorder characterized by lack of empathy or concern for others and tied to selfishness. |
| Nature vs. nurture | Ongoing debate between natural causes of a given dynamic vs. environmental causes |
| Neocortex | Part of the cerebral cortex that controls higher mental functioning |
| Neurotransmitter | Chemical released by a neuron that carries information across gaps and the synapse |
| Non-conformist | Person who typically goes against the grain and does not conform to societal rules |
| Obedience | Subservient behaviors and actions towards a person perceived as an authority figure |
| Operant conditioning | Method of influencing desired behaviors through the use of stimuli. May involve punishment and shaping |
| Oedipus theory | Freudian construct suggesting male wish to eliminate their biological fathers to sexually join with biological mother |
| Origin of species | Charles Darwin’s book that postulated theory of natural selection and adaptation |
| Paradox | A statement or behavior that seems to contradict itself but is none the less true. |
| Paradoxical intent | A set of contradictory instructions given by a therapist used to elicit a desired outcome |
| Pathology | The scientific study of behavior and disease, including outcomes. Used with “pathological” |
| Personality | A person’s pattern of thinking, acting and feeling |
| Phobia | A cluster of anxiety disorders that are pathological in nature characterized by extreme fear of an object, situation or stimuli |
| Placebo effect | Phenomenon where a person experiences relief from illness or distress even though they did not receive a true medication. |
| Positive reinforcement | Stimulus presented after a desired response; increases probability of repeat desired behaviors |
| Pro-social behavior | Positive, socially acceptable behaviors. Opposite of anti-social personality |
| Psychoanalytic theory | Basis for psychoanalysis and based on Freud’s theory of personality |
| Psychosomatic | Physical illness caused by psychological beliefs |
| Psychosis | Extreme distortions in perception, rational thinking and/or affect |
| Psychotherapy | A term used to describe talk-therapy. Used in counseling and therapy as a treatment modality |
| Psycho-spiritual | Term used to describe psychological and spiritual elements as part of wellness. Often used in humanistic psychology |
| Short-term memory | The ability to hold and/or recall events stored in memory from the recent past |
| Socialization | Process whereby children are inculcated into society and learn acceptable behaviors and beliefs in a culture |
| Substance abuse | The use of a substance in a way that it was not intended with the goal of producing a high |
| Traits | A stable set of behaviors and characteristics within a person. |
| Zeitgeist | A term used to describe cultural and moral climate of a given era |