Psychology Terms A–Z

The serial position effect is the tendency to remember items at the beginning and end of a list better than those in the middle. It explains why first and last impressions tend to stick with us most strongly.

Going along with someone’s request, even if you do not fully agree inside.

Proactive interference is when previously learned information disrupts your ability to remember new information. For example, your old password keeps coming to mind and makes it hard to remember your new one.

A long-term pattern of fluctuating hypomanic and depressive symptoms that do not meet the full criteria for hypomanic or major depressive episodes.

A test that measures how many digits a person can remember at once, used to assess short-term memory and attention. Most people can remember around 7 digits at a time.

The part of the mind responsible for morality and conscience. It's the inner voice that says 'this is what you should do.'

Smartphone addiction is a state where a person cannot control their smartphone use, causing problems in daily life and relationships.

Screen time refers to the hours spent looking at screens such as smartphones, computers, and TVs. Excessive screen time can have negative effects on both mental and physical health.

A schema is a mental framework we use to make sense of the world. It is a core belief system formed through experiences, especially in childhood.

Schema Theory is about the mental frameworks (schemas) we use to understand the world and process new information. These frameworks, built from past experiences, help us interpret and make sense of new situations.

Stanley Milgram was a social psychologist famous for his obedience experiments, which showed that ordinary people can harm others simply by following the instructions of an authority figure. He is also known for the concept of 'Six Degrees of Separation.'

A famous experiment that showed how powerfully roles and situations can change human behavior. It serves as a cautionary example of the influence our environment has on us.

Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological phenomenon where hostages or victims develop sympathy or positive feelings toward their captors or abusers. It is understood as a survival mechanism that emerges under extreme circumstances.

Stress management refers to the various strategies and techniques used to healthily cope with and reduce stress in everyday life.

Stress mindset refers to an individual's beliefs and attitudes about whether stress is harmful or an opportunity for growth. These beliefs can actually shape how stress affects you in real life.

A series of physical and psychological changes that occur in your body and mind when you feel threatened or under pressure.

Stress buffering refers to the protective role that social support and inner resources play in reducing the negative effects of stress on our mind and body.

Stress contagion is when another person's stress spreads to you, causing you to feel tense or anxious alongside them.

Stress hormones are chemicals released during stressful situations, with cortisol and adrenaline being the most well-known examples.

Stress resilience is the mental strength to bounce back quickly after experiencing stressful situations, and even grow stronger through them.

A theory that stress can cause or worsen physical illness. It provides scientific evidence that mental burden also affects the body.

This field studies the wide-ranging effects that chronic stress has on our body's health. Understanding that mental burden also affects the body makes better health management possible.

The Stroop Effect is when your reaction slows down and you feel confused because the meaning of a word and its color don't match. It happens when automatic processing and conscious processing clash with each other.

Stephen Porges is a neuroscientist who developed the Polyvagal Theory, which explains how our autonomic nervous system plays a central role in our sense of safety and social connection.

Supporting a grieving person means warmly being present with someone who has experienced the loss of a loved one or a significant life change. Sometimes, simply being there speaks louder than any words.

Grief recovery is the gradual process of healing from the deep pain of loss. It's not about making the grief disappear, but learning to live alongside it.

Grief stages describe the emotional changes people go through after losing someone they love or experiencing a major loss. There is no fixed order or timeline for grief — mourning at your own pace is completely natural.

The habit loop is a three-stage cycle made up of cue, routine, and reward. It explains how habits are formed and maintained.

Habit formation is the process by which repeated behaviors become automatic and can be performed without conscious effort.

Equine therapy is an animal-assisted treatment that builds emotional stability, self-awareness, and interpersonal skills through meaningful interaction with horses. By connecting with these warm, sensitive creatures, people can experience deep emotional healing.

Sublimation is a mature defense mechanism that channels socially unacceptable urges or impulses into constructive and valuable activities.

Time management is a strategy for making efficient use of limited time to reduce stress and increase productivity.

A mental workspace that temporarily stores and manipulates visual images and spatial information. It helps you picture scenes, navigate spaces, and mentally rotate objects.

Envy is the feeling of wanting something that someone else has. It's a natural emotion that everyone experiences.

Noticing and responding constructively to the discomfort of wanting something another person has.

The connection point between two neurons where signals are transmitted from one cell to the next.

Synaptic plasticity is the brain's flexible ability to strengthen or weaken the connections (synapses) between nerve cells based on experience and learning.

Synaptic pruning is the brain's natural process of eliminating unused neural connections so it can work more efficiently. It helps strengthen the pathways we use most while clearing away the ones we don't.

The thalamus is a brain structure that acts as a relay station, receiving sensory information and directing it to the appropriate areas of the cerebral cortex.

The hypothalamus is a small region of the brain that regulates bodily homeostasis, including body temperature, hunger, thirst, and sleep.

Our minds operate with two distinct ways of thinking: fast and intuitive thinking (System 1) and slow and analytical thinking (System 2), both working together at the same time.

A situationship is a romantic connection that exists somewhere between friendship and a committed relationship, where the nature of the bond remains undefined and ambiguous.

Test anxiety is a state of excessive tension and worry experienced during exams or evaluation situations. It's closely tied to the experience of not being able to perform to your actual ability, even when you've prepared thoroughly.

Test anxiety is the experience of excessive worry and tension during exam situations. With the right strategies, it can be effectively managed.

A bundle of nerve fibers that carries signals from one region of the brain to another. Our habits, emotions, and ways of thinking are all shaped along these pathways.

A network of neurons that work together to carry out a specific function. Emotions, thoughts, and behaviors are all created by the activity of these circuits.

The brain's ability to change its structure and function in response to experience.

Glial cells are cells in the brain that support, protect, and nourish neurons. They are the essential helpers of nerve cells, playing a critical role in maintaining brain function.

The neuroendocrine system is where the nervous system and endocrine (hormone) system work together as one integrated unit. It regulates stress, emotions, sleep, and appetite, helping maintain balance between body and mind.

Neurodiversity is the idea that differences in how people's brains work are a natural part of human variation. Conditions like ADHD and autism spectrum are understood as 'differences' rather than 'deficits.'