Psychology Terms A–Z

Psychological Capital refers to four core psychological resources: self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience. The richer these resources, the more flexibly you can overcome life's challenges.

Psychological richness is the feeling that life has grown deeper and broader through diverse, interesting experiences. It represents a distinct dimension of a good life, separate from happiness or meaning.

Psychological resilience is the inner strength that allows you to bounce back — or even grow stronger — after facing adversity or stress. It's a valuable capacity that anyone can develop through practice.

Psychological warfare refers to strategic actions that attack an opponent's mind to induce fear, confusion, and low morale in order to break their will.

Psychological assessment is the systematic process of evaluating a person's mental and psychological state by combining psychological tests, interviews, and observations.

Social justice in psychology means recognizing issues of social inequality and discrimination, and working to ensure that everyone has access to fair psychological support.

The mind and body are deeply connected — your mental state affects your physical health, and your physical state affects your mental well-being.

A medical approach based on the principle that the mind and body mutually influence each other. It includes methods such as meditation, yoga, and breathing techniques that use the mind to promote physical health.

Psychosomatic Medicine is a medical field that studies and treats how psychological factors influence the onset, course, and treatment of physical illness. It takes an integrated approach that cares for both mind and body together.

Psychogenic pain refers to real, genuine pain that arises from psychological factors rather than any identifiable physical cause. It is not imagined or fabricated — it is truly felt through the brain and nervous system.

The Heart-Mind Connection is the concept that cardiovascular health and mental health are deeply intertwined. Stress and depression can affect the heart, while heart disease can in turn bring about emotional difficulties.

The connection between heart health, stress, emotions, and psychological recovery.

A mental model is an internal representation you hold in your mind about how the world works. Through these mental models, we make sense of situations, form predictions, and make decisions.

Mental set is the tendency to solve problems using only the methods that worked in the past. It's the phenomenon where we become so fixed on familiar approaches that we struggle to think of new solutions.

In Jungian psychology, the Anima is the feminine aspect in a man's unconscious, while the Animus is the masculine aspect in a woman's unconscious.

Therapy that helps children with emotional or behavioral struggles in ways that match their age and development.

Traumatic events occurring before age 18, including abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, that have lasting effects on adult physical and mental health.

Emotional wounds that can form when a child goes through overwhelming, frightening, or painful experiences.

Mandatory reporting of child abuse is a legal requirement that certain professionals must report suspected child abuse to the appropriate authorities. It serves as a social safety net designed to protect children's safety and well-being.

A psychiatrist who founded Cognitive Therapy. He argued that negative automatic thoughts play a central role in depression and anxiety, and developed a cognitive model showing that changing thoughts can influence emotions and behavior.

The fawn response is a survival reaction where a person tries to avoid danger by pleasing and appeasing others when they feel threatened. It's a coping pattern that commonly develops in people who experienced trauma during childhood.

One of the founders of humanistic psychology, best known for his hierarchy of needs theory. He proposed that human needs range from basic physiological needs to self-actualization, and emphasized human potential and growth.

A neurotransmitter involved in attention, learning, memory formation, and muscle contraction.

A set of activities repeated in a consistent order at the start of each day, forming habits that bring mental stability and set a positive direction for the day.

Struggling to get out of bed in the morning isn't simply laziness — it can have multiple psychological and physical causes worth understanding.

Vivid and distressing dreams that occur during sleep, often experienced frequently after trauma.

Nightmares are a phenomenon where stress or anxiety manifests in dreams. There are effective ways to manage recurring nightmares.

A condition in which repeatedly vivid and frightening dreams cause serious disruption to sleep. Nightmares occur so frequently and intensely that the act of going to bed itself becomes something to dread.

A psychotherapy technique that uses eye movements to reprocess traumatic memories.

Anna Freud (1895–1982) was an Austrian-British psychoanalyst who pioneered child psychoanalysis and systematized ego defense mechanisms, extending and expanding her father Sigmund Freud's theories.

The facial feedback hypothesis suggests that our facial expressions can actually influence our emotions. Smiling may genuinely make you feel happier, while frowning can make you feel worse.

Reaching out to ask how someone is really doing and letting them know they matter.

A specific, step-by-step coping plan created in advance to prepare for crisis situations. It provides clear behavioral guidelines to follow when urges to self-harm or suicidal thoughts arise.

A psychological foundation rooted in a safe relationship that allows you to explore the world and take on challenges with confidence. It is a core concept in attachment theory.

A person or relationship you can turn to for comfort and security when you're struggling or afraid. It's a core concept in attachment theory.

Safety behaviors are actions we unconsciously take to protect ourselves in anxiety-provoking situations. While they provide short-term relief, they actually maintain and reinforce anxiety over time.

Loss of safety is the state of feeling that the world is no longer safe after a traumatic or shocking experience. It involves the collapse of the sense of security that was once taken for granted.

A healthy bond where a person uses their caregiver as a safe base to explore the world with confidence.

Psychological discomfort arising from the perception that online recommendation algorithms are tracking one's behavior, manipulating content, and nudging decisions — creating a loss of autonomy in digital spaces.

The cumulative wear and tear on the body and brain from chronic stress — the total biological cost of repeatedly adapting to life's demands.

A progressive neurodegenerative disease in which brain neurons gradually die, leading to worsening memory loss, cognitive decline, and eventually loss of independent functioning. It is the most common cause of dementia.

Often called alcoholism or alcohol addiction. A chronic condition where a person loses control over drinking, experiences tolerance and withdrawal, and faces significant problems in daily life due to alcohol.

Austrian psychiatrist (1870–1937) who founded Individual Psychology, emphasizing inferiority feelings, the striving for superiority, and social interest as the foundations of human motivation.

The emotional side of living with cancer, from diagnosis through treatment, recovery, and fear of recurrence.

Implicit memory is memory that works automatically without any conscious effort to recall it. Classic examples include riding a bike or writing — things your body just remembers how to do.

Implicit racial bias refers to automatic prejudices or stereotypes about certain racial groups that operate without conscious awareness. It can exist in anyone.

Implicit bias refers to unconscious prejudices you hold without realizing it. These are attitudes or stereotypes about certain groups or people that arise automatically, even without any intention.

Overwhelm is the feeling that your mind is collapsing under the weight of too many emotions or situations at once — more than you can possibly handle.

The grieving process is the natural journey of experiencing and working through sorrow after losing someone you love. It takes time, but most people gradually find their way toward adaptation.

Grief counseling helps you safely express the sorrow of losing someone you love and supports you in healthily working through the pain of loss.