Psychology Terms A–Z

Ageism is prejudice or discrimination against people based on their age, most commonly against older adults, but also affecting younger people who are dismissed as inexperienced.

A field that studies the psychological phenomena and patterns that appear in romantic relationships. It covers the entire process of romance, including attraction, love, conflict, and breakups.

Open Dialogue is a Finnish-originated treatment approach for mental health crises where patients, family members, and clinicians make decisions together through open conversation. Every participant's voice is treated with equal respect.

Open-mindedness is a flexible mental attitude of welcoming new ideas, different perspectives, and unfamiliar experiences without prejudice or bias.

Chronic inflammation in the body is deeply linked to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. The body and mind are connected as one.

Iconic memory is a type of sensory memory that holds a vivid snapshot of what you've just seen for a very brief moment. Like a photograph, it captures visual information instantly, but fades away in less than a second.

This field explores how spiritual experiences — such as a sense of transcendent meaning, connectedness, and purpose in life — affect mental health. It is a broad concept that is distinct from religion.

Infant development refers to the physical, cognitive, and emotional growth that occurs from birth to around age 2. This period lays the foundation for lifelong development and is one of the most critical stages in human life.

This is a field of research showing that the food we eat affects our mood, cognitive function, and mental health. A healthy diet can support emotional well-being too.

Spiritual Intelligence is the ability to explore the deeper meaning and purpose of life, and to navigate difficulties using inner wisdom. It is a wise, guiding force that arises from the deepest place within the heart.

Anticipatory anxiety is worry and fear about a future event that has not yet occurred. The imagined threat triggers real physiological and emotional distress in the present, often disproportionate to the actual risk.

Anticipatory grief is the sadness and mourning we feel before a loss actually happens. It's a natural emotional response when we know a significant loss is coming.

Preventive Psychology is a field of psychology that aims to stop mental health problems before they develop, and to detect them early to prevent worsening. It is grounded in the belief that prevention is more effective than treatment.

Preventive health behavior refers to actions taken to protect and maintain your health before illness occurs. This includes vaccinations, regular check-ups, exercise, and balanced eating.

Orbiting is when someone cuts off direct contact after a breakup but continues to like your posts or view your stories on social media, hovering around you from a distance.

The misinformation effect is when inaccurate information encountered after an event distorts our original memory of it. Our memories can change more easily than we might think.

When multiple explanations are possible, the simplest explanation is most likely to be correct. In psychology, this principle is used to guard against unnecessarily complex interpretations of behavior.

Handling the hurt and frustration of having your words or intentions interpreted differently from how you meant them.

A hormone associated with love, bonding, and trust, often called the 'love hormone.' It plays a key role in strengthening emotional connections between people.

The mental trap of constantly comparing your real life to other people’s highlight reels online.

Online identity is how you present and construct yourself on the internet and social media. It can be similar to or quite different from your offline self.

Online therapy is a way of receiving psychological counseling and treatment through video calls, phone, or chat over the internet. You can access professional mental health care without the limitations of time or location.

Online therapy allows you to receive psychological counseling and treatment through the internet, offering significant advantages in accessibility and convenience.

The Online Disinhibition Effect describes how people tend to behave more boldly or aggressively online than they would in person. Anonymity and the lack of face-to-face interaction weaken self-censorship.

A Japanese aesthetic philosophy that finds beauty in imperfection, impermanence, and incompleteness — offering a gentle counter to perfectionism and a doorway to deeper acceptance.

Perfectionism is the tendency to want everything done flawlessly. Holding impossibly high standards can often make life exhausting and hard on yourself.

Learning to ease the pressure of needing everything to be perfect and treating yourself with more kindness.

Repeated behavior that hurts, humiliates, or isolates someone who has less power in the situation.

Infidelity is the act of sharing emotional or physical intimacy with someone outside a committed relationship, crossing boundaries that both partners agreed upon. It leaves deep wounds in a relationship, but recovery is not impossible.

A form of care where you visit a clinic or counseling center regularly without being hospitalized. It's the most common way to receive mental health support while continuing your everyday life.

A painful feeling of lacking sufficient social connection. It can be different from simply being alone.

The loneliness epidemic refers to the rapid spread of loneliness across modern society, much like an infectious disease. Even though people appear connected to one another, many feel deeply isolated due to a lack of genuine emotional bonds.

Loneliness is the feeling that you lack meaningful connection with others, and it can show up even when you're surrounded by people.

Peritraumatic dissociation refers to dissociative experiences that occur during or immediately after a traumatic event. It can feel as though what is happening is occurring to someone else, or as if your sense of time has shifted.

Post-traumatic growth is when a person grows beyond their previous level and experiences positive changes through the process of overcoming trauma.

Trauma refers to when an overwhelming, shocking experience leaves a deep wound in the mind that is difficult to cope with.

Traumatic loss is the experience of losing someone precious in a sudden, shocking way — bringing grief and trauma together at the same time.

A condition where memories of a shocking or traumatic event keep resurfacing, causing ongoing distress and difficulty in daily life.

Extrinsic motivation comes from external reasons such as rewards, recognition, or avoiding punishment.

Outgroup homogeneity is the tendency to perceive members of groups you don't belong to as all being similar to one another. It's the feeling of 'they're all the same' when thinking about people outside your own group.

Extraversion is the tendency to gain energy from being around people. It's characterized by being outgoing and sociable.

Explicit memory refers to memories you can consciously recall and put into words. It includes things you can intentionally bring to mind, like what you had for dinner last night or what the capital of your country is.

A mind-body practice that combines physical postures, breathing, and meditation, and is effective for stress management.

Yoga Therapy integrates yoga postures, breathing techniques, and meditation into psychotherapy to restore balance between body and mind. It is especially helpful in relieving symptoms of trauma, anxiety, and depression.

A relationship cycle where one person keeps pushing to resolve an issue while the other avoids conversation and pulls away.

A stage model of human needs proposed by Abraham Maslow, ranging from physiological needs to self-actualization. The theory holds that basic needs must be met before a person can pursue higher-level needs.

Courage is the inner strength to take a meaningful step forward even when you feel afraid.

A respectful space where difficult conversations can still happen honestly.

Forgiveness is the choice to let go of anger and resentment toward someone who has hurt you.

Forgiveness is a psychological process of letting go of negative emotions toward a person or situation that hurt you. It is an act done for your own sake, not for the other person's.