Psychology Terms A–Z

Negativity bias in depression is a cognitive pattern where the mind pays more attention to and more easily remembers negative information while in a depressed state. It acts like a mental filter that makes bad things feel overwhelming while good things barely register.

After experiencing repeated failures or uncontrollable situations, a sense of helplessness — 'nothing I do will work' — develops and leads to depression. It's a mental pattern where a person gives up even trying, even in situations where change is actually possible.

Depressive realism is a psychological hypothesis suggesting that people in a mildly depressed mood may actually perceive reality more accurately than those who are not depressed. However, this does not mean that depression is beneficial in any way.

Depression is like a 'cold of the mind,' characterized by persistent sadness, loss of motivation, and loss of interest. It can happen to anyone.

Supporting someone with depression means staying by their side with understanding and patience as they navigate a difficult time. Your warm presence and genuine care can be a tremendous source of strength for them.

A depressed mood can be a temporary feeling, but if it persists for a long time, it's important to actively manage it.

A friendship breakup is the experience of a once-cherished friendship coming to an end. It can bring deep grief and a sense of loss that rivals the pain of a romantic breakup.

Regular physical exercise has remarkable positive effects on the structure and function of the brain. Exercise greatly helps improve mood, enhance memory, and reduce stress.

Research consistently shows that regular physical exercise is effective at reducing depression, anxiety, and stress while improving overall mental health.

Exercise psychology is a field that studies how physical activity affects mental health. Scientific research shows that regular exercise significantly helps reduce depression and anxiety while promoting emotional stability.

Regular exercise has positive psychological impacts, including improved mood, reduced stress, and enhanced cognitive function.

When the line between work and personal life blurs and exhaustion sets in, coping with work-life imbalance means finding ways to set healthy boundaries and restore harmony.

Your family of origin is the family you were born into and grew up in. Experiences within this family deeply shape your relationship patterns and emotional responses in adulthood.

Telehealth is a way of receiving health services through the internet or phone. It reduces barriers of time and location, allowing you to receive counseling or care comfortably from home.

Resentment is the lingering feeling of anger and injustice that stays in your heart long after you've been treated unfairly or hurt by someone.

Prototype Theory suggests that when we understand a concept, we judge new examples by comparing them to the most typical example (prototype) of that category. Just like 'bird' brings a robin to mind first, our minds hold a representative image for each category.

In Jungian psychology, an archetype is a universal, innate psychological pattern residing in the collective unconscious — a recurring symbolic image or theme shared across all human cultures, myths, and dreams.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) refers to a condition where severe emotional changes and physical discomfort appear before menstruation, significantly disrupting daily life.

Monday Blues refers to the feelings of sadness, lethargy, and fatigue that arise as Monday approaches. It's a natural emotional response to transitioning from the weekend back into daily routine.

Well-being refers to being in a good state physically, mentally, and socially. It goes beyond the absence of illness to include thriving across many areas of life.

A crisis is a moment of intense emotional overwhelm when your usual ways of coping just aren't enough to get you through.

Immediate, focused support given to someone going through an intense psychological crisis to help them regain safety and stability.

Helping a friend in crisis means safely supporting someone going through a psychological emergency. Even without professional training, simply being present with a warm heart can make an enormous difference.

Donald Winnicott was a British pediatrician and psychoanalyst who emphasized the importance of the caregiving environment in children's emotional development through his concepts of the 'good enough mother' and the 'transitional object.'

The placebo effect is when a person experiences real improvement in their symptoms after receiving a fake treatment or sugar pill — simply because they believe it will work.

When it's difficult to immediately stop a problematic behavior altogether, harm reduction prioritizes minimizing the damage caused by that behavior as a first step.

Risk assessment is the systematic process of evaluating how likely an individual is to harm themselves or others, in order to plan appropriate prevention and intervention strategies.

A professional process of evaluating the likelihood that an individual may harm themselves or others, in order to establish appropriate protective measures.

Intimidation is the act of making someone feel fear in order to force them into submission or compliance with one's demands. It is a form of control that uses fear to compel others to act in a desired way.

Known as the 'Father of American Psychology,' William James laid the foundations of modern psychology through his concepts of the stream of consciousness, the James-Lange theory of emotion, and pragmatist philosophy.

The feeling that you can handle challenges effectively and actually having the ability to do so.

Eudaimonia is Aristotle's concept of true happiness — a deep fulfillment achieved through virtue and living a meaningful life, rather than mere pleasure.

Fluid intelligence is the ability to solve new problems through logic and reasoning, without relying on prior knowledge. It involves finding patterns, drawing inferences, and thinking flexibly — operating independently of past experience.

Phantom Vibration Syndrome is the sensation of feeling your phone vibrate or receive a notification when it actually hasn't.

The deep grief and sense of loss experienced after a miscarriage, and the recovery process. Though difficult to put into words, this pain requires time and space for mourning.

Also known as 'good stress,' eustress is a positive form of stress where an appropriate level of tension and excitement promotes motivation and personal growth. Stress isn't always a bad thing.

This is the stage where a person has consistently sustained changed behavior for more than 6 months. The new behavior is becoming a habit, but ongoing management is still needed.

Seduction tactics involve identifying a person's emotional needs and drawing them in through charm and attention as a calculated strategy to achieve one's own goals. Unlike natural attraction, these tactics are deliberate and often manipulative in nature.

Healthy ways to handle the emotional challenges that come with leaving your career and stepping into a new chapter of life.

Retirement adjustment is the psychological process of adapting to a new way of life after ending one's career. Reestablishing identity in response to role changes is the central challenge.

Negative symptoms involve a reduction in normal functioning. They include decreased emotional expression and loss of motivation, and they can take longer to recover from.

Music therapy is a treatment approach that uses music to improve psychological and physical health.

The phonological loop is a mental system that briefly holds and repeats sound-based information in your mind. When you silently repeat a phone number to yourself to remember it, that's the phonological loop in action.

Deliberate practice is a systematic training method that focuses on improving specific weaknesses through clear goals and immediate feedback — not just mindless repetition. It's the real secret behind meaningful growth and skill development.

Intentional living is a way of life where you make conscious choices aligned with your own values and purpose, rather than being driven by habits or other people's expectations.

Medical trauma is the psychological distress that arises from medical experiences such as procedures, hospitalization, or diagnosis. The fear and helplessness felt during hospital visits or treatment can linger for a long time.

Mandatory reporting refers to the legal obligation that professionals must report to relevant authorities in specific situations such as child abuse or risk of self-harm and suicide.

Meaning refers to feeling a sense of purpose and significance in life. It is considered a core component of well-being.

Semantic memory stores general knowledge and facts about the world, separate from personal experiences. It contains concepts, word meanings, and rules that form the foundation for how we understand the world around us.

Meaning Making is the psychological process of finding meaning and lessons from life's experiences, especially difficult and painful ones. Healing can begin when we are able to give meaning to our suffering.