Psychology Terms A–Z

The founder of psychoanalysis, Freud was the first to systematically explore the unconscious mind. He believed that hidden desires and conflicts deep within the mind — ones we are not aware of — influence our behavior.

A standardized test that measures cognitive abilities. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale is the most widely used.

Intellectualization is a defense mechanism where a person avoids directly feeling difficult emotions by thinking about them in a purely rational and logical way. It's an unconscious protective strategy where the mind understands something but the heart refuses to feel it.

A therapy that helps people gradually overcome fear and avoidance by safely and repeatedly confronting trauma memories and related situations. It is one of the most evidence-based treatments for PTSD.

A state where depressed mood continues for 2 or more years, though not as severe as major depression.

An ongoing habit of gaining new knowledge and skills throughout life.

Mental health support provided where people actually live, study, and work, not only in hospitals.

Deferred imitation is when a child observes someone's behavior and then reproduces it later, after some time has passed. It is considered an important milestone in a child's cognitive development.

A condition where intense grief after losing a loved one continues for so long that it interferes with daily life. Even as time passes, it becomes very difficult to move beyond the pain of loss.

A developmental condition involving significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior.

A therapeutic approach that strengthens a client's existing strengths and helps maintain emotional stability. Rather than deep analysis, it focuses on building resilience and coping with current difficulties together.

Wisdom goes beyond knowledge — it's the ability to gain deep insight from life's experiences and use that insight for the well-being of yourself and others. It is the most beautiful fruit that grows from the maturity of the mind.

Intuition is the ability to instantly understand or judge something without logical analysis. That 'I just have a feeling' sense can carry years of accumulated experience and wisdom within it.

Job satisfaction refers to the overall sense of contentment a person feels about their work.

Work engagement is a positive state of energetically participating in your job with passion and dedication.

Job design is the intentional structuring of work content, methods, and relationships to enhance motivation and performance.

Job burnout is a state of emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced sense of effectiveness caused by chronic workplace stress. It goes beyond ordinary tiredness and reflects a deeper depletion of one's mental and emotional resources.

Stress arising from the work environment, caused by excessive workload, interpersonal conflicts, role conflicts, and more.

Job autonomy refers to the degree to which a person can independently decide how, when, and in what order to carry out their work.

Managing the uncertainty and emotions that come with moving into a new job or field.

Professional identity is the part of your sense of self that is shaped by your occupation or job role.

Managing workplace conflict means finding healthy ways to resolve and handle disagreements with colleagues, supervisors, and subordinates at work. Conflict in the workplace is unavoidable, but you can learn to handle it wisely.

Workplace bullying refers to repeated aggressive behaviors in the workplace that cause serious stress to the victim.

Difficult workplace relationships are a major cause of burnout. Responding with clear strategies can significantly reduce your stress.

Workplace anxiety refers to excessive stress and worry that arises within a work environment. Pressures from job demands, workplace relationships, and performance evaluations can make simply going to work feel overwhelming.

Workplace trauma refers to deep psychological wounds caused by serious emotional shocks or repeated stress experienced at work. It can result from workplace bullying, unfair treatment, or excessive work pressure.

Setting healthy boundaries at work means establishing appropriate limits to protect your time, energy, and emotions in the workplace. Healthy boundaries are the key to taking care of yourself while maintaining positive relationships.

Recognizing and expressing workplace anger in ways that protect your well-being and help address the underlying issue.

Career uncertainty can feel scary, but not knowing yet does not mean you are behind.

Genuineness means the therapist meets the client as their true self, without wearing a mask or playing a role.

The version of you that feels honest, real, and not shaped only by other people’s expectations.

Evolutionary Psychology is a field of psychology that views human minds and behaviors as shaped through millions of years of evolution. It helps us understand the origins of our emotions, instincts, and social behaviors.

Illness behavior refers to how a person responds and copes when they feel sick or notice something wrong with their body. It includes actions like visiting a doctor, ignoring symptoms, or asking others for help.

Illness Anxiety Disorder refers to a state of intense anxiety about having or developing a serious illness, even when physical symptoms are absent or very mild. It is the modern diagnostic term for what was previously called hypochondriasis.

Jealousy is a complex emotion experienced when you feel an important relationship is being threatened by a third party. It's a tangled mix of anxiety, anger, and sadness.

Coping with jealousy means finding healthy ways to handle the fear of losing someone you care about deeply.

Jung’s idea that human beings share deep unconscious patterns that go beyond personal experience.

A shared wound that forms when a community goes through a devastating event together.

Group polarization is the phenomenon where individuals' opinions become more extreme after group discussion than they were before.

Groupthink is a phenomenon where critical thinking is suppressed because of the desire to maintain harmony within a group. It can lead to poor decision-making when the pressure to agree overrides realistic evaluation of alternatives.

A manipulation technique that deliberately exploits a group's pressure for consensus and conformity to suppress individual independent thinking and steer the group in a desired direction. It takes advantage of people's instinct to belong in order to shut down critical thinking and guide others toward a predetermined conclusion.

A cultural value that puts strong importance on group harmony, belonging, and shared responsibility.

A culture that tends to value group harmony, belonging, and mutual responsibility more strongly than individual independence.

Two broad cultural ways of emphasizing either “we” or “I” in identity, choices, and relationships.

A treatment approach where people with similar struggles come together to support each other and grow.

A program that provides intensive treatment several times a week without requiring hospitalization, allowing you to continue daily life while participating in therapy.

Focus is the ability to direct and sustain your attention on a single object or task. It's a valuable skill not only for effective learning and work, but also for finding peace of mind.

Tantrums are intense emotional outbursts — such as crying, screaming, or throwing objects — that occur when a person struggles to regulate their feelings. They are common in young children but can also occur in adults.

Irritability is a signal that inner stress is spilling outward. By finding the real cause of your irritability, you can learn to manage it.

Mating psychology studies the psychological mechanisms behind how humans select partners and form relationships. It draws heavily on evolutionary psychology perspectives.