Vocabulary and terms relating to psychology

Psychology 2

an awareness of oneself and one's environment

an erroneous belief held in the face of contrary evidence; having a belief that something is real when it is not

a condition in which one experiences significant cognitive decline, with symptoms such as memory loss and behavioural changes, usually diagnosed in the elderly

a psychiatric condition of the body and mind, which can be mild or severe, characterised by lack of motivation, inability to concentrate, sadness and helplessness

a monoamine neurotransmitter found in the brain and essential for the normal functioning of the central nervous system

an inability to control or regulate one's emotional responses, which can lead to significant mood swings

your idea or opinion of yourself, especially your feeling of your own importance and ability; your sense of self-esteem

one’s ability to regulate, process, and express emotions

a state of extreme happiness, sometimes more than is reasonable in a particular situation

opposite of introvert; a personality type who enjoys being sociable and spending time in social settings

someone's internal experience and self-conception of gender and how they express themselves externally with regard to gender

transfer of a response learned to one stimulus to a similar stimulus, e.g., stating that all girls like playing with dolls, or all boys like the colour blue

the process in which bad decisions are made by a group because its members do not want to express opinions, suggest new ideas, etc. with which others may disagree

use of mental imagery, visual and sometimes auditory, to create an experience, used in meditation

an automatic pattern of behaviour in reaction to a situation, e.g., drinking a cup of coffee every morning after getting out of bed

the transmission of genetic factors to the next generation, e.g. eye colour or personality traits (to an extent)

an artificially induced state of relaxation and concentration in which deeper parts of the mind become more accessible (used clinically to reduce reaction to pain, to encourage free association, etc.)

a person who is preoccupied with becoming ill, who holds irrational beliefs about becoming “sick”, or believes that they are very sick after experiencing minor symptoms

a state of extreme fear, excitement, anger, etc. that cannot be controlled

a small part of the brain located below the thalamus that controls states such as body temperature and the release of hormones

a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation

the deepest part of the unconscious mind that represents the most basic natural human needs and emotions such as hunger, anger, and the desire for pleasure

a disorder arising from the conflict between the desire to be noticed and the fear of being humiliated, characterised by aggressiveness or withdrawal into oneself

consent by a patient to undergo medical or surgical treatment, or to participate in an experiment, after being informed of and understanding the risks involved