Vocabulary and terms relating to psychology

Psychology 1

direct or subtle hostility; either innate or resulting from ongoing frustration and directed towards oneself and/or towards others

psychological and/or physiological dependency on a substance or behaviour, for example on cigarettes or alcohol

the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others

one of two parts of the brain that affect how people feel emotions, especially fear and pleasure

eating disorder in which a person experiences cognitive distortions regarding weight and body size, reduces their food intake and often exercises excessively (anorexia nervosa)

drug used to treat psychotic conditions such as schizophrenia

personality characterised by behaviour that is usually not acceptable in society; i.e. setting fires, stealing, harming others

a state of psychic tension, producing symptoms of emotional and physiological stress as a result of worry and/or part of a mental health issue (disorder)

a condition in which someone is unable to speak, write, or understand speech or writing because of damage to their brain

a condition in which someone is often in a state of activity or excitement and is unable to direct their attention towards what they are doing (usually diagnosed in children)

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

a person’s mindset at any given point in time; does not always remain constant or match behaviour

intentional avoidance of a person, place or situation that has historically caused someone to experience anxiety

the theory that human or animal behaviour is based on conditioning (= mental training and the influence of habit), rather than being explained by thoughts and feelings

a state of sadness that is similar to depression which occurs after the loss of a loved one and is characterised by feelings of grief

a mood disorder that fluctuates between depressive and manic episodes

the process of releasing strong emotions through a particular activity or experience, such as writing, painting, or acting in the theatre, in a way that helps you to understand those emotions

one of the two halves of the cerebrum, each of which controls the opposite side of the body

the psychological result of perception and reasoning

a state in which a person has conflicting thoughts and perceptions of an event or situation, commonly linked to personal behaviour

an inner drive that causes a person to perform actions, often of a trivial and repetitive nature, against their will, for example: constantly washing hands or constantly checking that appliances are switched off.

the learning process by which the behaviour of a person or animal becomes dependent on an event occurring in its environment

a serious disagreement or argument, typically a long or protracted one

adjusting one's personal behaviour to meet the standards of a specific group, in order to fit in with that group

a talking therapy that can help someone manage their problems by changing the way that they think and behave.