Vocabulary

The mental discomfort experienced by a person who holds two or more conflicting beliefs, ideas, or values.

The tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses.

A mental shortcut that allows people to quickly make judgments and solve problems, usually faster but also more error-prone than algorithms.

The ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury.

A type of learning where behavior is controlled by consequences. Key concepts include positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment.

A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired: a response which is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone (e.g., Pavlov's dogs).

In psychometrics, the overall consistency of a measure. A measure is said to have high reliability if it produces similar results under consistent conditions.

In psychometrics, the extent to which a concept, conclusion or measurement is well-founded and corresponds accurately to the real world. The degree to which a test measures what it claims to measure.

A psychological, evolutionary and ethological theory concerning relationships between humans. The most important tenet is that young children need to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for normal social and emotional development.

In psychology, a pattern of thought or behavior that organizes categories of information and the relationships among them. It can also be described as a mental structure of preconceived ideas.

In psychoanalysis, the redirection of feelings and desires and especially of those unconsciously retained from childhood toward a new object (such as a psychoanalyst).

In psychoanalysis, the emotional reaction of the analyst to the subject's contribution.

A psychological theory that attempts to explain a disorder, or its trajectory, as the result of an interaction between a predispositional vulnerability (diathesis) and a stress caused by life experiences.

The tendency for people to over-emphasize dispositional, or personality-based explanations for behaviors observed in others while under-emphasizing situational explanations.

A psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome.