01 PSYCHOLOGY DICTIONARY
1. Cognitive Bias
Section titled “1. Cognitive Bias”A cognitive bias is a thinking shortcut that leads your mind to take quick but sometimes inaccurate decisions. These biases affect judgment without you realizing it.
Example: You think a product is great only because many people are buying it.
2. Conditioning
Section titled “2. Conditioning”Conditioning means learning behavior through repeated experience with rewards or punishments. It shapes habits, fears, and preferences.
Example: A dog sits quickly because it expects a treat.
3. Reinforcement
Section titled “3. Reinforcement”Reinforcement increases the chance of a behavior happening again. It can be positive or negative depending on whether something good is added or something bad is removed.
Example: You finish tasks early because your boss praises you.
4. Projection
Section titled “4. Projection”Projection happens when a person attributes their own feelings or flaws to someone else. It is a defense mechanism.
Example: Someone who is angry accuses others of being rude.
5. Burnout
Section titled “5. Burnout”Burnout is a mental and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress or pressure. It leads to low motivation and emotional fatigue.
Example: You feel drained at work even after weekends.
6. Emotional Regulation
Section titled “6. Emotional Regulation”This is the ability to manage and respond to emotions in healthy ways. It helps you stay balanced during stressful situations.
Example: Taking deep breaths before replying to a frustrating message.
7. Attention Span
Section titled “7. Attention Span”It is the amount of time you can stay focused on a task. Modern digital environments often reduce it.
Example: You check your phone every five minutes while studying.
8. Perception
Section titled “8. Perception”Perception is the way your brain interprets information from the senses. Different people perceive the same event in different ways.
Example: Two people taste the same dish but one finds it spicy and the other mild.
9. Memory Consolidation
Section titled “9. Memory Consolidation”This is the process of converting short term memories into long term ones. It mostly happens during sleep.
Example: You remember new programming concepts better the next day.
10. Heuristic
Section titled “10. Heuristic”A heuristic is a mental shortcut that helps you solve problems quickly. It saves time but can cause errors.
Example: Choosing a restaurant because it has a long line.
11. Confirmation Bias
Section titled “11. Confirmation Bias”This is the tendency to only notice information that supports your existing beliefs. It makes people ignore facts that contradict them.
Example: You read only news that agrees with your political views.
12. Habit Loop
Section titled “12. Habit Loop”A habit loop includes a cue, routine, and reward. Understanding this helps break or build habits.
Example: Notification (cue), opening Instagram (routine), satisfaction (reward).
13. Social Influence
Section titled “13. Social Influence”It describes how people’s behavior is shaped by others. This includes peer pressure, trends, and norms.
Example: You start wearing a trending color because everyone else is.
14. Motivation
Section titled “14. Motivation”Motivation drives you to take action. It can come from internal goals or external rewards.
Example: You study cloud computing to get a better job.
15. Cognitive Dissonance
Section titled “15. Cognitive Dissonance”This is the discomfort you feel when your actions do not match your beliefs. People try to reduce this discomfort by changing one of them.
Example: A smoker says cigarettes reduce stress to justify smoking.
16. Self Fulfilling Prophecy
Section titled “16. Self Fulfilling Prophecy”When you believe something strongly, you behave in ways that make it come true. Expectations shape outcomes.
Example: You think you will fail an interview and end up performing poorly.
17. Impulse Control
Section titled “17. Impulse Control”It is the ability to resist sudden urges. Good impulse control helps with long term goals.
Example: Not ordering junk food during a diet.
18. Empathy
Section titled “18. Empathy”Empathy is the ability to understand and feel what others are experiencing. It improves communication and relationships.
Example: Comforting a friend because you sense their sadness.
19. Anchoring
Section titled “19. Anchoring”Anchoring happens when your mind fixates on the first piece of information you hear. It heavily influences later decisions.
Example: A product looks cheap only because you saw a very expensive one first.
20. Personality Trait
Section titled “20. Personality Trait”Traits are consistent patterns in behavior and thinking. They form the unique style of how someone interacts with the world.
Example: Someone is always calm under pressure.
21. Stress Response
Section titled “21. Stress Response”This is the body’s automatic reaction to a perceived threat. It includes increased heart rate and alertness.
Example: Feeling tense before presenting to leadership.
22. Mindfulness
Section titled “22. Mindfulness”Mindfulness means paying full attention to the present moment without judgment. It reduces stress and increases focus.
Example: Observing your breath for a minute before starting work.
23. Resilience
Section titled “23. Resilience”Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from setbacks. It helps people adapt during challenges.
Example: Restarting your job search after a rejection.
24. Social Comparison
Section titled “24. Social Comparison”People evaluate themselves by comparing with others. This can motivate growth or cause dissatisfaction.
Example: Feeling upset because your colleague got promoted first.
25. Learned Helplessness
Section titled “25. Learned Helplessness”This happens when repeated failures make a person stop trying even when success is possible. It lowers confidence and motivation.
Example: A student stops answering questions because they were wrong many times in the past.