Antisocial personality disorder
A behavior disorder developed by a small percentage of children with conduct disorder whose behavior does not improve as they mature. Also known as sociopathic or psychopathy
Anxiety disorder
An unpleasant emotion triggered by anticipation of future events, memories of past events, or ruminations about the self
Apathy
can be defined as an absence or suppression of emotion, feeling, concern or passion, and it is an indifference to things generally found to be exciting or moving
Applied psychology
The area of psychology in which basic theory and research are applied to the actual problems faced by individuals on a daily basis
Attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder
Disorder characterized by attentional deficit and/or
Hyperactivity
impulsivity more severe than expected for a developmental age
Autism
A severe psychological disorder that first appears in early childhood and is characterized by impaired social interaction and language development, and other behavioral problems
Autonomic nervous system
he nervous system responsible for regulating automatic bodily processes, such as breathing and heart rate. The autonomic system also involves the processes of metabolism, or the storage and expenditure of energy
Avoidance learning
An individual’s response to avoid an unpleasant or stressful situation; also known as escape learning
Behavior therapy
A goal-oriented, therapeutic approach that treats emotional and behavioral disorders as maladaptive learned responses that can be replaced by healthier ones with appropriate training
Biofeedback
A technique that allows individuals to monitor their own physiological processes so they can learn to control them
Antisocial behavior
A pattern of behavior that is verbally or physically harmful to other people, animals, or property, including behavior that severely violates social expectations for a particular environment
Bipolar disorder
A condition (traditionally called manic depression) in which a person alternates between the two emotional extremes of depression and mania (an elated, euphoric mood
Body image
The subjective conception of one’s own body, based largely on evaluative judgments about how one is perceived by others
Central nervous system
In humans, that portion of the nervous system that lies within the brain and spinal cord; it receives impulses from nerve cells throughout the body, regulates bodily functions, and directs behavior
Classical conditioning
The process of closely associating a neutral stimulus with one that evokes a reflexive response so that eventually the neutral stimulus alone will evoke the same response
Cognitive behavior therapy
A therapeutic approach based on the principle that maladaptive moods and behavior can be changed by replacing distorted or inappropriate ways of thinking with thought patterns that are healthier and more realistic
Defense mechanisms
Unconscious strategies for avoiding or reducing threatening feelings, such as fear and anxiety
Delay of Gratification
The ability to forgo an immediate pleasure or reward in order to gain a more substantial one later
Delusion/Delusional Disorders
Beliefs that are in stark contrast to reality, often having to do with persecution or an exaggerated sense of importance or glory
Depression
An emotional state or mood characterized by one or more of these symptoms: sad mood, low energy, poor concentration, sleep or appetite changes, feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness, and thoughts of suicide
Desensitization
A behavior modification technique used to combat phobias and other irrational fears
Drug therapy
Medications administered to help people suffering from psychological illnesses
Ego
is that portion of the personality that imposes realistic limitations on the id
Emotional development
The process by which infants and children begin developing the capacity to experience, express, and interpret emotions
Emotional Intelligence
The ability to perceive and constructively act on both one’s own emotions and the feelings of others
Empathy
The capacity to vicariously experience and understand the thoughts and feelings of another person by putting oneself in that person’s place
Extroversion
A term used to characterize people who are typically outgoing, friendly, and open toward others
Forgetting curve
he general, predictable pattern of the process of forgetting learned information
Identity/ Identity Formation
A person’s mental representation of who he or she is. Components of identity include a sense of personal continuity and of uniqueness from other people
Id
In psychoanalytic theory, the most primitive, unconscious element of human personality. The id is the part of the personality that includes such basic biological impulses or drives as eating, drinking, eliminating wastes, avoiding pain, attaining sexual pleasure, and aggression
Impulse control disorders
A psychological disorder characterized by the repeated inability to refrain from performing a particular action that is harmful either to oneself or others
Inferiority Complex
A psychological condition that exists when a person’s feelings of inadequacy are so intense that daily living is impaired
Introversion
A commonly used term for people who are quiet, reserved, thoughtful, and self-reliant and who tend to prefer solitary work and leisure activities
Mania
A description of the condition opposite depression in manic-depressive psychosis, or bipolar disorder. It is characterized by a mood of elation without apparent reason
Mental imagery
picture created by the imagination with no visual stimulus required
Narcissism
Excessive preoccupation with self and lack of empathy for others
Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder- Mental illness characterized by the recurrence of intrusive
Anxiety
producing thoughts (obsessions) accompanied by repeated attempts to suppress these thoughts through the performance of certain irrational, often ritualistic, behaviors (compulsions
Operant conditioning
Approach to human learning based on the premise that human intelligence and will operate on the environment rather than merely respond to the environment’s stimuli
Panic disorders
An acute feeling of intense fear, accentuated by increased heart rate, shortness of breath, sweating, and mild convulsions
Passive aggressive personality
Its main distinguishing feature is indirect resistance to the demands or expectations of others through stubbornness, forgetfulness, inefficiency, procrastination, and other covert means. Rather than refusing outright to perform a task
Passive
aggressive person will do it badly or procrastinate until the deadline for its completion has passed
Placebo effect
In research, a scientifically significant response that cannot be explained by physiological variables and is assumed to be psychological in origin. Placebos are substances with no known pharmacological value that are given to members of a control group in an experiment
Psychoanalysis
A method of treatment for mental, emotional, and behavioral dysfunctions as developed by Sigmund Freud
Psychosis
A symptom of mental illness characterized by a radical change in personality and a distorted or diminished sense of objective reality
Rapid eye movement
the stage of sleep most closely associated with dreaming
Self-Actualization
A prominent term in humanistic psychology that refers to the basic human need for self-fulfillment
Self- esteem
A prominent term in humanistic psychology that refers to the basic human need for
Self fulfillment
Psychologists who write about self-esteem generally discuss it in terms of two key components: the feeling of being loved and accepted by others and a sense of competence and mastery in performing tasks and solving problems independently
Self fulfilling prophecy
An initial expectation that is confirmed by the behavior it elicits
Superego
In psychoanalytic theory, the part of the human personality that represents a person’s inner values and morals; also known as conscience