Psychology Basics
This is the study of the mind and behavior.
What is psychology?
He is known as the "father of psychoanalysis."
Who is Sigmund Freud?
This part of the brain is responsible for thinking, decision-making, and planning.
What is the prefrontal cortex?
This Swiss psychologist created a theory of cognitive development in children.
Who is Jean Piaget?
This common mental health condition is characterized by persistent sadness and loss of interest.
What is depression?
This school of psychology focuses only on observable behaviors rather than internal mental processes.
What is behaviorism?
He conducted the “Little Albert” experiment to demonstrate fear conditioning in humans.
Who is John B. Watson?
This neurotransmitter is most closely linked to the brain’s reward pathways and feelings of pleasure.
What is dopamine?
This psychologist is known for proposing stages of moral development (preconventional, conventional, postconventional).
Who is Lawrence Kohlberg?
This mood disorder involves alternating episodes of mania (or hypomania) and depression.
What is bipolar disorder?
This theory, proposed by Leon Festinger, describes the uncomfortable tension that arises when one holds conflicting beliefs or behaves in ways that contradict their attitudes.
What is cognitive dissonance?
He introduced the concept of the “collective unconscious” and archetypes—elements he believed were shared by all humans.
Who is Carl Jung?
This almond-shaped structure, part of the limbic system, is crucial for processing emotions—especially fear and aggression.
What is the amygdala?
According to Erik Erikson, during this first stage of psychosocial development (infancy), infants learn whether the world can be trusted.
What is Trust vs. Mistrust?
Characterized by chronic, excessive worry about a variety of topics for at least six months, this disorder often includes symptoms like restlessness, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating.
What is generalized anxiety disorder?
In operant conditioning, this type of learning occurs when behaviors are strengthened because they are followed by rewards.
What is positive reinforcement?
This psychologist is known for developing the hierarchy of needs, which culminates in self-actualization.
Who is Abraham Maslow?
Damage to this area of the frontal lobe can result in expressive aphasia, making it difficult for a person to produce spoken language.
What is Broca’s area?
Lev Vygotsky coined this term to describe the gap between what a child can do alone and what they can do with guidance.
What is the zone of proximal development?
This personality disorder is marked by a pervasive disregard for the rights of others, including deceitfulness, impulsivity, and lack of remorse.
What is antisocial personality disorder?
This theory posits that there are two distinct cognitive systems—one that is fast, automatic, and intuitive, and another that is slow, effortful, and analytical.
What is dual-process theory?
Often called the “father of attribution theory,” this psychologist proposed that people naturally seek to understand others’ behavior by attributing causes either to internal dispositions or external situations.
Who is Fritz Heider?
This long-lasting enhancement in signal transmission between two neurons is widely considered a cellular mechanism underlying learning and memory.
What is long-term potentiation?
In Mary Ainsworth’s Strange Situation, this attachment style is characterized by intense distress when the caregiver leaves and ambivalence—seeking yet resisting contact—when they return.
What is insecure-resistant (anxious-ambivalent) attachment?
This personality disorder falls under Cluster B and is marked by a pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affect, along with marked impulsivity.
What is borderline personality disorder?