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764 total results found
Mind and Meaning
Society, Culture and Perspective
Reason and Research
Technology and the Human Experience
Turning Points
Moments of transition that reshaped how human beings understand themselves and their societies. This shelf explores key developments that altered the course of psychology, sociology, and human thought more broadly. Each entry focuses on a pivotal shifts in so...
Identity, Personality and Self-Concept
This category encompasses a comprehensive collection of theories, models, and concepts relating to the study of personality and the development of the self. It explores the diverse perspectives within psychology that attempt to explain how individuals think, f...
Power, Authority and Economy
Biopsychology
This category encompasses articles relating to the biological basis of the nervous system and the genetic mechanisms underlying neurological traits and function. It covers a broad range of topics, from the fundamental building blocks of the brain and nervous s...
Consciousness, Sleep and Dreams
This category encompasses the diverse range of mental states experienced by humans, from full wakefulness to the altered states experienced during sleep, and beyond into potentially anomalous or expanded states of awareness. It explores both the neurophysiolog...
Cognitive Processes
This category encompasses the study of cognition – the mental processes involved in gaining knowledge and understanding. It explores how we think, perceive, learn, remember, and solve problems. The terms within this category cover a broad spectrum, from the fu...
Emotion and Motivation
This category encompasses the psychological study of emotions, motivations, and related concepts that drive behavior, influence well-being, and shape human experience. It explores the what and why behind our feelings and drives, and how these internal states i...
Memory and Learning
This category encompasses the study of how organisms acquire, process, retain, and utilize information. It focuses on the fundamental processes of learning – encompassing changes in behavior resulting from experience – and memory – the encoding, storage, and r...
Psychological Disorders and Treatments
This category encompasses articles relating to the scientific study of mental disorders (psychopathology), their classification, diagnosis, etiology, and treatment. It covers a broad range of topics central to the field of clinical psychology, including theore...
Culture
This category encompasses terms related to the study of culture – the shared beliefs, values, practices, and material objects that characterize a group or society. It explores not just what culture is, but how it functions and how it changes.
Education
Sensory Systems
This category encompasses the biological systems and cognitive processes involved in receiving, interpreting, and responding to stimuli from the environment. It covers the physiological mechanisms of sensation – how our bodies detect stimuli like light, sound,...
Social Organization
This category encompasses terms related to the fundamental ways societies are organized, how populations change within them, and the factors influencing social behavior and deviance. It explores both the static elements of social structure – how societies are ...
Health and Society
This category encompasses articles exploring the complex interplay between health, illness, and the broader social structures that shape experiences of well-being. It examines how societal factors influence health, how health influences society, and the system...
Research Design and Methods
This category encompasses terms related to the systematic and scientific investigation of phenomena. It covers the core principles, techniques, and considerations involved in conducting research across various disciplines, particularly within the social scienc...
Critical Thinking
The category is broadly divided into these core areas: Critical Thinking & Reasoning: This foundational section covers the principles of sound reasoning, including both deductive and inductive methods, and the overall practice of evaluating information object...
Human Development
This category encompasses concepts and theories central to the field of Developmental Psychology, the scientific study of how and why humans change over the lifespan. It focuses on the biological, cognitive, behavioral, and social processes that contribute to ...
Identity, Personality and Self-Concept
Epochs of Change
Social Interaction
This category encompasses the complex ways in which individuals relate to, influence, and interact with one another, and the resulting patterns of behavior at both the micro and macro levels. It explores the foundational principles governing social life, from ...
Groups and Institutions
This category encompasses terms relating to the structure, function, and dynamics of both families and broader social groups. It explores how individuals interact within these units, the forces that shape those interactions, and the resulting consequences for ...
Sociological Paradigms
This category encompasses foundational theories and perspectives used within the field of Sociology to understand social phenomena. It includes both broad sociological paradigms and specific applications of those paradigms to key areas of sociological study.
Social Influence
This category encompasses concepts and theories central to understanding how individuals think, feel, and behave in relation to others. It focuses on the impact of social context, group processes, and interpersonal dynamics on individual attitudes, beliefs, an...
Neuroanatomy
Neurotransmission and Neurochemistry
Genetics
Neuroendocrine System
Intelligence and Problem-Solving
Cognition and Perception
Emotion
Motivation
Regulation and Resilience
Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Social Learning
Memory
Recall
Classification and Diagnosis
Treatment Approaches
Resilience and Recovery
Values and Beliefs
Subcultures
Cultural Change and Continuity
Medicalization
Medicalization Medicalization is the process by which non-medical problems become defined and treated as medical issues—often in the form of diagnoses, treatments, or interventions. This concept is central to understanding how power, culture, and institutions ...
Sick Role
The Sick Role The concept of the sick role was introduced by sociologist Talcott Parsons in 1951 to describe the social expectations surrounding illness and medical treatment in modern societies. Rather than viewing illness solely as a biological event, the si...
Biopsychosocial Approach
Definition: The biopsychosocial approach is a framework for understanding human behavior and mental processes by examining the interaction of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors. Core Components: Biological factors: Genetic predispositions, ...
Dual Processing
Definition: Dual processing is the principle that the mind operates on two levels at once: a conscious track and an unconscious track. These two tracks work in parallel. Two-Track Mind: Conscious processing: Deliberate, intentional thought (e.g., solving a p...
Nature vs Nurture Issue
Definition The nature–nurture issue is a long-standing debate over the relative influence of genetic inheritance (nature) and environmental experience (nurture) in shaping psychological traits and behavior. Modern Perspective Today’s psychological science reco...
Providing Aid and Assistance
Providing Aid and Assistance Societies provide assistance for a variety of reasons—some rooted in compassion, others in pragmatism, and still others in control. While motivations differ, most systems of aid can be understood through three general goals: promot...
De Facto Segregation
Definition De facto segregation refers to the separation of people based on race, ethnicity, or other social categories that occurs indirectly through social norms, economic factors, or individual choices, rather than being explicitly enforced by law. It is di...
Perspectives on Forced Help
Perspectives on Forced Help At what point—if ever—should a society require someone to accept help? This question rests at the intersection of personal liberty, public interest, and moral philosophy. While voluntary support is broadly accepted, mandated assista...
Case Study
Definition An in-depth study of a single case or a small group. Example A researcher wants to study the process of recovery from depression. She conducts structured and/or unstructured interviews with one individual, or a small group of individuals, who have...
Confounding Variable
Definition An outside influence that affects the dependent and independent variables, potentially distorting results. Example A researcher is attempting to establish whether there is a relationship between social status and resilience. The research design fa...
Construct
Definition An abstract concept used in research (e.g., intelligence, stress). Example A researcher is attempting to identify the factors that contribute to happiness. Since happiness is an abstract concept, it is a construct that needs to be explicitly defin...
Correlation
Definition A statistical measure that describes the extent to which two variables are related. Example Correlation is measured on a scale of -1.0 to 1.0. Scores closer to zero indicate an insignificant relationship between two variables. Negative scores ind...
Cross-Sectional Study
Definition A study that analyzes data from a population at a single point in time. Example A researcher wishes to examine mental health issues among college students. He gathers data from a sample of students, assessing various aspects of mental health and a...
Dependent Variable
Definition The variable that is measured in a study to see the effect of the independent variable. Example A researcher wants to study the effects of a new form of therapy on people experiencing anxiety. A sample is selected and randomly assigned to either a ...
Experiment
Definition A research method that involves manipulating one variable to determine its effect on another. Example A researcher conducts a true experimental study to determine if a new 12-week anti-bullying program improves students’ self-esteem. Two hundred hi...
Hypothesis
Definition A testable prediction about the relationship between two or more variables. Example A researcher, after reviewing the academic literature related to narcissistic characteristics, finds that there has been very little mention of the potential connec...
Independent Variable
Definition The variable that is manipulated to observe its effect on the dependent variable. Example A researcher wants to study the effects of a new form of therapy on people experiencing anxiety. A sample is selected and randomly assigned to either a contro...
Informed Consent
Definition Ensuring participants are fully aware of the study and voluntarily agree to participate. Example Informed consent is a way to make sure that research participants are fully aware of the nature of the research before they consent to participate. An...
Institutional Review Board
Definition A committee that reviews research proposals to ensure ethical standards are met. Example The Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews research proposed by a research who wants to determine the impact of isolation on cognitive ability. The procedur...
Absolute Threshold
Definition The absolute threshold is the minimum level of stimulus energy required for a person to detect or notice something through their senses. It represents the point at which a stimulus becomes strong enough to be perceived by the brain, even if it is no...