What are the top 100 English psychology words?

1. Addiction /əˈdɪk.ʃən/ [addict; addictive; addicting] psychological and/or physiological dependency on a substance or behaviour

“She has an addiction to alcohol and cigarettes.”

2. Aggression /əˈɡreʃ.ən/ [aggressive; aggressor] non-subtle or subtle hostility; either innate or resulting from ongoing frustration and directed towards self and/or others

“His aggression stems from years of childhood abuse.”

3. Altruism /ˈæl.tru.ɪ.zəm/ [altruist; altruistic] the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others

“She’s quite self-centred and is not at all known for her altruism.”

4. Amnesia /æmˈniː.zi.ə/ [amnesiac] partial or total loss of memory

“After the accident he suffered periods of amnesia.”

5. Amygdala /əˈmɪɡ.də.lə/ one of two parts of the brain that affect how people feel emotions, especially fear and pleasure

“The amygdala is an almond-shaped neural structure in the anterior part of the temporal lobe of the cerebrum that plays an important role in motivation and emotional behaviour.”

6. Anal Personality /ˈeɪ.nəlˌpɜː.sənˈæl.ə.ti/ a personality characterized by meticulous neatness and suspicion and reserve

“He is quite anal about his home and office space.”

7. Anorexia Nervosa /æn.əˌrek.si.ə nəˈvəʊ.sə/ [anorexic] eating disorder whereby a person experiences cognitive distortions regarding weight and body size

“He has suffered with anorexia since childhood and rarely eats well.”

8. Antipsychotic /ˈæn.tisaɪˈkɒt.ɪk / tranquilizer used to treat psychotic conditions when a calming effect is desired

“The antipsychotic was administered and took effect quickly.”

9. Antisocial Personality /ˌæn.tiˈsəʊ.ʃəlˌpɜː.sənˈæl.ə.ti / behaviors that are usually not acceptable in society; i.e. setting fires, physically harming other living things

“The patient exhibits many signs of antisocial personality disorder.”

10. Anxiety /æŋˈzaɪ.ə.ti/ [anxious; anxiousness] a state of psychic tension, producing emotional and physiological stress symptoms as a result of worry and/or part of a mental health issue (disorder)

“Children normally feel a lot of anxiety about their first day at school.”

11. Aphasia /əˈfeɪ.ʒə/ [aphasic] a medical condition that makes a person unable to speak, write, or understand speech or writing because of damage to the brain

“An inability to use language because of a brain lesion is known as aphasia.”

12. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder /əˌten.ʃən ˌdef.ɪ.sɪt haɪ.pər.ækˈtɪv.ə.ti dɪˌsɔː.dər/ a condition in which someone, especially a child, is often in a state of activity or excitement and unable to direct their attention towards what they are doing

“I’m concerned that my son may have ADHD.”

13. Attitude /ˈæt.ɪ.tʃuːd/ [attitudinal] a person’s mindset at any given point in time; does not always remain constant or match behaviour

“He seems to have undergone a change in attitude recently and has become more cooperative.”

14. Avoidant Behaviours /əˈvɔɪdənt bɪˈheɪ.vjərs / intentional avoidance of a person, place or situation that historically has caused someone anxiety

“The subject is displaying characteristics of avoidant behaviour and introversion.”

15. Behaviourism /bɪˈheɪ.vjə.rɪ.zəm/ [behaviour; behaviourist] the theory that human or animal behaviour is based on conditioning (= mental training and the influence of habit), rather than being explained by thoughts and feelings

16. Bereavement /bɪˈriːv.mənt/[bereave; bereaved] a state of sadness that is similar to depression; occurs after the loss of a loved one or a tragic event and is hallmarked by grief

“The bereavement was too much to bear and so she sought psychological help.”

17. Bipolar Disorder /baɪˈpəʊ.lə dɪˌsɔː.dər/ [bipolarism] mood disorders that fluctuate between depressive and manic episodes

“Around one in every 100 adults has bipolar disorder at a given time.”

18. Catharsis /kəˈθɑː.sɪs/ [cathartic] the process of releasing strong emotions through a particular activity or experience, such as writing or theatre, in a way that helps you to understand those emotions

“Crying can be a very cathartic experience for many people.”

19. Cerebral Hemisphere /ˌser.ɪ.brəl ˈhem.ɪ.sfɪər/ one of the two halves of the cerebrum, each of which controls the opposite side of the body

20. Cognition /kɒɡˈnɪʃ.ən/ [cognitive] the psychological result of perception and reasoning

“This is a book on human learning, memory, and cognition.”

21. Cognitive Dissonance /ˌkɒɡ.nə.tɪv ˈdɪs.ən.əns/a state in which a person has conflicting thoughts and perceptions of an event or situation, commonly linked to personal behaviours

“Cognitive dissonance may allow people to reconcile reports that the war is not going well with their belief that it is going well.”

22. Compulsion /kəmˈpʌl.ʃən/ [compulsive] an inner drive that causes a person to perform actions, often of a trivial and repetitive nature, against his or her will

“For many people, dieting is a compulsion.”

23. Conditioning /kənˈdɪʃ.ən.ɪŋ/ [condition; conditioned] the learning process by which the behaviour of an organism becomes dependent on an event occurring in its environment

“Conditioning starts as soon as boys are given guns to play with and girls are given dolls.”

24. Conflict /ˈkɒn.flɪkt/ [conflicted] an open clash between two opposing groups

“His outspoken views would frequently bring him into conflict with the president.”

25. Conformity /kənˈfɔː.mə.ti/ [conform; conformist] adjusting personal behaviours to meet a given group’s standard

“It’s depressing how much conformity there is in such young children.”

26. Consciousness /ˈkɒn.ʃəs.nəs/ [conscious] an awareness of one’s environment and the self

“Working in an unemployment office had helped to raise his political consciousness.”

27. Deception /dɪˈsep.ʃən/ [deceive; deceived] a misleading falsehood

“He was found guilty of obtaining money by deception.”

28. Delusion /dɪˈluː.ʒən/ [delude; deluded] an erroneous belief held in the face of contrary evidence

“He’s under the delusion that he will be promoted this year.”

29. Dementia /dɪˈmen.ʃə/ [demented] condition in which one experiences significant cognitive decline

“The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease.”

30. Depression /dɪˈpreʃ.ən/ [depressed; depressing] a mind body psychiatric condition characterized by lack of motivation, inability to concentrate, sadness and helplessness

“I was overwhelmed by feelings of depression.”

31. Disposition /ˌdɪs.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/ [disposed] your usual mood

“She is of a nervous/cheerful/sunny disposition.”

32. Dopamine /ˈdəʊ.pə.miːn/ a monoamine neurotransmitter found in the brain and essential for the normal functioning of the central nervous system

“His dopamine levels are too low to functional normally.”

33. Ego /ˈiː.ɡəʊ/ [egoist; egositic] your idea or opinion of yourself, especially your feeling of your own importance and ability

“That man has such an enormous ego – I’ve never known anyone so full of themselves!”

34. Emotional Intelligence /ɪˌməʊ.ʃən.əl ɪnˈtel.ɪ.dʒəns/ one’s ability to regulate, process, and express emotions

“Individuals with even a small degree of emotional intelligence are a dream to work for.”

35. Euphoria /juːˈfɔː.ri.ə/ [euphoric] extreme happiness, sometimes more than is reasonable in a particular situation

“They were in a state of euphoria for days after they won the prize.”

36. Extrovert /ˈek.strə.vɜːt/ [extroversion; extroverted] opposite of introvert; personality type that enjoys being social and in social settings

“Most performers are extroverted even if they don’t admit it.”

37. Gender Identity /ˈdʒen.dər aɪˌden.tə.ti/ your identity as it is experienced with regard to your individuality as male or female, both male and female, or neither

“Gender identities are fluid and have nothing to do with sexual preference.”

38. Generalisation /ˌdʒen.ə r.əl.aɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/ [generalise; generalised] transfer of a response learned to one stimulus to a similar stimulus

“The report is full of errors and sweeping/broad generalisations.”

39. Groupthink /ˈɡruːpθɪŋk/ the process in which bad decisions are made by a group because its members do not want to express opinions, suggest new ideas, etc. that others may disagree with:

“Most of us thought the product wouldn’t sell, but nobody told the boss – that’s the danger of groupthink.”

40. Guided Imagery /ɡaɪdɪdˈɪm.ɪ.dʒər.i/ use of mental imagery, visual and sometimes auditory, to create an experience, used in meditation

41. Habit /ˈhæb.ɪt/ [habitual; habituated] an automatic pattern of behaviour in reaction to a situation

“I don’t mind being woken up once or twice in the middle of the night by my flatmate so long as she doesn’t make a habit of it.”

42. Heredity /hɪˈred.ə.ti/ [hereditary] the transmission of genetic factors to the next generation

“Diet and exercise can influence a person’s weight, but heredity is also a factor.”

43. Hypnosis /hɪpˈnəʊ.sɪs/ [hypnotic; hypnotised] an artificially induced state of relaxation and concentration in which deeper parts of the mind become more accessible (used clinically to reduce reaction to pain, to encourage free association, etc.)

“Under deep hypnosis she remembered the traumatic events of that night.”

44. Hypochondriac /ˌhaɪ.pəˈkɒn.dri.æk/ [hypochondria] a person who is preoccupied with becoming ill; holds irrational beliefs about becoming “sick”

“She’s a terrible hypochondriac – she’s always at the doctor’s.”

45. Hysteria /hɪˈstɪə.ri.ə/ [hysterical] state of violent mental agitation

“Tabloid hysteria about the murders has increased public fears.”

46. Hypothalamus /ˌhaɪ.pəʊˈθæl.ə.məs/ a small part in the brain that controls things such as body temperature and the release of hormones, that is below the thalamus

47. Hypothesis /haɪˈpɒθ.ə.sɪs/ [hypotheses; hypothetical] a tentative insight that is not yet verified or tested

“Several hypotheses for global warming have been suggested.”

48. Id /ɪd/ the deepest part of the unconscious mind that represents the most basic natural human needs and emotions such as hunger, anger, and the wish for pleasure

49. Inferiority Complex /ɪn.fɪə.riˈɒr.ə.ti ˌkɒm.pleks/ a disorder arising from the conflict between the desire to be noticed and the fear of being humiliated, characterized by aggressiveness or withdrawal into oneself

“He’s always had an inferiority complex about his height.”

50. Informed Consent /ɪnˌfɔːmd kənˈsent/ consent by a patient to undergo a medical or surgical treatment or to participate in an experiment after the patient understands the risks involved

“Informed consent is the cornerstone of medical ethics.”

51. Inhibition /ˌɪn.hɪˈbɪʃ.ən/ [inhibit; inhibited] the conscious exclusion of unacceptable thoughts or desires

“After a couple of drinks he lost his inhibition and started talking and laughing loudly.”

52. Insanity /ɪnˈsæn.ə.ti/ [insane] legal term that indicates a person’s inability to take responsibility for their actions; the condition of being seriously mentally ill

“He was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity.”

53. Intelligence Quotient (IQ) /ɪnˈtel.ɪ.dʒənsˈkwəʊ.ʃənt / measurement of intelligence

“The man has an average IQ of 100.”

54. Introversion /ˌɪn.trəˈvɜː.ʃən/ [introvert; introverted] opposite of extroversion; characterized by the liking to be with oneself and do things in a solitary manner; not typically social

“She managed to overcome her introversion to the point that she could stand up on stage.”

55. Lobotomy /ləˈbɒt.ə.mi/ [lobotomise] surgery on nerves to and from the frontal lobe of the brain

“A lobotomy is a medical operation in which cuts are made in or near the front part of the brain, used in the past for the treatment of severe mental problems.”

56. Long-term Memory /lɒŋtɜːmˈmem.ər.i/ memories that are stored in the brain and can be accessed for recall from long ago

“She has an excellent long-term memory and can remember many aspects of her childhood.”

57. Mania /ˈmeɪ.ni.ə/ [manic] an irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action

“The article describes the religious mania that is sweeping the US.”

58. Mental Illness /ˌmen.təl ˈɪl.nəs/ psychological condition that impairs functioning; can be organic or non-organic in nature

“He’s been suffering with mental illness since he was a child.”

59. Mental Imagery /men.təlˈɪm.ɪ.dʒər.i/ projection of thoughts, sensations and experiences in the mind; used with guided meditation

60. Mental State /men.təlˈɪmsteɪt/ a mental condition in which the qualities of a state are relatively constant even though the state itself may be dynamic

61. Mind /maɪnd/ the human faculty to which are ascribed thought, feeling, etc; often regarded as an immaterial part of a person

“Her mind was full of what had happened the night before, and she just wasn’t concentrating.”

62. Mindfulness /ˈmaɪnd.fəl.nəs/ a process of living in there here and now and using all five senses to focus on the present

“Mindfulness can be used to alleviate feelings of anxiety and depression.”

63. Munchhausen’s Syndrome /ˈmʌn.tʃaʊ.zənz ˌsɪn.drəʊm/ a mental condition in which someone pretends to be ill or deliberately tries to make themselves ill in order to get attention and treatment from doctors or other medical workers

“A parent or caregiver who fabricates signs and/or symptoms of an illness in a child has Munchhausen’s Syndrome.”

64. Narcissist /ˈnɑː.sɪ.sɪst/ [narcissistic] psychological disorder characterized by lack of empathy or concern for others and tied to selfishness

65. Neocortex /ˈniː.əʊkɔː.teks/ part of the cerebral cortex that controls higher mental functioning

66. Neurosis /njʊəˈrəʊ.sɪs/ [neurotic; neuroses] a relatively mild mental disorder, characterized by symptoms such as hysteria, anxiety, depression, or obsessive behaviour

“If you want my opinion, I think she’s suffering from some form of neurosis.”

67. Neurotransmitter /ˌnjʊə.rəʊ.trænzˈmɪt.ər/ [neurotransmission] chemical released by a neuron that carries information across gaps and the synapse

68. Nonconformist /ˌnɒn.kənˈfɔː.mɪst/ [nonconform] person who typically goes against the grain and does not conform to societal rules

“A nonconformist lives and thinks in a way that is different from other people.”

69. Obedience /əˈbiː.di.əns/ [obedient] subservient behaviours and actions towards a person perceived as an authority figure

“He demands unquestioning obedience from his soldiers.”

70. Obsessive-compulsive Disorder /əbˌses.ɪv.kəmˈpʌl.sɪv dɪˌsɔː.dər/ anxiety disorder characterized by an obsessive and/or compulsive need to control one’s environment

“He said that symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder include continual washing and cleaning, checking of themselves or others to avoid harm, repeating a sequence or phrase and hoarding useless items.”

71. Panic Disorder /ˈpæn.ɪkdɪˈsɔː.dər/ the experience of constant and unexpected panic attacks

“I’ve been suffering with a panic disorder since I returned from the war.”

72. Paranoia /ˌpær.əˈnɔɪ.ə/ [paranoid] a form of schizophrenia characterized by a slowly progressive deterioration of the personality, involving delusions and often hallucinations

“There’s a lot of paranoia about crime at the moment.”

73. Pathology /pəˈθɒl.ə.dʒi/ the scientific study of behaviour and disease, including outcomes

“He came to the United States to study pathology in 1983.”

74. Persuasion /pəˈsweɪ.ʒən/ [persuade; persuasive] communication intended to induce belief or action

“She will help you – she just needs a little gentle persuasion.”

75. Personality /ˌpɜː.sənˈæl.ə.ti/ [personal; personalities] a person’s pattern of thinking, acting and feeling

“He is well qualified for the job, but he does lack a warm personality.”

76. Personableness /ˈpɜː.sən.ə.bəlness/ [personable] the complex of attributes that make a person socially attractive

“She is intelligent, hard-working, and personable.”

77. Phobia /ˈfəʊ.bi.ə/ [phobic] a cluster of anxiety disorders that are pathological in nature characterized by extreme fear of an object, situation or stimuli

“She refused the injection because she had a phobia about needles.”

78. Placebo Effect /pləˈsiː.bəʊɪˈfekt/ phenomenon where a person experiences relief from illness or distress even though they did not receive a true medication

“The pill she’d taken was made of sugar; it was a placebo effect.”

79. Positive Reinforcement /ˈpɒz.ə.tɪvˌriː.ɪnˈfɔːs.mənt/ stimulus presented after a desired response; increases probability of repeat desired behaviours

80. Psycholinguistics /saɪ.kəʊlɪŋˈɡwɪs.tɪks/ [psycholinguist] the branch of cognitive psychology that studies the psychological basis of linguistic competence and performance

“The area of linguistics that interests me is to do with the mind: psycholinguistics.”

81. Psychometrics /ˌsaɪ.kəʊˈmet.rɪks/ [psychometric] any branch of psychology concerned with psychological measurements

82. Psychopathology /ˌsaɪ.kəʊ.pəˈθɒl.ə.dʒi/ [psychopath] the branch of psychology concerned with abnormal behaviour

“She’s doing an MPhil in psychopathology.”

83. Psychotic Belief /saɪˈkɒ.tɪkbɪˈliːf/ an erroneous belief that is held in the face of evidence to the contrary

“It didn’t matter how much we proved otherwise, his psychotic belief endured.”

84. Psychosis /saɪˈkəʊ.sɪs/ [psychotic] extreme distortions in perception, rational thinking and/or affect

“She fell into a drug-induced psychosis.”

85. Psychosomatic /ˌsaɪ.kəʊ.səˈmæt.ɪk/ physical illness caused by psychological beliefs

“Her issues are psychosomatic: caused by anxiety and worry and not by an infection or injury.”

86. Psychotherapy /ˌsaɪ.kəʊˈθer.ə.pi/ [psychotherapist] a term used to describe talk-therapy; used in counselling and therapy as a treatment modality

“Psychotherapy is the treatment of mental illness by discussing someone’s problems with them instead of using drugs or operations.”

87. Regression /rɪˈɡreʃ.ən/ [regress; regressed] the adoption by an adult or adolescent of behaviour more appropriate to a child, especially as a defence mechanism to avoid anxiety

“The treatment was more effective than tamoxifen, which causes complete regression in only about 30% of cases.”

88. Repression /rɪˈpreʃ.ən/ [repress; repressed] the subconscious rejection of thoughts and impulses that conflict with conventional standards of conduct

“This is an example of unhealthy sexual repression.”

89. Schizophrenia /ˌskɪt.səˈfriː.ni.ə/ a psychotic disorder characterized by distortions of reality

“He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.”

90. Self-actualization /selfˈæk.tʃu.ə.laɪzation/ the highest need in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; the need to realize one’s full potential

91. Self-esteem /ˌself.ɪˈstiːm/ a feeling of pride in yourself

“The compliments she received after the presentation boosted her self-esteem.”

92. Serotonin /ˌse.rəˈtəʊ.nɪn/ a neurotransmitter involved in e.g. sleep and depression and memory

“Serotonin helps you feel relaxed and happy.”

93. Short-term Memory /ˌʃɔːt.tɜːm ˈmem.ər.i/ the ability to hold and/or recall events stored in memory from the recent past

“The accident nearly killed him and destroyed his short-term memory.”

94. Socialisation /ˌsəʊ.ʃəl.aɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/ [socialise; socialised] process whereby children are inculcated into society and learn acceptable behaviors and beliefs in a culture

“Socialisation is done at younger ages, with physical training when the dog’s body is mature.”

95. Stress /stres/ [stressed; stressful] a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense

“People under a lot of stress may experience headaches, minor pains, and sleeping difficulties.”

96. Subconscious /ˌsʌbˈkɒn.ʃəs/ that part of the mind which is on the fringe of consciousness and contains material of which it is possible to become aware by redirecting attention

“The memory was buried deep within my subconscious.”

97. Substance Abuse /ˈsʌb.stəns əˌbjuːs/ the use of a substance in a way that it was not intended with the goal of producing a high

“As a substance abuser, he regularly used illegal or harmful drugs.”

98. Suppression /suˈpreʃ.ən/ [supress; supressed] the conscious exclusion of unacceptable thoughts or desires

“In some countries, suppression of free speech is common.”

99. Syndrome /ˈsɪn.drəʊm/ any combination of signs and symptoms that are indicative of a particular disease or disorder

“A syndrome is a combination of medical problems that shows the existence of a particular disease or mental condition.”

100. Unconscious /ʌnˈkɒn.ʃəs/ the part of the mind containing instincts, impulses, images, and ideas that are not available for direct examination

“Clearly, I had an unconscious desire to impress him.”