Do you enjoy psychoanalyzing the people around you? Does interpreting dreams sound like fun? Are you inspired by the work and theories of Sigmund Freud? Here is a tongue-in-cheek list of a few signs that you might be the next great psychoanalyst. (Disclosure: I am neither a psychoanalyst nor a comedian.) The Bottom Line Analyzing…
The bias blind spot is a cognitive bias that involves not being able to recognize your own biases. You probably realize that there are subtle cognitive biases that influence your perceptions and decisions. Yet, if you are like most people, you also tend to notice those biases more in other people than in yourself. This…
All of us make bad decisions from time to time. The judgments and choices you make each day, no matter how big or how small, are all influenced by a wide variety of biases, prejudices, emotions, errors, mental short-cuts, and oversimplifications. With so many factors, it is important to learn how to make better decisions….
Here are a number of great psychology experiment ideas. If you need an idea for an experiment, this is a great place to start.
The psychologist job outlook is expected to be stronger than the average over the next decade, which is perhaps why psychology has become one of the most popular majors at universities throughout the United States, ranking in the top five degrees awarded at many schools. It has also become a popular online degree option, with…
Resilience is your ability to bounce back from adversity and trauma. This quality is the key to being able to handle what life throws at you. Resilient people are better able to manage stress, deal with challenges, and carry on even when the obstacles seem insurmountable. There will always be challenges in life, some harder…
There have been a lot of articles making the rounds on social media about how to tell if you are an extrovert or an introvert. A lot of these are fun and interesting, but to be honest I find many of them rife with cliches, stereotypes, and sweeping generalizations. Not All Extroverts and Introverts Are…
If you are learning all about Erik Erikson’s stages of development, it can be really helpful to have a psychosocial summary chart. We have a free, printable chart available that briefly summarizes each stage, the approximate ages at which each stage takes place, as well as the possible outcomes that can take place at each…
Both classical conditioning and operant are central to behaviorism, but students often get confused about the differences between the two. Classical and operant conditioning are both types of learning that involve learning by association. However, there are important differences between the two. The main difference between classical conditioning and operant conditioning is that classical conditioning…
Believing in your ability to succeed can make all the difference. Explore how self-efficacy shapes confidence, motivation, and achievement.
If you have ever had to write a paper for one of your psychology classes, then you probably know that choosing psychology paper topics can sometimes be tricky. Fortunately, there are plenty of great topics for psychology research papers to help you finish your assignment. Keep reading to learn more about how to find topics…
Some of the most well-known psychologists in history have played a key role in shaping our understanding of the human mind and behavior. Many of them were also philosophers, educators, and therapists, contributing to multiple areas of study. Some introduced theories that are considered controversial, but their ideas have had a lasting influence on the…
Intrinsic motivation involves a driving force behind behavior that emerges from within rather than as a result of external reward. In other words, it is a type of motivation that involves doing things because you find them naturally satisfying or doing things for their own sake because you find them enjoyable. Intrinsic motivation is usually contrasted…
Structuralism, an early school of thought in psychology, aimed to decompose the human mind into its most basic components. By analyzing individual elements of consciousness, it sought to understand the structure of mental processes. Key Takeaways What Is Structuralism in Psychology? Structuralism is an early school of psychology founded by Wilhelm Wundt and popularized by…
In Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, accommodation refers to the process by which people alter their existing schemas or create new schemas as a result of new learning. This is part of the adaptation process. Old schemas may be changed and, in some cases, entirely new schemas may be formed. How Accommodation Works Piaget’s theory…
Random selection refers to a process that researchers use to pick participants for a study. When using this method, every single member of a population has an equal chance of being chosen as a subject. This process is an important research tool used in psychology research, allowing scientists to create representative samples from which conclusions…
Definition: Expectancy effects refer to changes in behavior that occur simply because the participant in an experiment believes that their behavior should change. In other words, people sometimes change how they act in certain situations simply because they think that their behavior is supposed to change. Researchers often utilize placebo control groups to determine if…
Why do some people choose to give up their time, money, or even safety to help other people? According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 30% of adults in the United States spend some time volunteering to help others each year. According to many psychologists, it is compassion that drives people to reach out and…
A mindset is a set of beliefs about yourself that shape how you interpret and interact with the world around you. These belief systems not only impact your behavior but also influence your ability to reach your goals. These results support the previous findings of psychologist Carol Dweck. Dweck’s work suggests that praising children for…
It’s no secret that your environment can play a crucial role in both your physical and mental health. One new study suggests that living near a forest is linked to a healthier brain structure. How Nature Impacts the Brain The study, published in Scientific Reports, examines how proximity to nature impacts the brain. Previous research…
