Kitty Genovese was a woman murdered outside her Queens, New York apartment in 1964. False reports initially suggested that neighbors had witnessed the crime yet failed to report what they saw. The case captured the public’s attention and the interest of psychology researchers, who coined the term “bystander effect” to explain why people are less…
From basic survival to self-actualization, Maslow’s hierarchy reveals how our deepest needs shape the way we live, work, and pursue happiness.
Psychology is often defined as the study of the mind and behavior, a very broad topic that is often broken down into a number of different branches of psychology. Each of these branches of psychology is centered on a specific subfield within psychology. The four main branches of psychology are often defined as clinical psychology,…
The Keirsey Temperament Sorter is a self-inventory personality questionnaire developed by psychologist David Keirsey and introduced in his 1978 book titled Please Understand Me. Keirsey based his assessment on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The Keirsey Temperament Sorter categorizes people into one of four different temperaments: Gaurdian, Artisan, Idealist, and Rational. Each temperament is then…
Abraham Maslow was an influential American psychologist who founded the school of thought known as humanistic psychology. His famous hierarchy of needs describes how people are motivated by increasingly complex needs. Maslow was inspired to develop his theory by his dissatisfaction with some of the major theories of psychology that existed at the time. He…
Shaping is a conditioning technique that involves working toward a target behavior by breaking it down into gradual, successive steps and rewarding each step on the path toward the desired outcome. Psychologist B. F. Skinner introduced the concept as part of his operant conditioning theory. Shaping is a term used in behavioral psychology to establish…
The Barnum effect is a type of cognitive bias that involves a tendency to believe that vague, general personality descriptions apply specifically and uniquely to them. Horoscopes are a good example of this phenomenon. While each horoscope is general, generic, and can apply to virtually anyone, people often feel like their own horoscope is strangely…
According to humanist psychologist Carl Rogers, human beings have an innate drive to grow as individuals and to achieve their full potential. He referred to this desire as the actualizing tendency. Self-Actualization and the Actualizing Tendency Rogers believed that the underlying motive that all people share is a need to become self-actualized. The self-actualized person…
Psychology is a broad field with numerous specialties to explore, ranging from clinical psychology to lesser-known areas like forensic psychology or industrial-organizational psychology. Whether you’re drawn to mental health care or business environments, understanding psychology specialties is crucial to making an informed career choice. Many students find themselves faced with a choice as they prepare…
The scarcity principle is a psychological phenomenon where people perceive items or opportunities as more valuable when they are limited in availability. This principle suggests that scarcity creates a sense of urgency or desire, leading individuals to place higher value on scarce resources or opportunities compared to abundant ones. Essentially, people have a tendency to…
The projection bias is a type of cognitive bias that involves overestimating the degree to which other people agree with us. People tend to assume that others think, feel, believe, and behave much like they do. They assume that their way of thinking about something or doing things is typical, and therefore other normal people…
The Contingency Theory of Leadership challenges the one-size-fits-all approach to management, suggesting that effective leaders must adapt their style to the specific needs of each situation. Here’s how this theory reshapes our understanding of leadership.
Maladaptive perfectionism is a psychological trait characterized by an excessive preoccupation with flawless performance, an unrelenting pursuit of unrealistically high standards, and an inability to accept anything less than perfection. It often results in impaired functioning and emotional distress, leading to procrastination, anxiety, depression, and feelings of inadequacy or failure. Adaptive vs. Maladaptive Perfectionism In…
A factorial design is a type of experiment that involves manipulating two or more variables. While simple psychology experiments look at how one independent variable affects one dependent variable, researchers often want to know more about the effects of multiple independent variables. How a Factorial Design Works Let’s take a closer look at how a…
Jean Piaget’s stages of cognitive development shed light on how children’s thinking evolves. Explore the key phases that shape intelligence from infancy to adolescence.
The serial position effect refers to the tendency to be able to better recall the first and last items on a list than the middle items. Psychology Hermann Ebbinghaus noted during his research that his ability to remember the items on a list depended on the position of the item on the list. An example…
Stress is just a part of life, but too much negative stress can have a serious impact on your health and wellness. Researchers have shown that while stress can sometimes be good, helping you prepare to face challenges and perform your best, it can also have both short-term and long-term effects on your health. It…
In psychology research, an institutional review board (also known as an IRB) is a group of individuals who review and monitor research that involves human subjects. Institutional review boards help ensure that the rights, welfare, and safety of participants are protected. They also help safeguard that psychology studies follow ethical and research guidelines such as…
What exactly can you do with a psychology degree? For many people, the term ‘psychologist’ means someone who offers mental health services. While this certainly represents a significant subset of psychologists, there are actually many different types of psychologists including many who work in fields you might not be familiar with, including many different applied…
Diana Baumrind is a developmental psychologist who is perhaps best-known for her research on parenting styles and her writings on ethics in psychological research. Through her work, she identified three primary styles of parenting. Two critical factors that she looked at during her research included how responsive parents were to their children and the demands…
