Psychology Vocabulary & Quiz

You can study psychology vocabulary on several pages of EnglishHints. On this page, there's a brief review of the most important concepts. (There are links at the bottom to more information.)

Then there's a 20-question quiz on some words that are important for understanding psychology .discussions.

What Do Psychologists Study?

A woman holding a drinking glass to a man's head, listening.
Text: Can you understand psychology discussions?

Psychologists study everything related to the human mind and human behavior.

Developmental psychologists observe growth and change over time.

Behavioral psychologists study behavior (the ways people act). For example, they may study people's reactions to stress.

Social psychologists study the interactions between people. They are interested in empathy— our response to the feelings and sufferings of others.

They study submission and domination, how people act in groups, and the different ways people respond to life and to each other.

Neuroscientists study the brain and nervous system. They experiment with

perception (how we see, hear, and experience life),
cognitive function (mental abilities like intelligence, memory, reason and judgment),
and emotion.

(These are all important aspects of psychology.) They also study nervous system disorders and dysfunctions.

Picture of a brain as puzzle pieces in different colors, with one piece outside of it.
Text: Perception, empathy, motivation, intelligence, memory, phobias, even psychosis—they all start here…

Clinical psychologists treat people with mental disorders. (So do psychiatrists, who are medical doctors specializing in treating mental illness.)

They treat addictions, autism, depression, phobias, anxiety, obsessions and compulsions.

They also treat psychosis (severe mental illness). Schizophrenia can cause disordered thinking, hallucinations, or paranoia. Bipolar disease has manic and depressive periods. Both can make life very difficult.

They have various therapies (types of treatments) to help people with these conditions. Therapies include combinations of medications, behavior modification, psychoanalysis, and other talk therapies.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps people change their way of thinking so they can change how they act.

Quiz on Psychology Vocabulary

Mark the best answer (or answers.) Then click on the right-pointing arrow to go on to the next question.

1. Abnormal psychology studies people who are
1. within their society’s norms
2. outside the norms for acceptable behavior
3. people of above-average intelligence
4. people of below average intelligence
2. Addiction
1. is an intense craving for something that overpowers other needs and rational decision-making
2. is an almost uncontrollable desire for opium, cocaine, tobacco, or other drugs
3. has physical and emotional effects
4. is all of the above
3. In psychology, anxiety refers to
1. a nervous personality
2. excessive worry and unfocussed fear
3. a feeling of insecurity and low self-worth
4. nervousness before a major test, job interview, etc.
4. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help people deal with irrational, limiting beliefs or reactions so they can return to more normal lives. For example, exposure therapy can help a patient face the thing they have feared in a controlled, risk-free situation, to reduce its terror for them. For this reason, exposure therapy is useful for treating: (check all that apply)
1. eating disorders
2. phobias
3. anxiety
4. bipolar disorder
5. post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, experienced by victims of war, natural disasters, or other major traumas)
5. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementias may include all of these EXCEPT
1. forgetfulness
2. personality changes
3. increased aggressiveness
4. increased productivity
5. vocabulary loss
6. disorientation
6. Clinical depression is
1. feelings of intense sadness or worthlessness for at least a few days
2. feeling very sad after the death of a relative or friend
3. long-term loss of energy, enthusiasm, and hope
4. a negative outlook on life
7. Hallucinations are
1. sensory experiences with no base in reality
2. exceptionally vivid dreams
3. delusions of grandeur or increased self-importance
4. neurotic beliefs
8.Mania is a stage in bipolar disease recognized by
1. sadness and lack of energy
2. intense energy and high spirits
3. extremely aggressive behavior and attempts to dominate a situation
4. submissive behavior
9. Which of the following are intrinsic motivators? (Mark all that apply.)
1. financial incentives like a salary increase
2. intellectual challenge
3. a bigger office
4. important work that will help society
5. a chance to become a corporate vice president
6. a pizza party for the fastest team
10. Perception is
1. what your eyes and ears do
2. fooling or misleading someone into believing something false
3. the way your brain processes and recognizes sensory input (what you see, smell, etc.)
4. D. a visual or auditory illusion
11. A personality test assesses
1. how well adjusted a person is
2. an individual’s characteristic temperament and traits
3. whether a person has a tendency to mental illness or dysfunction
4. a person’s value to an employer
12.If people are paranoid, they have
1. an exaggerated, unrealistic fear of heights, enclosed space, crowds, or spiders, etc.
2. a willingness to deceive, manipulate, or hurt others to get what they want.
3. an uncontrollable impulse to perform some ritual repeatedly
4. a belief that other people are trying to harm them.
13. People with a phobia have
1. an exaggerated, unrealistic fear of heights, enclosed space, crowds, or spiders, etc.
2. a willingness to deceive, manipulate, or hurt others to get what they want.
3. an uncontrollable impulse to perform some ritual repeatedly
4. a belief that other people are trying to harm them.
14. Psychopaths have
1. an exaggerated, unrealistic fear of heights, enclosed space, crowds, or spiders, etc.
2. a willingness to deceive, manipulate, or hurt others to get what they want.
3. an uncontrollable impulse to perform some ritual repeatedly
4. a belief that other people are trying to harm them.
15. Compulsive people have
1. an exaggerated, unrealistic fear of heights, enclosed space, crowds, or spiders, etc.
2. a willingness to deceive, manipulate, or hurt others to get what they want.
3. an uncontrollable impulse to perform some ritual repeatedly
4. a belief that other people are trying to harm them.
16. Which of these are parts of the nervous system?
1. the brain
2. neurons
3. spinal cord
4. thyroid gland
5. axons and synapses
6. ligaments
17. Which of these psychological theories relies most on rewards and punishments for behavioral modification (changing people’s ways of doing things)?
1. Humanistic psychology
2. Cognitive therapy
3. Behaviorism
4. Psychoanalysis
18. Children who want to share toys or candy with another child who has been hurt are showing
1. willpower
2. empathy
3. maturity
4. impulse control
19. A resilient person is
1. well-adjusted
2. able to get along well with other people
3. resourceful and quick to see opportunities
4. able to recover quickly from trauma and setbacks
20. Developmental psychology is concerned with
1. the development of neuroses and psychoses
2. the development of intelligence and cognitive skills
3. the stages of growth from childhood to maturity
4. the stages of development of healthy attitudes

Did you find the quiz helpful? You can make comments or suggestions below.

More Psych Vocabulary Practice

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Text: 'Learn the words to describe personality and attitudes.'

Use Personality Vocabulary to describe attitudes and personal traits. (It can help you write a better resume or C.V., too!)

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'Practice science words with these vocabulary & matching games.'

How much of this science vocabulary do you know? Find out with these category and matching games.

2 illustrations of gloved scientists at work: one making notes on test tubes and another holding two Petri dishes with bacterial cultures.

Scientific Method Vocabulary discusses the method (and key words) used by researchers, from behavioral psychologists to neuroscientists.

Comprehension Test on a talk on Motivation examines key research findings on what motivates people to do good work.

English Detective newsletters #9, 10, and 28 link to information on neuroscience and brain functioning. #33 examines a few aspects of mental dysfunctions and their treatments. For links to those readings and to practice activities, see back issues.

Check Your Reading Skill and Practice Scanning & Skimming offer advanced-level reading practice about mental health.

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