Psychology

Just-World Phenomenon A common cognitive bias in which people assume outcomes are deserved, often producing victim-blaming, rationalizations, and social consequences. Covers definition, research, exampl…

Kleptomania: an impulse-control disorder characterized by recurrent stealing Kleptomania Kleptomania is a psychiatric impulse-control disorder marked by recurrent, uncontrollable urges to steal items not needed for personal use. Covers symptoms, causes, diagnosis, trea…

Knowledge of Results: feedback about performance in learning and behavior Knowledge of results Knowledge of results (KR) is information given after an action that informs a learner about the outcome, used in education, therapy, motor learning and behavior change.

Language attrition: causes, patterns, and recovery Language attrition Language attrition is the partial or complete loss of a language previously learned. This article explains types, contributing factors, historical study, practical consequences, an…

Lateralization of Brain Function Lateralization describes how the left and right cerebral hemispheres specialize in different cognitive and sensorimotor tasks while cooperating through interconnections.

Learning: processes, types, development, and biological basis Learning Learning is the process by which organisms acquire knowledge, skills, or behaviors through experience, practice, or maturation. Major forms include conditioning, imitation, play, i…

List of Emotions: Overview, Categories, and Examples List of emotions Comprehensive overview of human emotions: major categories, common examples, psychological components, development, measurement, and notable distinctions.

List of phobias Overview and representative list of phobias: definitions, common examples, causes, symptoms, treatments, history and key distinctions between normal fear and clinical phobia.

Logorrhea Logorrhea is an excessive, often incoherent flow of speech seen as a symptom in psychiatric and neurological conditions; diagnosis and treatment focus on the underlying cause.

Loneliness: causes, effects, history, and ways to cope Loneliness Loneliness is the subjective distress of perceived social isolation. This article summarizes its types, common causes, health and social effects, cultural history, research approac…

Long-term memory: types, mechanisms, and everyday importance Long-term memory An accessible overview of long-term memory: its forms, biological basis, differences from short-term memory, consolidation and retrieval, common examples, and factors that affect r…

Lucid dreaming Lucid dream Lucid dreaming is the experience of being aware within a dream. This article explains what lucid dreams are, how they differ from ordinary dreams, historical study, induction metho…

Lüscher Color Test: origins, method, uses, and criticisms Lüscher color test A summary of the Lüscher color test: its origin, method of using color preferences to infer psychological states, typical interpretations, applications, and scientific criticisms.

Madness (Insanity): meanings, symptoms, history and legal/social aspects Madness Overview of madness (insanity): historical and modern meanings, common symptoms and causes, cultural stigma, legal distinctions and notable examples such as rabies-related behaviou…

Magical thinking: beliefs, examples, psychology, and cultural roles Magical thinking Magical thinking is the attribution of causal power to actions, words, or thoughts without empirical evidence. It appears in rituals, superstitions, and some religious practices an…

Mania: an overview of elevated mood, causes, and features Mania Mania is an abnormally elevated or irritable mood state often seen in bipolar disorder; this article explains symptoms, causes, severity, history, and clinical considerations.

Marvin Zuckerman: Psychologist of Sensation Seeking and Psychobiological Personality Marvin Zuckerman Marvin Zuckerman (1928–2018) was an American psychologist known for developing the concept and measures of sensation seeking and for research into the biological bases of personali…

Maslow's hierarchy of needs A psychological theory classifying human motivations into a progression of needs, from basic physiological requirements to higher aspirations like self-actualization and beyond.

Masochism: Definitions, History, and Social Context Masochism Masochism: deriving pleasure from pain, humiliation, or submission. Covers clinical meanings, historical origins, how it differs from sadism, consensual BDSM contexts, and therapeu…

Mass hysteria (mass psychogenic illness): causes, history, and responses Mass hysteria Mass hysteria or mass psychogenic illness describes episodes when groups share emotions, behaviors, or physical symptoms without an identifiable organic cause; it implicates psycho…

Masturbation: definition, practices, health, and social perspectives Masturbation Overview of masturbation: what it is, common methods and devices, health effects, prevalence, social and historical views, mutual practices, and notable facts about animals and mis…

Maternal bond The maternal bond describes the emotional and caretaking connection that typically develops between a woman and a child, shaped by biological, psychological and social factors acro…

May-Britt Moser — Norwegian psychologist and neuroscientist May-Britt Moser Norwegian psychologist and neuroscientist, co-discoverer of grid cells and co-recipient of the 2014 Nobel Prize for research on the brain's spatial mapping; leader of research at N…

Meditation: practices, history, techniques, and benefits Meditation Meditation is a set of mental practices that cultivate focused attention, relaxed awareness, and insight. This article explains methods, history, benefits, and practical guidance f…

Megalomania: definition, traits, history and clinical context Megalomania An overview of megalomania: its meaning, characteristic signs, historical usage, and how modern psychiatry treats related symptoms and diagnoses.

Melancholia: clinical definition, history, and distinctions Melancholia Melancholia is a historical and clinical term for a severe form of depressive illness marked by profound sadness, loss of pleasure, psychomotor change, and biological symptoms; onc…

Melancholy — mood, history, and cultural meaning Melancholy Melancholy: a mood of deep, pensive sadness and a historical medical concept. Covers characteristics, historical origins, clinical distinctions, treatments, and cultural significan…

Melanie Klein (1882–1960) Melanie Klein Austrian-British psychoanalyst who pioneered child analysis and object relations theory, introducing concepts such as the paranoid–schizoid and depressive positions and projective…

Mental breakdown (nervous breakdown): overview, symptoms, causes, and help Mental breakdown A mental breakdown (often called a nervous breakdown) is a non‑medical phrase describing a sudden inability to function from overwhelming stress, anxiety, or depression; symptoms,…

Mental confusion: overview, causes, signs, and management Mental confusion Mental confusion is a symptom characterized by disorientation, memory and attention problems. This article explains signs, common causes, diagnostic clues, management and how it di…

Mental disorders: causes, diagnosis, treatment, and impact on daily functioning Mental illness Comprehensive overview of mental disorders: causes and risk factors, diagnostic criteria and classification, evidence-based treatments including therapy and medication, and effects…

Mental state (psychological condition) Mental state A mental state is an individual’s current psychological condition — thoughts, feelings, awareness and cognition — influenced by biology, experience and environment and assessed in…

Mental State Examination (MSE): purpose, components, and clinical use Mental state examination Structured clinical assessment describing a person’s current mental state. Covers core domains, administration, documentation, uses, limitations and relation to brief cognitive scr…

Michael A. Persinger Michael Persinger Canadian psychologist known for temporal-lobe stimulation, the 'God helmet' experiments, and geomagnetic correlations with religious and anomalous experiences; long-time professor…

Milgram experiments on obedience Milgram experiment Series of social psychology studies by Stanley Milgram (early 1960s) showing how far people will follow authority instructions, and the ethical debate and legacy they provoked.

Mind: overview of cognition, consciousness, emotion, and philosophical questions Mind The mind denotes the mental capacities for thinking, feeling, perceiving and deciding. This article outlines its functions, components, historical views and modern debates in scien…

Mind control (brainwashing and coercive persuasion) Mind control Mind control refers to attempts to unduly influence or override a person's beliefs and choices through manipulation, coercion, or psychological pressure; the concept is debated and…

Mindset: concept, types, effects, and how to change it Mindset Summary of mindset: definition, major types (fixed vs growth), origins in psychology, applications in education and work, practical ways to shift mindset, and common criticisms.

Misandry: definition, manifestations, and social context Misandry Misandry is hostility, contempt, or prejudice toward men or boys. This article explains its meaning, forms, distinctions from related concepts, historical usage, and why it matters…

Mood: definition, causes, duration, and clinical significance Mood A mood is a more enduring emotional state that influences perception and behavior. This article explains characteristics, causes, differences from emotions, clinical mood disorders…

Mood swing A mood swing is a relatively rapid shift in emotional state. It can be a normal, adaptive response or, when extreme, part of a psychiatric condition such as bipolar disorder.

Moral reasoning: how people make judgments about right and wrong Moral reasoning An overview of moral reasoning: definitions, psychological models, philosophical background, applications, and distinctions between judgment, action, and emotion.

Motivation: psychological and biological drivers of behavior Motivation Motivation: the forces that initiate, direct, and sustain behavior. Explains biological and psychological types, major theories, history, measurement, and practical applications in…

Münchausen syndrome (factitious disorder): overview, causes, and treatment Münchausen syndrome Münchausen syndrome is a form of factitious disorder in which a person deliberately produces or feigns illness to assume the patient role. Covers features, history, related conditi…

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Overview of the Myers‑Briggs Type Indicator: its structure, origins in Jungian theory, common uses, and major strengths and criticisms.

Narcissism Narcissism is a personality pattern emphasizing self-admiration, entitlement, and sensitivity to criticism; in extreme form it can be diagnosed as narcissistic personality disorder…

Narcissistic personality disorder Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a Cluster B condition characterized by grandiosity, a strong need for admiration, limited empathy, and patterns of interpersonal difficul…

Necrophilia Necrophilia — a paraphilia involving sexual attraction to corpses — explained: types, clinical perspective, legal issues, historical notes, forensic and ethical concerns.