Psychology

Intelligence

1. the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.

Personality

1. the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character.

Achievement test

An achievement test is a test of developed skill or knowledge. The most common type of achievement test is a standardized test developed to measure skills and knowledge learned in a given grade level, usually through planned instruction, such as training or classroom instruction.

Deindividuation

Deindividuation is a concept in social psychology that is generally thought of as the losing of self-awareness in groups, although this is a matter of contention (see below). Sociologists also study the phenomenon of deindividuation, but the level of analysis is somewhat different.

Diffusion of responsibility

Diffusion of responsibility is a sociopsychological phenomenon whereby a person is less likely to take responsibility for action or inaction when others are present.

Group polarization

In social psychology, group polarization refers to the tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclination of its members.

Social cognition

In the area of social psychology, social cognition refers to a specific approach in which these processes are studied according to the methods of cognitive psychology and information processing theory.

Social loafing

In the social psychology of groups, social loafing is the phenomenon of people exerting less effort to achieve a goal when they work in a group than when they work alone.

Social inhibition

Social inhibition is a conscious or subconscious avoidance of a situation or social interaction. With a high level of social inhibition, situations are avoided because of the possibility of others disapproving of their feelings or expressions.

Bystander effect

The bystander effect, or bystander apathy, is a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases in which individuals do not offer any means of help to a victim when other people are present. The probability of help is inversely related to the number of bystanders.

Aptitude test

a test designed to determine a person's ability in a particular skill or field of knowledge.

Attribution theory

a theory that supposes that one attempts to understand the behavior of others by attributing feelings, beliefs, and intentions to them.

Defense mechanism

an automatic reaction of the body against disease-causing organisms.

Conformity

compliance with standards, rules, or laws.

Alturism

the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others.

Social psychology

the branch of psychology that deals with social interactions, including their origins and their effects on the individual.

Groupthink

the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages creativity or individual responsibility.

Cognitive dissonance

the state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioral decisions and attitude change.

Social facilitation

the tendency for people to do better on simple tasks when in the presence of other people. This implies that, whenever people are being watched by others, they will do well on things that they are already good at doing.