In this category, you’ll find articles related to our mental world like abilities and processes. It contains information on how our thoughts, feelings, and emotions make up who we are and how we learn.
Polarized thinking is a cognitive distortion. In other words, it’s a reasoning mistake we make without realizing it. It makes us process information incorrectly and this leads to emotional distress. Cognitive distortions were described by Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck. In…
Psychophysiology is the branch of psychology that studies the physiological foundation of the brain’s psychological processes. It analyzes behavior and the processes behind it. Since its beginnings in the 19th century, it has always studied the same thing. However, technology…
Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory is one of the most accepted explanations regarding the influence of social environments on human development. This theory argues that the environment you grow up in affects every facet of your life. Social factors determine your way of thinking,…
Many people in powerful positions experience high stress levels. It’s very important to learn how to manage this stress appropriately, especially if you don’t want to fall into harmful habits in an attempt to relieve your work-related stress. Annalise Keating from How…
Is it possible to be rational after a conflict? After a conflict, thinking rationally and cooperating with the other person seems difficult, even if it’s for your own good. It’s even less common in a group setting. If your group has…
Just as we use scales to measure our weight, psychologists resort to psychological tests to learn more about anxiety, emotions, and personality, among other things. Now, it’s important to mention that these tests are only useful if they meet quality…
The von Restorff effect is our natural tendency to remember things that stand out from the rest. This is why some people call it “the isolation effect”. It was discovered in 1933 by Hedwig von Restorff, whose research led him to…
Identity fusion is a type of identity that connects other types of identities. In order to understand this better, consider that we all have, at the very least, two identities. One is the personal identity or the personal self and the…
The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias that makes less competent people overestimate their abilities and more competent people underestimate them. We’ve all experienced or witnessed this at some point in our lives. When ignorant people think they know everything…
Hans Eysenck is one of the most respected names in the history of psychology. Many people credit him for bringing psychology into the scientific world. As a result, he’s often referred to as “the father of psychology”. Hans Eysenck was born…
Everyone has a fear of illness. It’s one of the most universal fears, related to the fear of death or the fear of madness. A healthy person doesn’t want to die since their self-preservation instinct is intact. But sometimes, this fear of…
The media can shape public opinion. The news media has helped create or destroy social movements, hidden financial crises, and even fanned the flames of ideological trends. There are many different studies and theories on the influence of the media.…
Brainspotting therapy was developed by David Grand in 2003. Grand defines it as a psychotherapeutic proposal that uses the visual field to locate “relevant ocular positions”. These ocular positions (or brainspots) might relate to areas of our brain that activate…
Mahatma Gandhi, Viktor Frankl, and Nelson Mandela are great examples of self-actualization. According to the self-actualization theory, each one of us must decode what’s inside us. This is an intentional, responsible, and creative personal growth that makes us fight in order…
A part of our DNA makes us social beings. Humans need others to survive both physically and psychologically. That doesn’t mean we’ll take any company we can get, but it does mean that people are important to us. Research has even shown…
If you’re being psychologically abused and you’re unhappy, you might be asking yourself “Why don’t I just walk away from the relationship?” The answer to that question, which outsiders tend to ask people with abusive partners, can hide behind a…
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel set a before and after in philosophical thought in Western Europe and 19th-century Russia. He was a loyal admirer of Plato, Descartes, and Kant. Hegel helped develop German idealism. In fact, he gave rise to a breakthrough…
According to Riva (2012), integrative behavioral couple therapy is one of the third generation therapies. This therapy is focused on private experiences (emotions and thoughts), acceptance, and mindfulness. It also pays special attention to the functional analysis of behavior as…
Spencer Kagan is a renowned author who has carried out multiple studies on cooperative learning. This type of teamwork is different from the way professors transmit knowledge in the vast majority of schools and institutes today. In fact, it’s a new…
The waves on the shore metaphor is a tool therapists use in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which belongs to the group of third wave therapies. In a clinical context, this tool is helpful for taking power away from negative…
