Glossary / B

Psychology terms starting with B

1,121 terms with short definitions. Study these as flashcards

B and Dabbreviation
A sexual practice involving physical restraint and rules about control or punishment.
B cellnoun
An immune cell matures in bone marrow and can develop into a cell that releases antibodies against specific targets.
B coefficientnoun
An unstandardized regression weight estimates outcome change per predictor unit, holding other predictors constant, using the outcome's original units.
B fibernoun
A small nerve fiber with a myelin covering carries signals involved in automatic body functions toward autonomic ganglia.
B lymphocytenoun
A white blood cell matures in bone marrow and can become an antibody-releasing cell after recognizing a matching target.
B wave of electroretinogramnoun
A prominent upward wave in an eye's electrical recording shows part of the retina's response to light.
B-cognitionnoun
Maslow proposed being cognition as exceptional awareness combining connectedness with everything and deep absorption in one thing.
B-lovenoun
Maslow proposed being love as mutual care that values another person's well-being with relatively little dependency or jealousy.
B-motivationnoun
Maslow proposed being motivation as the drive toward personal growth and fulfillment once basic needs are largely satisfied.
B-valuenoun
Maslow proposed a being value as a higher need for qualities such as beauty, understanding, or creativity.
baah-jinoun
A historically described pattern of distress in Thailand resembles latah, involving unusually strong startle reactions and sometimes automatic imitation.
babblingnoun
Repeated speech-like sounds infants make around six months, helping them practice using their voices for later talking.
Babinski reflexnoun
Gentle stimulation of an infant's sole can make the big toe lift while the remaining toes spread apart.
Babkin reflexnoun
Pressure applied to a newborn's palms can automatically trigger mouth opening and head turning.
Babor’s Type A–Type B distinctionnoun
Babor's classification groups substance use problems into generally later, less severe Type A and earlier, more severe Type B patterns.
baby bluesphrase
Many new mothers have brief sadness and tearfulness soon after childbirth, milder than postpartum depression.
baby brainnoun
An informal label describes reported memory and thinking difficulties during pregnancy, although evidence about these changes is mixed.
baby talkphrase
Simplified, high-pitched speech adults often use with babies to capture attention and support early language learning.
babyfacednessnoun
An adult's facial appearance includes infantlike features, such as rounded cheeks, large eyes, and a small chin.
BACabbreviation
Blood alcohol concentration measures how much alcohol is present in a given volume of blood, commonly expressed as a percentage.
back-clippingnoun
A shortened word keeps its meaning and grammatical role after its ending is removed, as with lab from laboratory.
back-formationnoun
A new word forms when speakers remove an ending they mistakenly treat as added, as with edit from editor.
back-propagation algorithms (backprop algorithms)noun
These procedures pass output errors backward through an artificial neural network to calculate how its connection weights should change.
back-to-back stem-and-leaf plotnoun
A display compares two datasets by placing their final digits on opposite sides of shared leading digits.
back-translationnoun
A second translator independently returns translated material to its original language so researchers can check whether meaning changed.
backbonenoun
The chain of bones in the back that supports the body and protects the spinal cord.
backcrossingnoun
A hybrid plant or animal is bred with a parent or another member of that parent's genetic line.
backgroundnoun
The parts around a main sight or sound that set the scene for what stands out.
background variablenoun
A participant's existing characteristic or experience may affect study results even though it is not the researcher's main focus.
backup reinforcernoun
A real reward traded for earned tokens in a token economy program.
backward associationnoun
A learned connection allows an item to bring to mind something that appeared earlier in the same sequence.
backward chainingphrase
A skill-teaching method where the last step is taught first, then earlier steps are added backward.
backward conditioningphrase
In classical conditioning, the natural stimulus comes before the neutral one, usually causing little or no learning.
backward displacementnoun
In parapsychology tests, a person's guess matches the preceding trial's target instead of the target for the current trial.
backward eliminationnoun
A statistical procedure builds a regression model with every candidate predictor, then successively removes predictors using a preset rule.
backward maskingnoun
A stimulus becomes harder to detect or identify when another stimulus appears shortly after it.
backward pairingnoun
A learning procedure repeatedly presents a naturally response-producing event before a neutral cue, sometimes giving that cue inhibitory meaning.
backward readingnoun
Someone reads a word’s letters backward or reads a sentence’s words starting at the end and moving toward the beginning.
baclofennoun
A muscle-relaxing medicine activates GABA-B receptors, reducing nerve signaling involved in excessive muscle tightness.
Baconian methodnoun
Francis Bacon's scientific approach develops general explanations from observations, using supporting and opposing cases to rule out possible causes.
bacteremianoun
A medical condition occurs when bacteria are present in circulating blood, sometimes briefly and sometimes alongside serious infection.
bacterial endocarditisnoun
Bacteria infect the heart's inner lining, often involving its valves and potentially interfering with normal pumping.
bacterial meningitisnoun
A bacterial infection inflames the protective membranes surrounding the spinal cord and brain and can seriously affect nervous system function.
bacteriumnoun
A microscopic organism consists of one cell without a membrane-enclosed nucleus and may be helpful, harmless, or disease-causing.
bad breastnoun
Klein's historical theory proposed an infant's inner image of the mother's breast as unavailable or unable to satisfy needs.
bad faithnoun
Sartre proposed that people can deceive themselves by denying their freedom to choose and their responsibility for their actions.
bad is stronger than goodphrase
Negative experiences often influence feelings, judgments, and actions more strongly than comparable positive experiences.
bad menoun
Sullivan's historical theory proposed a self-image built around disapproved impulses and actions that a person feels pressure to conceal.
bad objectnoun
Klein's historical theory proposed an internal image of another person or part of them as entirely negative, shaped by splitting.
bad tripnoun
An unpleasant or frightening experience during hallucinogen intoxication can involve distressing sensations, intense fear, or confused thinking.
bah-tschi (bah-tsi; baah-ji)noun
A historically reported cultural pattern in Thailand involves intense startle responses and latah-like behaviors, including automatic copying of others.
BAIabbreviation
The Beck Anxiety Inventory uses 21 questions people answer about themselves to estimate the severity of anxiety symptoms in adults.
bait shynessnoun
A learned dislike of a taste develops after eating or drinking is followed by illness, sometimes after just one experience.
BALabbreviation
Blood alcohol level describes the measured concentration of alcohol in someone's blood, often reported as a percentage.
balancenoun
Staying upright and steady by using inner ear signals and body position cues.
balance controlnoun
The body uses sensory information and coordinated muscle activity to maintain stability while standing, moving, or doing tasks.
balance theoryphrase
People feel better when their opinions about themselves, others, and things fit together without conflict.
balance trainingnoun
Exercises improve stability by practicing muscle coordination and the use of sensory information during standing and movement.
balanced bilingualnoun
A person uses two languages with skills matching those of native speakers their age in each language.
balanced designnoun
A research arrangement includes equal numbers of observations in all conditions being compared.
balanced Latin squarenoun
A study gives everyone each treatment once, balancing treatment positions and how often each immediately precedes every other.
balanced scalenoun
A survey or test pairs response choices or item wording with matching opposites.
Baldwin effectnoun
A proposed evolutionary process lets learned behaviors shape natural selection, favoring inherited traits that support those behaviors.
Baldwin’s figurenoun
A visual illusion makes a horizontal line seem longer with small end squares than with large ones.
Bálint’s syndromenoun
Damage on both sides near the brain’s back disrupts visually guided reaching, shifting gaze, and seeing multiple objects together.
ballet techniquenoun
A structured dance therapy approach uses organized movement to support body awareness, interaction, and psychological functioning.
Ballet’s diseasenoun
This historical name describes paralysis of muscles directing eye movements, reported in association with an overactive thyroid.
ballismusnoun
Damage within the nervous system produces powerful muscle contractions that send arms or legs into uncontrolled, sweeping motions.
ballisticadjective
A movement proceeds after starting without corrections based on incoming feedback.
Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA)noun
A research project begun in 1958 repeatedly studies volunteers to distinguish aging changes from disease and other influences.
band symmetrynoun
A repeating strip pattern stays unchanged under certain shifts, reflections, or rotations.
bandingnoun
Groups close test scores into ranges and treats everyone in a range as equally qualified for hiring.
bandpass filternoun
A device or process passes frequencies within a chosen range while weakening frequencies outside that range.
bandwagon effectnoun
People adopt an opinion or behavior because they see many others supporting it.
bandwidthnoun
How much information a communication channel can carry in a certain amount of time.
bandwidth selectivitynoun
A system favors a particular range of frequencies while responding less strongly outside that range.
bangungutnoun
A Filipino cultural label describes unexpected death during sleep, sometimes preceded by moaning or cries suggesting a frightening dream.
baquetnoun
A covered tub with metal rods was used by Mesmer to deliver what he claimed was healing magnetism.
bar displaynoun
A machine screen represents changing system values through the lengths of equally wide rectangular bars.
bar graphnoun
A chart with separated bars shows how many cases fall into each category.
bar hustlernoun
An older label describes a male sex worker who meets male clients in bars.
bar reflexnoun
While someone lies down, moving one leg sideways or vertically triggers a similar movement in the other leg.
bar-prefix
A word-building element adds the meaning of pressure or weight to a term.
baragnosisnoun
A person cannot judge how heavy objects are by holding them, often because of damage to sensory brain areas.
Bárány testnoun
A rotating-chair assessment checks inner-ear balance canals by observing the eye movements that rotation produces.
barber’s-pole effectnoun
Spiral stripes on a turning upright cylinder appear to travel upward even though the cylinder only rotates.
barbituratenoun
A sedative drug that slows the brain and breathing and can be dangerous in overdose.
Bard–Cannon theorynoun
A historical theory proposes that brain activity produces emotional experience and bodily emotional responses at the same time.
Bardet–Biedl syndrome (BBS)noun
An inherited condition causes worsening vision and may include extra digits, higher body weight, and learning or developmental difficulties.
Barefoot v. Estellenoun
A 1983 Supreme Court ruling upheld a death sentence despite psychiatric predictions of future dangerousness made without examining the defendant.
baresthesianoun
The nervous system allows a person to feel pressure or weight against the body.
bargainingnoun
Two sides try to settle a conflict by trading things each wants for gains.
bargaining stagenoun
In Kübler-Ross’s proposed grief model, someone tries making deals with God or fate to prevent or soften a loss.
bariatric surgerynoun
Operations alter the stomach or digestive pathway to support lasting weight loss and improve health conditions related to obesity.
bariatricsnoun
A medical specialty studies why obesity develops and how to prevent and treat it.
barKabbreviation
Beta-adrenergic receptor kinase is an enzyme that reduces signaling from activated beta-adrenergic receptors.
Barnum effectphrase
People often accept vague personality statements as uniquely true about themselves.
baro- (bar-)prefix
A prefix contributes the idea of weight or pressure to the words it forms.
barognosisnoun
A person can estimate an object’s weight through the feeling of holding it.
Barona equationnoun
A formula uses background information, including education and work history, to estimate IQ before brain illness or injury.
baroreceptornoun
A pressure-sensitive nerve ending in the heart or major arteries sends the brain information about blood pressure changes.
barotitisnoun
Unequal air pressure across the eardrum causes an ear condition involving irritation or injury.
Barr bodynoun
A tightly packed, largely inactive X chromosome can appear as a small mass inside a body cell’s nucleus.
barriernoun
A mental, emotional, or behavior obstacle that makes reaching a goal or taking action harder.
barrier-free environmentnoun
A built space removes obstacles so people with physical or cognitive disabilities can move around and use it safely.
Barron–Welsh Art Scale (BWAS)noun
An assessment records likes and dislikes for 86 black-and-white drawings to study artistic preferences and possible personality connections.
BARSabbreviation
A job rating tool that scores workers using examples of specific behaviors at each score level.
Barthel Indexnoun
A ten-item assessment scores how much assistance someone needs with everyday personal care and movement tasks.
Bartholin’s glandsnoun
Two glands near the vaginal entrance release fluid that helps lubricate the surrounding area.
Bartlett techniquenoun
A memory research method asks people to recall the same material repeatedly over time, revealing changes in their accounts.
Bartlett test for equality of variancenoun
A statistical test examines whether two or more groups could have equal population variances, meaning similar spread.
Bartley v. Kremensnoun
A 1976 court decision in Pennsylvania granted procedural protections and legal representation to children whose parents sought their psychiatric commitment.
baryphonynoun
Speech sounds unusually dense and weighty because of the quality of the speaker’s voice.
BASabbreviation
The behavioral approach system is a proposed brain system that motivates movement toward rewards and desired goals.
basal agenoun
On an age-organized standardized test, this is the highest age level where someone answers every item correctly.
basal cellnoun
A cell near the bottom of a taste bud is thought to help produce replacement taste cells.
basal dendritenoun
A receiving branch extends sideways from the body of a pyramid-shaped brain neuron.
basal forebrainnoun
A lower forebrain region sends chemical signals to other brain areas, helping support attention, learning, and memory.
basal gangliaphrase
Deep brain clusters help start and smooth planned movement and are tied to habits and some disorders.
basal magnocellular nucleusnoun
A cluster of basal forebrain neurons releases acetylcholine to regulate activity across much of the brain’s outer layer.
basal metabolismnoun
The body uses this minimum energy to sustain life while awake, fully resting, and needing no extra temperature regulation.
basal nucleinoun
These connected clusters of neurons deep inside the brain help select and control purposeful movements.
basal nucleus of Meynertnoun
A neuron cluster in the lower forebrain supplies acetylcholine to influence activity throughout much of the cerebral cortex.
basal reader approachnoun
Reading is taught through an ordered book series whose authors choose the words, topics, and skill progression.
basal skin resistancenoun
A person’s resting skin resistance provides a starting level for measuring how strongly skin opposes electrical flow.
basenoun
The usual starting rate of something in a group before adding any special clues.
base pairnoun
Two matching chemical bases, one on each DNA strand, bond together to help hold the strands together.
base ratenoun
The usual rate of a condition or success in a group before any test or intervention is applied.
base structurenoun
In transformational grammar, a proposed underlying sentence form represents grammatical relationships before changes produce the final wording.
base-rate fallacynoun
A judgment gives too little weight to how common something is in the relevant population.
baselinenoun
An starting level of data or performance used to compare what happens after a change or treatment.
baseline assessmentnoun
An initial evaluation records someone’s condition or abilities so later changes during research, treatment, or development can be compared.
baseline characteristicnoun
A participant’s quality, such as age or starting ability, is recorded before research or treatment because it might affect results.
baseline functioningnoun
An estimate of someone’s thinking abilities before brain injury or disease helps assess how much those abilities have changed.
baseline measurenoun
A response is observed before an experimental intervention to provide a starting point for comparison.
baseline performancenoun
The frequency of a behavior is measured before an intervention so later behavior can be compared with it.
bases of an attitudenoun
Feelings, beliefs, past actions, and intentions provide the information from which a person’s evaluation of something develops.
bashful bladder syndromenoun
Anxiety about other people being nearby makes urinating difficult or impossible in some situations.
basic anxietynoun
A deep feeling of helplessness and danger in an uncaring world, often traced to troubled early parent-child relationships.
basic categorynoun
An everyday grouping, such as dog, falls between broad classes like animal and narrower ones like poodle.
basic conflictnoun
Horney proposed that a dominant way of handling relationships clashes with incompatible needs pushed outside awareness.
basic emotionphrase
One of a small set of inborn emotions, like fear or joy, seen across people and cultures.
basic encounternoun
A meaningful connection between people involves shared trust and understanding of each other’s feelings, potentially supporting progress in therapy.
basic hostilitynoun
Horney proposed that anxious dependence on parents can produce resentment that children suppress because they also fear those parents.
BASIC IDabbreviation
In multimodal therapy, this acronym covers behavior, affect, sensation, imagery, cognition, interpersonal relationships, and drugs or other biological factors.
basic mistakenoun
In Adler’s theory, an early childhood error in understanding life can shape later living patterns and contribute to conflicts.
basic mistrustnoun
In Erikson’s theory, an infant develops a broad expectation that caregivers and the surrounding world may not reliably meet needs.
basic neednoun
A physical requirement, such as water, food, oxygen, or sleep, must be met for survival.
Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire (BNSQ)noun
A standardized questionnaire rates how often sleep problems occurred over the past three months using five response levels.
basic personalitynoun
Kardiner proposed that shared childrearing within a culture creates common personality patterns that also help shape cultural institutions.
basic reflexnoun
An infant’s inborn response, such as sucking or grasping, forms an early basis for exploring the world in Piaget’s theory.
basic researchnoun
Studies seek to understand phenomena or develop theories without aiming at an immediate practical use.
basic rest–activity cycle (BRAC)noun
A proposed roughly 90-minute rhythm alternates higher and lower nervous-system activity during both sleep and wakefulness.
basic rulenoun
In psychoanalysis, clients are asked to voice whatever thoughts, feelings, and memories arise without deliberately filtering them.
basic sciencenoun
Scientific study and theory seek to explain fundamental processes and principles, whether or not practical uses are apparent.
basic skillsnoun
Reading, writing, and arithmetic are foundational educational abilities that support further school learning.
basic technique (BT)noun
In parapsychology, each Zener card is guessed and set aside, with accuracy checked only after guesses cover the entire deck.
basic trust versus mistrustnoun
Erikson’s first proposed developmental stage concerns infants learning whether care and their surroundings can be depended upon.
basic-level categorynoun
A grouping such as chair is usually more natural for everyday naming than broader furniture or narrower rocking chair.
basic-skills testingnoun
An assessment checks foundational abilities, often through standardized tasks involving reading, writing, and arithmetic.
basilar arterynoun
A blood vessel made from two vertebral arteries that feeds the brainstem and back of the brain.
basilar membranenoun
A flexible membrane inside the cochlea supports hearing receptors and vibrates most strongly at different locations for different sound frequencies.
basket cellnoun
A type of nerve cell found in the cerebellum helps regulate nearby neurons by sending inhibitory signals.
basket endingnoun
A sensory nerve ending wraps around a hair follicle and helps detect touch and pressure.
basking in reflected glory (BIRGing)noun
People may boost their self-esteem by emphasizing their connection to a successful or admired group.
basolateral groupnoun
A collection of amygdala nuclei links sensory information with emotional learning, including learning to fear particular cues.
BATabbreviation
A behavioral approach task assesses fear and avoidance by observing how far someone approaches a feared situation.
Batesian mimicrynoun
An edible or harmless species gains protection by resembling another species that predators have reason to avoid.
bath therapynoun
Immersing the body in water is used as part of treatment intended to support recovery or comfort.
bathy-prefix
This word-building element adds the meaning of depth or being deep to a word.
bathyesthesianoun
A person senses pressure or other sensations arising in tissues beneath the skin’s surface.
Batson v. Kentuckynoun
This 1986 Supreme Court ruling barred prosecutors from rejecting potential jurors based on race through challenges normally needing no explanation.
battered womennoun
This historical label describes women subjected to physical, sexual, emotional, or other abuse by partners or family members.
battered-child syndrome (BCS)noun
This historical clinical label describes physical injuries and possible lasting psychological effects of repeated, deliberate physical abuse by caregivers.
battered-woman syndrome (BWS)noun
This historical concept describes psychological responses to ongoing partner abuse, which may include traumatic stress and feelings of helplessness.
batterer’s excusesnoun
People who physically abuse their partners may offer explanations that justify their actions or shift responsibility onto someone else.
battle fatiguenoun
This historical military expression describes psychological reactions to extremely stressful combat experiences, ranging from mild distress to severe difficulties.
battle inoculationnoun
Realistic military practice aims to prepare soldiers for combat conditions and help them manage the stress they may experience.
battle of the expertsnoun
Expert witnesses representing opposing sides of a court case give conflicting opinions about an issue relevant to the decision.
battle shocknoun
This historical military expression describes combat stress severe enough to prevent a soldier from continuing to function in combat.
battle/garrison dimensionsnoun
Military settings are described along two scales: how risky they are and how routine or unusual their missions are.
battlefield recoverynoun
After armed conflict, personnel perform stressful tasks such as retrieving casualties and recovering, identifying, and burying people who died.
Bayes theoremphrase
Updates the chance of something being true by combining earlier odds with new evidence.
Bayesianadjective
Using prior beliefs and new data together to update the probability of a conclusion.
Bayesian inferencephrase
Uses prior beliefs and new data to update how likely a population characteristic is.
Bayesian information criterion (BIC)noun
A statistical score compares models using the same data, balancing how well each fits against how many parameters it uses.
Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Developmentphrase
A test battery checks developmental progress in babies and toddlers from 1 to 42 months.
BBB/G syndromeabbreviation
Another name for Opitz G/BBB syndrome describes a genetic condition affecting the body's central structures and sometimes intellectual development.
BBSabbreviation
Short for Bardet–Biedl syndrome, this genetic condition causes progressive vision loss and may affect body growth, learning, and development.
BCIabbreviation
A brain–computer interface converts measured brain activity into commands for devices, allowing control without relying on muscle movements.
Bcl-2noun
A family of genes produces proteins that help regulate whether cells survive or undergo an organized process of self-removal.
BCSabbreviation
Short for battered-child syndrome, this historical label describes injuries and possible psychological consequences of repeated physical abuse by caregivers.
BDAEabbreviation
This assessment checks understanding, speaking, reading, and writing to help identify aphasia and describe its pattern and severity.
BDDabbreviation
A disorder where someone is obsessed with imagined or small flaws in appearance.
BDIabbreviation
A common questionnaire used to measure how severe a person's depression symptoms are.
BDNFabbreviation
A brain protein that helps neurons grow, connect, and survive, supporting learning and memory.
BDSabbreviation
The Blessed Dementia Scale rates changes in everyday functioning, habits, personality, and motivation to help assess dementia severity.
BDSMabbreviation
Consensual erotic practices and identities encompass bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, sadism, and masochism, with negotiated boundaries and mutual agreement.
BEAMabbreviation
Brain electrical activity mapping uses computers to analyze recordings of the brain's electrical signals and display their patterns.
beatnoun
A repeating rise and fall in sound loudness happens when two tones have nearly the same pitch.
beating fantasynoun
In Freud's historical theory, imagining punishment by a parent was interpreted as expressing a child's unconscious sexual wishes.
Bechara Gambling Tasknoun
Also called the Iowa Gambling Task, this card-choice test examines decisions involving immediate rewards and longer-term gains or losses.
Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)noun
Adults answer 21 questions about their anxiety symptoms to help estimate how severe those symptoms are.
Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)phrase
A self-report questionnaire rates how severe a person's depression symptoms were over the past two weeks.
Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS)noun
Twenty true-or-false statements assess negative expectations about the future and reduced motivation, helping inform an assessment of suicide risk.
Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS)noun
This assessment measures suicidal thinking and helps clinicians decide when a person's intentions need more detailed exploration.
Beck therapynoun
Aaron Beck's cognitive therapy helps people examine troubling thoughts against evidence and develop more useful ways of understanding their experiences.
Beckwith–Wiedemann syndromenoun
This growth condition can involve an enlarged tongue, abdominal wall differences, low blood sugar, and increased risk of certain cancers.
bed-sharingnoun
When a baby or small child sleeps in the same bed as a parent.
bed-wettingnoun
Urine is released unintentionally while a person sleeps, sometimes continuing beyond the age when nighttime bladder control usually develops.
Bedlamnoun
This historical nickname for London's Bethlem psychiatric hospital later became an everyday word for noisy confusion or disorder.
bedsorenoun
Sustained pressure on one body area can damage skin and underlying tissue, especially when someone has limited movement.
bee communicationnoun
Honeybees use patterned dances to share information about the direction, distance, and quality of food sources or possible nest sites.
before–after designnoun
Researchers measure the same participants before and after an intervention or experience to examine whether their results change.
beggingnoun
Young animals' calls and open-mouth signals push parents or mates to give them food.
behaviornoun
What a person or animal does, thinks, or feels in response to inside or outside events.
behavior analysisphrase
Studying actions by breaking them into parts and seeing how surroundings shape and change them.
behavior baselinenoun
A relatively stable pattern of behavior provides a starting point for judging changes after a treatment or other influence.
behavior chainingphrase
A complex action is learned by connecting small steps so each one leads to the next.
behavior changephrase
A shift in how someone acts, caused by rewards, treatment, practice, or other influences.
behavior checklistnoun
An organized list identifies specific actions or responses for someone to mark whenever those behaviors are observed.
behavior codingnoun
Trained observers use agreed labels to record particular features of actions as they watch them occur.
behavior contractnoun
A client and therapist agree on specific actions the client will carry out during therapy sessions or between them.
behavior controlnoun
Conditioning, therapy, or other methods are used to guide a person's or group's actions toward a chosen outcome.
behavior criterionnoun
A particular feature of someone's actual actions must be present for a diagnosis to be accurate.
behavior deficitnoun
A person has not developed certain behaviors usually expected at their age, indicating a possible gap in development.
behavior determinantnoun
Any internal or external factor that produces a change in behavior can qualify as a cause of that behavior.
behavior diarynoun
A person or observer regularly keeps a detailed record of that person's activities and responses over a chosen period.
behavior disordernoun
A lasting pattern of rule-breaking or disruptive actions that seriously harms daily life or upsets other people.
behavior disorders of childhood and adolescencenoun
This broad label groups young people's observable behaviors considered outside expected patterns, often when schools assess educational support needs.
behavior dysfunctions classificationnoun
Personal difficulties are grouped according to observable actions, directing treatment toward changing those actions rather than assigning broader disease categories.
behavior episodenoun
Several connected actions form a sequence aimed at achieving a particular goal or result.
behavior fieldnoun
A collection of signals, circumstances, or other factors combines to influence how a person or animal behaves.
behavior geneticsnoun
Researchers study how inherited differences contribute to behavior and how genetic processes help shape behavioral traits.
behavior hierarchynoun
Possible responses are arranged from most likely to least likely to occur in a particular situation.
behavior homeostasisnoun
An organism uses actions, such as seeking warmth or eating, to help keep its internal conditions stable.
behavior homologynoun
Similar behaviors in different species suggest that those behaviors may have developed from a shared ancestor.
behavior integrationnoun
Separate actions are brought together so they function as one coordinated pattern of behavior.
behavior managementphrase
Using learning rules to create meaningful changes in what people do.
behavior mappingnoun
Researchers record activities and their locations to explore how features of a place relate to behavior.
behavior modificationphrase
Using learning methods to change behavior, often to reduce problems or build safer habits.
behavior observationnoun
Observers watch and document people's actions, either directly or through recordings, sometimes using checklists or scores.
behavior patternphrase
A sequence of linked actions done in a set order, often learned step by step.
behavior problemnoun
A disruptive pattern remains within broadly accepted social limits and does not greatly interfere with everyday functioning.
behavior ratingnoun
An evaluator uses a scale to judge how much someone shows particular behaviors in a specific setting.
Behavior Rating scalenoun
An older Bayley assessment component used graded observations to evaluate young children's attention, engagement, emotional regulation, and movement quality.
behavior recordnoun
A collection of observations documents a person's or animal's actions during a chosen span of time.
behavior rehearsalnoun
During therapy, a person repeatedly practices helpful ways of interacting with others before using them in everyday situations.
behavior reversalnoun
With therapist guidance, a person practices helpful responses to interpersonal conflict that often oppose their usual reactions.
behavior samplingnoun
Researchers observe and record selected periods of behavior to gather information about people or animals.
behavior segmentnoun
A distinct response can join other responses to create a larger pattern or sequence of behavior.
behavior settingnoun
A place's physical surroundings, social roles, and expectations together shape how people act and relate to each other.
behavior shapingphrase
Gradually teaching a new behavior by rewarding small steps that get closer to the goal.
behavior systemnoun
Several different activities serve a shared purpose or satisfy the same underlying motive.
behavior theorynoun
This approach proposes that learning principles involving environmental events and responses can explain how behavior develops and continues.
behavior therapyphrase
Uses learning methods to change harmful actions by focusing on behavior and its rewards, not hidden causes.
behavior-based safetynoun
This approach builds safer habits through training and designs work practices and equipment around how people behave.
behavior-constraint theorynoun
This theory proposes that repeatedly failing to control unpleasant surroundings can teach people that their efforts will not matter.
behavioral activationphrase
A treatment that helps people do meaningful activities on purpose to improve mood, thinking, and daily life.
behavioral approach system (BAS)noun
A proposed biological system responds to reward signals by encouraging goal pursuit and positive feelings.
behavioral approach task (BAT)noun
An assessment measures fear and avoidance by observing how far someone approaches something they fear before stopping.
behavioral assessmentphrase
Carefully measuring a person's actions through watching, asking, and tracking to find patterns and guide treatment.
behavioral avoidance testnoun
An assessor observes someone's progress toward a feared object or situation, recording avoidance and fear as the person approaches.
behavioral baselinenoun
A relatively stable pattern measured before a change provides a comparison for judging that change's effects.
behavioral cardiologynoun
This field studies how actions, emotions, and social circumstances influence coronary heart disease and its prevention and care.
behavioral coachingnoun
A coach helps someone change thinking or actions by showing examples, watching practice, and giving feedback.
behavioral confirmationnoun
Someone's expectations shape their treatment of another person, drawing out behavior that appears to support those expectations.
behavioral congruencenoun
A person's or group's observable actions agree with their stated goals, attitudes, or values.
behavioral consultationnoun
A specialist uses learning principles to help others plan, carry out, and evaluate support for someone's behavioral difficulties.
behavioral contagionnoun
People quickly copy nearby people's actions, often without carefully considering why they are doing so.
behavioral contingencyphrase
A rule linking a behavior to how often and how strongly it gets rewarded.
behavioral contractnoun
A client and therapist agree on specific actions the client will carry out during or between meetings.
behavioral contrastphrase
A reward can seem better or worse depending on what reward came before, changing how strongly someone responds.
behavioral copingphrase
Handling stress by changing what you do, such as getting help or taking direct action.
behavioral counselingnoun
Counseling targets specific actions using learning principles, personal behavior management, and changes to surroundings to support improvement.
behavioral couples therapynoun
Partners learn and practice communication, shared problem solving, and supportive actions to change unhelpful relationship patterns.
behavioral criterionphrase
An actual observed behavior needed to make a diagnosis accurately.
behavioral deficitnoun
A person has not developed certain behaviors usually expected at their age.
behavioral diagnosisnoun
A systematic evaluation of actions identifies patterns that may indicate a psychological disorder and helps guide treatment choices.
behavioral disordernoun
A broad label covers persistent behavior patterns involving serious functioning difficulties, repeated rule violations, or distress to others.
behavioral dynamicsnoun
Internal motives and their patterns help explain the actions a person visibly carries out.
behavioral ecologynoun
This field examines how behavior relates to environmental conditions, especially how animals' actions support survival and reproduction in nature.
behavioral economicsnoun
Studies how real people use shortcuts and biases when making money and choice decisions, instead of acting fully rational.
behavioral embryologynoun
Researchers study embryos' developing behavior, including movements, sensory responses, and learning before birth or hatching.
behavioral endocrinologynoun
This field investigates relationships between behavior and hormones released by glands and specialized nerve cells.
behavioral engineeringnoun
Technology is used to help change behavior, such as providing timed cues that guide someone's actions.
behavioral epidemiologynoun
Researchers examine how behavior and psychological factors relate to patterns of health and illness across populations.
behavioral family therapynoun
Families use learning principles, demonstrations, practice, and agreements to change specific actions and interaction patterns linked to their difficulties.
behavioral financenoun
This field examines how emotions, thinking biases, and other psychological influences shape money decisions and financial markets.
behavioral geneticsphrase
Studies how genes and family inheritance help shape behavior patterns and traits.
behavioral geographynoun
This field studies how people mentally understand places and how those understandings guide their choices and actions.
behavioral group therapynoun
A therapist helps group members change behavior using learning methods such as demonstrations, practice, and encouragement from others.
behavioral healthphrase
Focus on healthy habits people choose to prevent illness and keep themselves well.
behavioral health carenoun
Services assess and address psychological difficulties through approaches such as testing, therapy, and rehabilitation.
behavioral hierarchynoun
Possible responses are ordered by how likely they are to occur, with the likeliest placed highest.
behavioral homeostasisnoun
An organism uses actions, such as seeking shade or eating, to keep its internal conditions within stable limits.
behavioral homologynoun
Similar behaviors across species suggest that those behaviors were inherited from an ancestor the species share.
behavioral immunogennoun
A habit or way of living is associated with lower illness risk and a longer lifespan.
behavioral incidentnoun
One observable behavioral event has a clear beginning and ending and may join others in a longer sequence.
behavioral inhibitionphrase
A cautious temperament marked by withdrawing from new people or situations and quickly noticing possible danger.
behavioral inhibition system (BIS)noun
A proposed biological system pauses action and promotes anxiety and careful checking when goals conflict.
behavioral integrationnoun
Separate actions become organized into a coordinated whole, allowing them to work together.
behavioral interventionphrase
A planned treatment that helps people change unhealthy habits to prevent illness or manage a health condition.
behavioral interviewphrase
A clinical interview that links problem actions to triggers before them and rewards or results after them.
behavioral marital therapynoun
Married partners practice communication, supportive actions, and shared problem solving to change unhelpful patterns in their relationship.
behavioral medicinephrase
Uses behavior-based methods to prevent and treat illness by linking medical care with psychology.
behavioral mimicrynoun
People automatically copy another person's gestures, posture, expressions, or speech during social interaction, often without noticing.
behavioral modelphrase
Explains mental disorders as learned behavior patterns shaped by rewards and other consequences.
behavioral modelingnoun
A training method teaches a skill through explanation, demonstration, and practice in role play or simulation.
behavioral momentumphrase
A behavior's tendency to keep going despite efforts to interrupt or change it.
behavioral neurochemistrynoun
Researchers in this field examine how brain chemicals and chemical processes relate to behavior, including changes caused by drugs.
behavioral neuropsychologynoun
This clinical specialty uses behavior therapy to help people manage difficulties associated with brain injury.
behavioral neurosciencenoun
This scientific field investigates how nerve circuits and other nervous system processes make particular behaviors possible.
behavioral observation scale (BOS)noun
A job performance measure rates how often an employee carries out specific effective actions.
behavioral oncologynoun
This field studies psychological, social, and behavioral influences on cancer and supports people facing its emotional and practical challenges.
behavioral pathogennoun
A behavior or way of living may raise the chance of illness or disability or shorten life.
behavioral patternnoun
Two or more responses connect in an established order to form a larger unit of behavior.
behavioral pediatricsnoun
This specialty combines medical and psychological approaches to children's behavioral, developmental, and related physical health difficulties.
behavioral pharmacologynoun
This field studies how drugs affect behavior and how behavior influences drug effects and use.
behavioral phenotypenoun
Certain disorders are linked with characteristic, observable patterns in how people move, think, communicate, and interact with others.
behavioral plasticitynoun
Behavior varies in how much it can change through learning and experience with other people.
behavioral procedurenoun
A research or practical method uses behavior theory's learning principles to study or change actions.
behavioral psychologyphrase
Explains behavior by studying actions that can be directly seen and measured.
behavioral psychotherapynoun
This therapy applies learning principles to reduce symptoms and change unhelpful behavior by addressing its triggers and consequences.
behavioral rehearsalphrase
Practicing a wanted behavior, often by role-playing, helps a person learn skills before real situations.
behavioral relaxation trainingnoun
A therapy method teaches relaxation through naming bodily sensations, watching demonstrations, receiving feedback, and reinforcing successful practice.
behavioral repertoirenoun
An individual's full collection of possible actions and responses usually consists of behaviors learned through experience.
behavioral risk factornoun
A particular action or habit increases a person's chance of developing a health condition.
behavioral sciencephrase
A field that scientifically studies the actions and reactions of people and animals.
behavioral segmentnoun
A single distinct response forms one part of a larger linked pattern of behavior.
behavioral self-control trainingnoun
This therapy teaches people to track, evaluate, and reward their own behavior while practicing coping skills and planning for setbacks.
behavioral sequencenoun
Several separate behavioral events combine into an organized series aimed at a particular result.
behavioral sex therapynoun
This therapy uses behavioral learning methods to change sexual or relationship patterns that interfere with satisfying sexual functioning.
behavioral sinknoun
This historical label describes disrupted social behavior, including reduced parental care, observed in overcrowded animal colonies.
behavioral sleep medicine (BSM)noun
This clinical specialty studies thoughts and behaviors involved in sleep disorders and treats them with evidence-supported methods without medication.
behavioral specializationnoun
Animals adapt their behavior to particular environmental demands, such as choosing specific foods, habitats, or mates.
behavioral study of obediencenoun
Experiments examine people's willingness to follow authority figures' instructions, especially in Stanley Milgram's studies involving supposedly real electric shocks.
behavioral technologynoun
A set of experimentally supported methods draws on behavior analysis to produce changes in behavior.
behavioral teratologynoun
This field studies behavioral difficulties caused by exposure to toxic substances during development before birth.
behavioral theory of leadershipnoun
These models explain leadership through learnable actions that leaders use to guide and influence other people.
behavioral toxicitynoun
Medicines that affect the mind can cause unwanted changes in behavior, alertness, sleep, movement, or thinking.
behavioral toxicologynoun
This field investigates how exposure to poisonous substances affects behavior and functions such as sensation and movement.
behavioral weight control therapynoun
This therapy uses learning principles to help people adjust eating and physical activity habits toward lasting, health-related weight goals.
behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS)phrase
Rates job performance by matching a worker's actions to clear behavior examples at each score level.
behaviorismnoun
A view in psychology that studies observable actions and learning, not private thoughts or feelings.
behavioristnoun
A psychologist who focuses on observable actions and uses learning principles to understand and change behavior.
Behrens–Fisher problemnoun
Statisticians face this problem when comparing two normally distributed populations' means using independent samples with unknown, possibly unequal variances.
being cognition (B-cognition)noun
Maslow proposed an experience combining awareness of everything's connectedness with absorption in something so complete that ordinary self-awareness fades.
being love (B-love)noun
Maslow proposed a kind of love involving shared care for each other's well-being, with less possessiveness and dependence.
being motivationnoun
Maslow proposed that people become driven toward personal growth and fuller potential after their more basic needs are satisfied.
being psychologynoun
Maslow's perspective treats each person as uniquely valuable in themselves and emphasizes appreciation of their individuality and sacred worth.
being valuenoun
Maslow proposed a higher need, such as beauty, knowledge, or creativity, that becomes prominent once basic needs are met.
being-beyond-the-worldnoun
Binswanger proposed that people can rise beyond the limits of everyday human existence, usually through selfless love.
being-in-the-worldnoun
In existential psychology, human existence involves actively engaging with a meaningful world through each person's unique experiences and possibilities.
being–not beingnoun
Heidegger proposed that questions about one's existence and eventual nonexistence form a basic concern motivating human life.
Békésy audiometernoun
An automatic hearing test device records hearing thresholds while a person uses a button to indicate when tones are audible.
Békésy traveling wavenoun
Sound creates a moving wave along the inner ear's basilar membrane, with its greatest movement occurring where the frequency fits.
Bekhterev’s nystagmusnoun
Rapid involuntary eye movements return when the second inner-ear balance organ fails after the brain has compensated for the first's loss.
belnoun
A logarithmic unit expresses power ratios, with each additional unit representing a tenfold increase in sound intensity or electrical power.
beliefnoun
An idea accepted as true, often without full proof, or a quality someone links to a person or thing.
belief biasnoun
People may judge an argument's logic by whether its conclusion sounds believable, overlooking whether the reasoning actually supports it.
belief in a just worldnoun
A person assumes that life generally gives people outcomes they deserve, which can encourage unfair judgments about others' misfortunes.
belief perseverancenoun
People continue holding a belief after the evidence that first supported it has been shown to be wrong.
belief systemnoun
A linked group of beliefs and attitudes stored together in memory that shape how someone understands things.
belief–desire reasoningnoun
People explain or predict someone else's actions by considering what that person believes and wants.
belittlingnoun
Words or actions meant to make someone seem less important, capable, or worthy.
bell and padnoun
A moisture-sensitive bed pad triggers an alarm when urination begins during sleep, helping a child wake during bed-wetting treatment.
bell curvenoun
A symmetrical distribution places most scores near its middle, with fewer scores toward either extreme.
Bell–Magendie lawnoun
This principle states that spinal nerves carry movement signals through front roots and sensory signals through back roots.
Bell’s manianoun
This historical name describes severe, potentially fatal catatonia involving extreme excitement and disturbed movement or responsiveness.
Bell’s palsynoun
Sudden facial nerve dysfunction causes weakness or paralysis, usually affecting one facial side and sometimes eye closure or taste.
Bell’s phenomenonnoun
The eyes normally turn upward and slightly outward during an attempt to shut the eyelids.
belladonna alkaloidnoun
A naturally occurring chemical from belladonna plants, such as atropine or scopolamine, changes nerve signaling and body functions.
belladonna deliriumnoun
Large amounts of belladonna chemicals can cause sudden confusion, hallucinations, and unusually active movements by disrupting brain function.
belladonna poisoningnoun
Swallowing belladonna plant material can cause toxic effects, including confusion, hallucinations, enlarged pupils, and reduced responsiveness.
belle indifférencenoun
A person shows surprisingly little concern about physical symptoms that seem serious or disabling.
Bellevue scalenoun
This older name points to Wechsler intelligence testing, which uses several tasks to assess thinking abilities.
belongingnoun
Feeling accepted and valued by a group, workplace, or community.
belongingness principlenoun
Learning connections is easier when items share meaning than when they simply occur close together.
below averagephrase
Describes a score slightly lower than most people's, often around 80 to 90 on IQ tests.
below-average effectnoun
People sometimes judge their abilities as worse than other people's, especially on difficult tasks, underestimating their relative standing.
Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI)noun
This questionnaire measures self-described traits using separate masculinity and femininity scores based on historical American gender expectations.
Benadrylnoun
This trade name identifies diphenhydramine, an allergy medicine that can cause sleepiness and reduce certain medication-related movement problems.
bench trialnoun
A judge hears the case and makes the verdict without a jury deciding the outcome.
benchmarknoun
A standard of top performance used to compare and improve work in other places.
benchmark jobnoun
A familiar, consistently defined job provides a reference for comparing other jobs, setting pay, or evaluating performance.
Bender Visual–Motor Gestalt Testnoun
This drawing assessment examines how well someone coordinates visual perception with movement by reproducing geometric designs.
bendsnoun
A rapid drop in surrounding pressure can form gas bubbles inside the body, causing decompression sickness, especially joint pain.
beneffectancenoun
People may reshape memories of their actions to see themselves as both well intentioned and effective.
benefit findingphrase
Seeing personal good or new meaning after hardship, such as disease, loss, or other major setbacks.
benevolencenoun
A caring tendency to help others with kindness and generosity, even without personal gain.
Benham’s topnoun
A spinning disk patterned only in black and white can make viewers perceive colored rings.
benignadjective
Describes an illness or disorder that is mild, not dangerous, and likely to improve.
benign familial macrocephalynoun
An inherited tendency produces an unusually large head without associated problems in thinking or nervous system function.
benign senescence (benign senescent forgetfulness)noun
This older label describes mild forgetfulness during ordinary aging, especially difficulty learning or recalling recently acquired information.
benign stupornoun
This historical label describes marked stillness and reduced responsiveness expected to improve, sometimes occurring during severe depression.
bennynoun
People use this informal name for a pill containing amphetamine, a stimulant that can increase alertness.
Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT)phrase
A test where people copy and later draw shapes from memory to measure visual memory and visual-spatial skills.
Benzedrinenoun
This historical trade name identifies amphetamine containing equal amounts of its two mirror-image molecular forms.
benzenenoun
A chemical solvent that evaporates easily can produce toxic effects when inhaled, affecting the brain and other body systems.
benzisoxazolenoun
In drug classification, this chemical family includes certain newer antipsychotic medicines, including risperidone and iloperidone.
benzodiazepinenoun
A drug that slows brain activity, easing anxiety, causing sleepiness, and relaxing muscles.
benzodiazepine agonistnoun
A drug acts at benzodiazepine binding sites on GABA-A receptors to strengthen the brain's inhibitory GABA signals.
benzodiazepine antagonistnoun
A drug blocks benzodiazepine binding sites on GABA-A receptors, preventing or reversing effects of drugs that act there.
benzothiadiazidenoun
A medicine in the thiazide family lowers blood pressure by helping kidneys remove extra salt and water.
benztropinenoun
This medicine blocks certain acetylcholine signals to ease some antipsychotic-related movement problems and symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
berdachenoun
This outdated, offensive outsider label was applied to Indigenous people with culturally specific gender roles beyond male–female categories.
bereavementnoun
The state of having someone close die, often bringing grief and changes in daily life.
bereavement exclusionnoun
An older diagnostic rule generally excluded recent grief-related symptoms from a depression diagnosis unless they persisted or met certain severity exceptions.
bereavement programnoun
An organized set of services offers support, counseling, or groups for people grieving someone who has died.
bereavement therapynoun
Counseling helps someone work through grief, separation, and everyday adjustment after someone important to them dies.
Bereitschaftspotential (BP)noun
A measurable shift in brain electrical activity can begin shortly before a person makes a voluntary movement.
Berger rhythmnoun
An alpha brain-wave pattern, around 8–12 cycles per second, commonly appears during relaxed wakefulness with eyes shut.
beriberinoun
Too little thiamine, or vitamin B1, causes a disease that can affect nerves, the heart, and circulation.
Berkeley Growth Studynoun
Nancy Bayley's long-running study followed participants from early childhood into adulthood to examine how mental abilities develop and change.
Berlin Aging Study (Berliner Altersstudie; BASE)noun
Researchers repeatedly studied older West Berlin residents to examine changes in health, thinking, social life, and economic circumstances.
Bernoulli distributionnoun
A probability model assigns chances to two possible results, labeled zero and one, from a single trial.
Bernoulli trialnoun
A single test or observation has exactly two possible outcomes, conventionally labeled success and failure.
Berry syndromenoun
This older name for Treacher Collins syndrome describes a genetic condition affecting facial development and sometimes hearing.
berserkadjective
This informal, older description characterizes behavior as wildly uncontrolled, especially when it becomes destructive or violent.
Bessel’s correctionnoun
Dividing squared deviations by the sample size minus one corrects downward bias when estimating population variance from a sample.
BESTabbreviation
A military screening method that uses life-history information to predict how well recruits will perform.
best fitphrase
The pattern or line that matches data points most closely, with the smallest overall prediction errors.
best frequency (BF)noun
An auditory nerve cell responds most strongly, or needs the least sound intensity, at this particular frequency.
best interests of the childphrase
Courts use this rule in custody cases to favor what most helps a child thrive over either parent's wishes.
bestialitynoun
Sexual contact between a human and a nonhuman animal falls under this behavioral category.
betanoun
In research, beta is the chance of missing a real effect and making a Type II error.
beta alcoholismnoun
Jellinek's historical classification described drinking that caused serious medical problems without physical dependence or psychological reliance on alcohol.
beta blockernoun
A medicine blocks beta receptors for adrenaline-related signals, reducing effects such as a racing heart, tremor, or elevated blood pressure.
beta coefficientnoun
A standardized regression weight estimates outcome change per standard-deviation increase in a predictor, holding other included predictors constant.
beta distributionnoun
A family of probability curves describes values between zero and one, with two numbers controlling each curve’s shape.
beta errornoun
A statistical test makes this mistake when it fails to detect an effect that actually exists.
Beta examinationnoun
This historical Army intelligence assessment used nonverbal tasks for recruits with limited English or reading skills during World War I.
beta levelnoun
The probability of overlooking a genuine effect because a statistical test does not reject its default assumption.
beta movementnoun
Separate still images shown in quick sequence can appear to be one object moving smoothly.
beta receptornoun
This cell protein responds to norepinephrine, helping regulate functions such as heartbeat and airway widening depending on its subtype.
beta rhythmnoun
This pattern of brain electrical activity cycles about 13–30 times each second and often accompanies alertness or active thinking.
Beta testnoun
This World War I Army assessment measured intelligence using nonverbal problems for recruits with limited reading skills or English proficiency.
beta wavenoun
An electrical brain wave repeating roughly 13–30 times per second is commonly associated with being alert and mentally active.
beta weightnoun
A standardized regression number shows expected outcome change per predictor change, in standard-deviation units, holding other included predictors constant.
beta-adrenergic receptornoun
This receptor protein receives norepinephrine signals, with different subtypes helping speed the heart or relax smooth muscles.
beta-adrenergic receptor kinase (barK)noun
This enzyme adds phosphate groups to activated beta-adrenergic receptors, helping reduce their ability to pass signals into cells.
beta-adrenoreceptor blocking agentnoun
This medicine blocks beta receptors, reducing certain adrenaline-related responses such as rapid heartbeat and trembling.
beta-endorphinnoun
The body makes this chemical messenger, which acts on opioid receptors to ease pain and also helps regulate hunger.
beta-glucuronidase deficiencynoun
An inherited enzyme shortage prevents normal breakdown of certain complex sugars, causing buildup that can affect organs, bones, and intellectual development.
beta-secretase (β-secretase)noun
This enzyme cuts amyloid precursor protein during a process that produces beta-amyloid, a substance involved in Alzheimer’s disease.
betel nutnoun
The areca palm’s seed contains arecoline and is chewed for its stimulating effects.
bethanecholnoun
This medicine mimics acetylcholine at certain receptors to help the bladder contract when emptying is difficult.
betrayalnoun
Breaking someone's trust in a relationship by lying, harming, exposing secrets, or failing to support them.
betrayal trauma theorynoun
This theory proposes that dependence on an abusive caregiver can reduce awareness or recall of abuse to preserve attachment.
better-than-average effectnoun
People often rate their own abilities or qualities more favorably than those of others, beyond what evidence supports.
between-dimension consistencynoun
Different aspects of what someone knows about a topic support an attitude in the same positive or negative direction.
between-groups designnoun
A study compares separate groups of people, with each participant experiencing just one of the conditions being compared.
between-groups variancenoun
This statistical measure captures how much group averages differ, reflecting possible condition effects as well as chance differences.
between-subjects analysis of variancenoun
This statistical method compares averages from separate participant groups by weighing differences between groups against variation within groups.
between-subjects designphrase
Different groups get different conditions, and each person is measured only once for comparison.
between-subjects factorphrase
A study variable whose different levels are tested on separate groups of participants.
between-subjects variancenoun
In this usage, the measure describes variation among group averages when different people take part in different conditions.
Betz cellnoun
A very large, pyramid-shaped neuron in the motor cortex’s fifth layer helps send signals controlling voluntary movement.
BEVabbreviation
Short for Black English Vernacular, this name describes an English variety used within African American communities, with its own linguistic patterns.
Bewusstseinslagenoun
Würzburg psychologists used this German word for conscious mental states they believed could not be reduced to images or sensations.
beyond reasonable doubtphrase
This criminal conviction standard requires evidence strong enough to leave no reasonable uncertainty about guilt, without demanding absolute certainty.
beyondismnoun
Raymond Cattell’s controversial secular belief system treated evolutionary competition among societies as moral progress and supported eugenics.
Bezold–Brücke phenomenonnoun
Increasing light intensity can shift perceived hue, making yellowish colors look more yellow and bluish colors look more blue.
BFabbreviation
Short for best frequency, this identifies the sound frequency producing an auditory neuron’s strongest response at a given sound level.
BFOQabbreviation
A job requirement allowed by law when it is truly necessary to do the job safely or effectively.
bhangnoun
A traditional cannabis preparation uses plant material, especially leaves, and can affect mood, perception, attention, and memory.
BHSabbreviation
Short for Beck Hopelessness Scale, this questionnaire uses 20 true-or-false items to assess negative expectations about the future.
bi- (bin-)prefix
Used at the start of a word to mean two, twice, or double.
BIAabbreviation
Short for Body Image Assessment, this measure asks people to select silhouettes matching their perceived current and preferred body sizes.
biasnoun
A tendency or systematic error that unfairly tilts judgment, decisions, or results in one direction.
bias blind spotnoun
People tend to notice bias in others’ judgments while believing their own judgments are less influenced by bias.
bias–variance tradeoffnoun
Choosing a model often means balancing errors from oversimplifying patterns against errors from being too sensitive to a particular sample.
biased elaborationnoun
When examining a persuasive message, someone’s thinking is steered toward favorable or unfavorable reactions by influences beyond argument quality.
biased estimatornoun
A rule for estimating a population value produces results that average too high or too low across repeated samples.
biased samplingnoun
A selection process systematically favors some members of a population, making the resulting study group unrepresentative.
biased scanningnoun
A proposed mental process selectively searches memories that support a particular view of oneself, helping maintain or change that view.
biased statisticnoun
An estimate calculated from samples averages above or below the population value it aims to measure across repeated sampling.
biasing factornoun
An influence such as mood steers thoughts about a persuasive message toward a more positive or negative evaluation.
biastophilianoun
This label describes sexual arousal focused on surprising a stranger with unwanted sexual contact or committing sexual assault.
bibliotherapynoun
Using carefully chosen reading to support therapy or help someone better understand and handle problems.
BICabbreviation
Short for Bayesian information criterion, this score compares statistical models using their fit to the same data while penalizing complexity.
bicalutamidenoun
This antiandrogen medicine blocks androgen receptors, reducing the effects of hormones such as testosterone on responsive tissues.
bicameralismnoun
Julian Jaynes proposed that early humans followed internally heard commands through divided brain functions before developing modern conscious awareness.
bicucullinenoun
This research chemical competes with GABA at GABA-A receptors, reducing inhibitory signaling and potentially causing seizures.
bidialectismnoun
A person or speech community regularly uses at least two dialects within the same language.
bidirectionality of structure and functionnoun
During development, a body structure influences what it does, while its activity also shapes how that structure develops.
Bidwell’s ghostnoun
After something leaves view, a second lingering image appears with a color opposite the original on a color wheel.
Bielschowsky’s diseasenoun
A temporary eye movement disorder prevents the eyes from looking upward or downward together.
Biemond syndromenoun
A rare syndrome combines intellectual disability, obesity, reduced sex gland function, iris differences, and extra fingers or toes.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Americanoun
An American organization pairs young people with volunteer adults who provide mentoring, encouragement, and ongoing support.
Big Five personality modelnoun
This framework describes personality through five broad traits: conscientiousness, openness to experience, agreeableness, extraversion, and neuroticism.
big lienoun
A propaganda strategy repeats an enormous falsehood, hoping its scale and familiarity will make people accept it.
Big Sister programnoun
A mentoring program connects girls with adult women volunteers for guidance, encouragement, and supportive relationships.
bigamynoun
An unlawful second marriage occurs while an earlier marriage remains legally in effect.
bigorexianoun
An informal name for muscle dysmorphia describes distressing preoccupation with feeling insufficiently muscular, even when already muscular.
bigramnoun
A pair of letters can appear together within a word or stand alone in learning experiments.
BIIDabbreviation
The abbreviation names body integrity identity disorder, involving distress and a desire for limb removal or loss of function.
bilabialadjective
A speech sound has this quality when both lips help shape or briefly block outgoing air.
bilateraladjective
Involving both the left and right parts of a structure or body.
bilateral descentnoun
A kinship system recognizes family connections through both a person's maternal and paternal ancestry.
bilateral lesionnoun
Tissue damage affects an organ on its left and right sides, often involving the brain's two hemispheres.
Bildungsromannoun
A novel follows its main character's personal growth, usually from childhood into adult life.
bilineal descentnoun
A system of kinship counts a person's ancestry through maternal relatives as well as paternal relatives.
bilingual educationnoun
Schooling uses two languages to teach students, with programs differing in how much each language is used.
bilingualismnoun
A person or community regularly communicates using two languages, or sometimes more than two.
bilirubinnoun
A yellowish pigment forms as the body breaks down hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells.
bilirubin encephalopathynoun
Excess bilirubin, a yellowish blood breakdown pigment, enters brain tissue and disrupts its function, particularly in newborns.
bilisnoun
Some Latino communities use this cultural concept to describe physical and emotional distress attributed to intense anger.
biliteracynoun
A person can understand written material and express ideas in writing in at least two languages.
bill of rightsnoun
A healthcare document lists patients' entitlements when dealing with care providers, institutions, and organizations paying for care.
bimanual coordinationnoun
The nervous system organizes both hands so their movements work together during an activity.
bimanual interferencenoun
One hand's movement disrupts the other's when they need different actions or timing.
bimodal distributionphrase
A score pattern with two high points on a graph where values bunch up.
bin-prefix
A word beginning with this prefix indicates two, a doubled amount, or something occurring twice.
binary choicenoun
A decision requires selecting between exactly two available alternatives.
binary featurenoun
A speech sound property has two opposing settings that help distinguish sounds within a language.
binary huenoun
A perceived color seems to combine two basic hues, as orange looks both reddish and yellowish.
binary systemnoun
An organized structure uses two elements, categories, or possible values, such as zero and one.
binary trialnoun
A single experimental attempt or observation has exactly two possible recorded outcomes.
binary variablenoun
A measured or recorded characteristic can take exactly two values representing separate categories.
binasal hemianopianoun
Vision is missing from the inward, nose-facing half of each eye's field of view.
binauraladjective
A sound experience or hearing process involves input through both ears.
binaural beatnoun
A perceived pulsing occurs when slightly different tones reach separate ears simultaneously and interact within the hearing system.
binaural cuenoun
A difference between what each ear receives helps the brain work out where a sound originates.
binaural fusionnoun
The hearing system combines input arriving through each ear into a single perceived sound.
binaural hearingnoun
Listening uses information received through both ears to build a sound experience.
binaural interactionnoun
Nerve signals coming from each ear influence one another during sound processing, helping locate sound sources.
binaural masking level differencenoun
The quietest detectable sound in noise changes when relationships between the ears' sound or noise inputs change.
binaural summation effectnoun
A sound can seem louder when heard through both ears than through just one.
binding affinitynoun
The strength of attraction between a molecule and a particular receptor affects how readily they bind.
binding hypothesisnoun
A proposed explanation says synchronized nerve cell activity combines separately processed features into a unified experience of an object.
binding problemnoun
The puzzle concerns how the brain combines separately processed features into the experience of one object or event.
Binet–Simon Scalenoun
An early intelligence test developed by Alfred Binet and Théodore Simon assessed children's thinking abilities and informed later tests.
binge drinkingnoun
Consuming a large amount of alcohol within a short time raises blood alcohol to an intoxicating level.
binge eatingphrase
Eating a very large amount in a short time while feeling unable to stop.
binge-eating disorderphrase
Repeated episodes of eating very large amounts of food with loss of control cause distress, without purging or other compensating.
binocularadjective
Using both eyes together at the same time.
binocular cellnoun
A nerve cell in the brain's outer layer responds to visual stimulation coming through either eye.
binocular cuenoun
A sign of depth that the brain figures out by comparing the slightly different views from both eyes.
binocular deprivationnoun
Light input is prevented from reaching either eye, often to study how visual experience affects development.
binocular disparitynoun
Small differences between each eye's image help the brain judge how far away things are.
binocular flickernoun
An experimental method presents flashing light separately to each eye and varies timing to study how their inputs interact.
binocular fusionnoun
The visual system merges information received by each eye into one perceived view.
binocular parallaxnoun
The eyes receive slightly different images because each views the world from a different position.
binocular perceptionnoun
Visual experience arises from information entering through both eyes.
binocular rivalrynoun
Awareness shifts between conflicting images shown to different eyes because the images do not combine into one stable view.
binocular summationnoun
Using both eyes can produce a stronger visual response or better detection than using either eye alone.
binocular suppressionnoun
Visual input from one eye reduces the response to information arriving through the other eye.
binocular visionphrase
Using both eyes together to see depth and the world in three dimensions.
binomial distributionnoun
A probability pattern describes outcome counts across a fixed number of independent trials with two possibilities and unchanged chances.
binomial nomenclaturenoun
Scientists name each species with two words, identifying its genus first and its particular species second.
binomial probabilitynoun
This gives the chance of a particular outcome count across independent trials with two possibilities and constant chances.
binomial testnoun
A statistical test checks whether counts from independent observations with two possible outcomes differ significantly from an expected proportion.
binomial variablenoun
In this usage, a measured characteristic has two possible values, each with an assigned probability.
Binswanger’s diseasenoun
Damage to small blood vessels harms deep brain white matter, causing worsening difficulties with thinking, memory, mood, and behavior.
bio-prefix
This word part adds a meaning connected to life or living things.
bioacousticsnoun
Researchers study how nonhuman animals make, hear, and use sounds, including how sounds travel and influence behavior.
bioavailabilitynoun
The amount of a drug reaching the bloodstream after administration determines how much is available to reach its targets.
biobehavioraladjective
This describes how bodily processes, surroundings, social experiences, and behavior influence one another.
biobehavioral assessmentnoun
An evaluation measures bodily reactions and behavior in response to something while considering surrounding physical and social conditions.
biochemical approachnoun
Researchers examine behavior and mental health difficulties by studying chemical processes in the body, especially the brain.
biochemical defectnoun
A disruption in brain chemistry may be linked to a neurological or mental health condition.
biochemical markernoun
A measurable chemical change accompanies a health condition without necessarily causing it.
biochemistrynoun
Scientists investigate the substances and chemical reactions that allow living things to function.
bioculturaladjective
This describes how biology and cultural conditions work together to influence people, including their health.
biocyberneticsnoun
Researchers use ideas about information and feedback to study communication and automatic regulation within living things.
biodatanoun
Personal history details, such as past jobs and activities, used to predict how someone may do at work.
biodynamicsnoun
Scientists study changing processes and interacting forces within living things.
bioecological modelnoun
Bronfenbrenner's model explains development through ongoing interactions among personal characteristics, everyday activities, surrounding environments, and time.
bioecological theory of intelligencenoun
Ceci's theory proposes that intelligence develops through interactions between biological tendencies and the environments where people grow and learn.
bioelectric potentialnoun
An electrical voltage exists within or across living tissue, including nerves and muscles.
bioenergeticsnoun
An alternative psychotherapy uses movement and posture exercises to address emotional difficulties through proposed connections between muscular tension and emotions.
bioengineeringnoun
Engineers apply design methods to living systems, including creating devices that support or replace body functions.
bioequivalencenoun
Two drug preparations are comparable when the active medicine reaches circulation at sufficiently similar rates and amounts.
bioethicsnoun
This field examines moral questions about healthcare and research involving living things.
biofeedbacknoun
Using monitors to show body signals helps people learn some control over automatic functions like heart rate.
biogenesisnoun
New living organisms arise from organisms that already exist.
biogenicadjective
This describes something made by an organism or generated through a biological process.
biogenic aminenoun
A nitrogen-containing chemical made by living organisms can influence bodily activity, including nerve signaling, as dopamine and serotonin do.
biogenic amine hypothesisnoun
These proposed explanations link certain mental disorders to altered production, breakdown, or activity of chemical messengers such as dopamine.
biogramnoun
During biofeedback learning, an arrangement of possible events can help conscious recall and become automatic through practice.
biographical dataphrase
Details about a person's past and behavior collected to understand them during evaluation or treatment.
Biographical Evaluation and Screening of Troops (BEST)noun
This military screening program draws on life history to flag potential training or adjustment difficulties among Air Force recruits.
biographical inventorynoun
A questionnaire gathers a person's background, experiences, and interests, often to help employers choose job applicants.
biographical methodnoun
Researchers systematically examine personal life stories in relation to social relationships, historical circumstances, and individual experiences.
bioinformaticsnoun
Researchers use computing methods to organize, analyze, and interpret data about living systems and health.
bioinformational theorynoun
This theory proposes that emotions involve linked memories of situations, meanings, and bodily actions that prepare context-dependent responses.
biological agenoun
An age estimate compares a person's bodily condition and functioning with patterns typical of different ages.
biological agingnoun
The body's structures and functions change over time as a person grows older.
biological clocknoun
An internal system in the body keeps daily rhythms going even without outside time clues.
biological determinismnoun
This view claims that biology entirely determines mental characteristics and behavior, with environments only allowing those characteristics to appear.
biological drivenoun
An inborn push to act when the body lacks something needed to stay balanced, like water or oxygen.
biological factorphrase
A body-based influence, such as genes or brain changes, that contributes to mental or behavior problems.
biological fallacynoun
The questionable assumption treats biology alone as a complete explanation for human thought, culture, morality, and behavior.
biological familynoun
A person's relatives share connections through biological descent, including parents, siblings, and more distant ancestors or descendants.
biological intelligencenoun
Halstead proposed a biologically based thinking capacity tied to forebrain functioning, assessed through tests also sensitive to brain injury.
biological life eventsnoun
Major bodily transitions associated with age include changes such as puberty and menopause.
biological markernoun
A body-based sign that occurs with a disorder, even if it does not cause it.
biological measuresnoun
Measurements of bodily activity, such as heart rate or hormone levels, provide information about biological processes or outcomes.
biological motionphrase
Movement made by a living thing, such as walking, reaching, or other body actions.
biological perspectivenoun
An approach to mental disorders emphasizes bodily causes and often favors treatments that change biological functioning.
biological psychologynoun
Scientists study how bodily processes influence thoughts, feelings, and behavior, and how psychological activity affects the body.
biological response modifier therapy (BRM therapy)noun
Treatment uses natural or manufactured substances to increase or reduce immune activity in response to disease.
biological rhythmnoun
A repeating pattern in an organism’s body processes or behavior can follow daily, yearly, or other cycles.
biological stressnoun
A condition places heavy demands on an organism’s physical and mental ability to cope, such as illness or extreme temperatures.
biological symbiosisnoun
Members of different species live in close association, sometimes benefiting both partners.
biological taxonomynoun
Scientists classify living things into organized groups using shared features and biological relationships.
biological theory of agingnoun
An explanation attributes growing older to biological programming, accumulated damage, or other changes within the body.
biological therapynoun
Treatment addresses mental health conditions by changing how the brain or body functions, using medicines or other physical methods.
biological transducing systemnoun
A living mechanism transforms energy or information into another form, as sensory receptors do when producing electrical changes from light.
biological warfarenoun
Wartime attacks use disease-causing organisms or biological poisons to harm people, animals, or crops.
biologically primary abilitynoun
In Geary’s theory, an evolved ability, such as acquiring language, usually develops through ordinary experience without formal teaching.
biologically secondary abilitynoun
In Geary’s theory, a culturally developed skill, such as reading, builds on evolved abilities and often needs deliberate practice.
biologismnoun
An approach favors biological explanations of behavior and mental life while minimizing psychological explanations.
biologynoun
The science of living things and the body processes that keep them alive.
biomarkernoun
A measurable body sign, such as a hormone level, that shows a health or mental process.
biomechanicsnoun
Researchers use physics to study movement, forces, and physical loads in living bodies.
biomedical engineeringnoun
Engineers apply science and design to create equipment and technologies for medical care, diagnosis, and rehabilitation.
biomedical informaticsnoun
Researchers use computing and information methods to organize, analyze, and understand medical and biological data.
biomedical modelnoun
Views illness as caused only by body problems, leaving out thoughts, feelings, and social influences.
biomedical therapynoun
A mental health treatment works through changes in brain or body activity, for example through medication or electrical stimulation.
biometrics (biometry)noun
Statistical methods are used to collect and interpret measurements concerning living organisms, populations, and health.
bionicsnoun
Researchers study how living systems perceive and solve problems to design electronic systems with similar abilities.
biophilianoun
People naturally feel drawn to nature, and this connection can support mental health and well-being.
biophobianoun
Fear or dislike of nature or certain living things can encourage a preference for human-made surroundings.
biophysical systemnoun
A living system is examined through its physical properties and the laws of physics.
biophysicsnoun
Scientists apply physics to understand living structures and processes, including how vision and hearing work.
biopsynoun
A small tissue sample is removed and examined under a microscope to help diagnose disease.
biopsychologynoun
The study of how the brain, nerves, hormones, and genes affect behavior and mental processes.
biopsychosocialadjective
Describing a way to understand mental health by combining body, mind, and social life.
biorhythmnoun
A recurring change in bodily activity or behavior follows a cycle, such as daily changes in sleepiness.
biosocialadjective
Describing behavior shaped by both body-based processes and social experiences at the same time.
biosocial theoryphrase
Behavior and personality grow from inborn biology shaped by social and environmental experiences.
biospherenoun
All regions of Earth where life exists together make up a worldwide living zone.
biostatisticsnoun
Statistical tools help researchers collect and analyze information about living organisms, health, and populations.
biosynthesisnoun
Living organisms use enzymes to build chemical substances from nutrients or simpler materials.
biotaxisnoun
Organisms are classified by body structures and traits, or living cells orient themselves relative to their surroundings.
biotechnologynoun
People use organisms, cells, or biological processes to develop useful products and services.
bioterrorismnoun
Deliberately releasing disease-causing organisms or biological poisons aims to frighten or pressure people through illness and possible death.
biotopenoun
An area is identified by its particular environmental conditions, such as moisture, temperature, or soil type.
biotransformationnoun
Chemical reactions inside an organism change a substance, such as a medicine, into different compounds.
biotransportnoun
Substances move within cells or cross cell boundaries to enter or leave them.
biotypenoun
A group of organisms shares identical or very similar genetic makeup, even when their visible features differ.
biotypologynoun
A classification approach groups people by bodily and psychological characteristics, sometimes using proposed connections between physique and personality.
bipedal locomotionnoun
An organism moves upright by walking or running using two feet.
biperidennoun
An acetylcholine-blocking medicine treats Parkinson’s symptoms and similar movement problems caused by some antipsychotic medicines.
biphasic sleepnoun
Sleep occurs in two periods during each day, often a longer nighttime rest and a daytime nap.
biplotnoun
A statistical graph shows individual cases and measured variables together, often using dots for cases and arrows for variables.
bipolaradjective
Having two opposite ends, states, or features, such as two neuron branches or mood extremes.
bipolar cellnoun
A nerve cell has two main extensions, one axon and one dendrite, emerging from opposite sides of its central body.
bipolar disordernoun
A mood disorder with shifts between depression and mania, a state of unusually high energy and mood.
bipolar electrodenoun
An electrical device uses two nearby contacts to stimulate tissue or measure electrical differences between the contacts.
bipolar neuronnoun
A neuron’s central body has a dendrite extending in one direction and an axon extending in the opposite direction.
bipolar rating scalenoun
A response scale lets someone choose a position between two opposite qualities, such as pleasant and unpleasant.
bipolar stimulationnoun
Electrical current between two nearby contacts activates a selected nerve cell or brain region.
bipolaritynoun
A model treats two qualities as opposite ends, so more of one implies less of the other.
bird flunoun
Influenza viruses cause a contagious infection mainly affecting birds, though some can also infect humans and other animals.
birds-of-a-feather phenomenonnoun
People often feel drawn to others who resemble them in interests, values, backgrounds, or other characteristics.
BIRGingabbreviation
Basking in reflected glory means boosting self-esteem by emphasizing a connection to a successful or respected group.
birth asphyxiaphrase
Too little oxygen during birth can injure a baby's brain and body.
birth cohortnoun
A group consists of people born during the same year or another specified time period.
birth controlnoun
People voluntarily manage whether, when, and how often they have children, usually through methods that prevent pregnancy.
birth crynoun
A newborn’s first automatic cry occurs as breathing begins after delivery.
birth defectnoun
A difference in body structure or function is present from birth and can affect health or development.
birth injurynoun
A baby experiences physical damage during labor or delivery, sometimes affecting the brain or other body tissues.
birth mothernoun
A mother who gave birth to a child may or may not also raise that child.
birth ordernoun
A child's place among siblings, such as oldest or youngest, which may shape family experiences more than personality.
birth parentnoun
A child's biological parent may raise the child or have a different role from an adoptive parent.
birth ratenoun
A population measure counts live births relative to population size, usually per thousand people each year.
birth rationoun
A numerical comparison relates one birth category to another category or to all births.
birth ritenoun
A cultural ceremony or custom marks pregnancy, childbirth, or a baby's early life.
birth traumanoun
A historical psychoanalytic theory proposed that distress during birth creates the foundation for later anxiety and psychological problems.
birth weightphrase
A newborn's first measured weight, checked soon after birth, can signal early health and development risks.
BISabbreviation
The behavioral inhibition system is a proposed brain system that restrains action when signals suggest punishment or missing rewards.
bisectionnoun
In psychophysics, adjusting a stimulus until it seems midway between two others on one quality.
biserial correlation coefficientphrase
Shows how strongly a score scale relates to a yes-or-no outcome, assuming an underlying normal spread.
bisexualitynoun
Being romantically, emotionally, or sexually attracted to people of more than one gender.
bisphenol A (BPA)noun
A chemical used in some plastics and resins can affect hormone signaling and is studied for possible brain and behavioral effects.
bistable perceptual eventsnoun
An unchanged sensory pattern alternates between two interpretations, with only one experienced at a time.
bitnoun
One unit of information, equal to what cuts uncertainty in half with a yes-or-no answer.
bite barnoun
A device held between the teeth keeps the head steady during perception studies or animal research procedures.
bitemporal hemianopianoun
Vision is lost in the outer half of each eye's field, typically because the crossing optic nerve fibers are damaged.
bitteradjective
Describes a sharp, unpleasant taste that often warns the body about possible poisons.
bivalencenoun
A principle of logic assigns every proposition exactly one truth value: true or false.
bivariateadjective
Describing data or analysis that involves two variables measured or studied together.
bivariate distributionnoun
A probability pattern describes how likely different paired values of two random variables are to occur together.
bivariate frequency distributionnoun
A data display counts observations in every pairing of categories from two variables.
bivariate probability distributionnoun
A mathematical description gives the likelihood of different combinations of values taken by two random variables.
bizarre behaviornoun
Actions seem highly unusual or unexpected within a person's usual pattern or cultural setting.
bizarre delusionphrase
A fixed false belief that is clearly impossible or fantastical, yet strongly believed.
bizarreness effectnoun
People sometimes remember strange images or sentences better than ordinary ones, especially when the strange material stands out.
black boxnoun
A system has observable inputs and outputs, while its internal workings remain hidden or unexplained.
black box warningnoun
A prominent boxed notice on a medication label highlights especially serious risks or important restrictions on its use.
Black Englishnoun
A variety of English used in many African American communities has its own systematic grammar, pronunciation, and social patterns.
black sheep effectnoun
People may judge a disliked member of their own group more harshly than a similar person from another group.
blackboardnoun
A software design lets independent knowledge modules exchange information through one shared database while working on a problem.
blacking outnoun
A culturally described episode involves sudden collapse and difficulty seeing or moving, while hearing and understanding may remain intact.
blackoutnoun
An episode involves either complete unconsciousness or an alcohol-related memory gap for events that occurred while awake.
bladder reflexnoun
Stretch signals from a filling bladder trigger muscle contraction that helps release urine, with voluntary control developing during childhood.
Blake–Mouton managerial gridnoun
A leadership model places managers on two nine-point scales measuring attention to work output and people's needs.
blaming the victimphrase
People assign responsibility for mistreatment or misfortune to the person affected, sometimes to feel less vulnerable themselves.
blank screennoun
A historical psychoanalytic ideal casts the analyst as neutral, allowing a patient's earlier feelings and relationship patterns to emerge.
blank trialnoun
Researchers include an experimental round with unusual or meaningless conditions to reduce guessing and responses made without thinking.
blast noisenoun
An extremely intense sound exposure can damage the inner ear or tear the eardrum.
blast olfactometernoun
A smell research instrument delivers an odor to the nose through a brief burst of air.
blastocystnoun
An early mammalian embryo forms a hollow cell structure with an inner cell group and an outer layer supporting implantation.
blastulanoun
An early animal embryo typically forms a cell layer surrounding a cavity filled with fluid.
blended familynoun
A family forms when partners join households and at least one brings children from an earlier relationship.
blendingnoun
Making a new word by joining the start of one word to the end of another.
blepharospasmnoun
Involuntary contractions of eyelid muscles cause repeated blinking or sustained eye closure.
Blessed Dementia Scale (BDS)noun
A behavioral rating tool assesses dementia severity through changes in everyday functioning, habits, personality, and motivation.
Bleuler’s theorynoun
A historical account proposed four core schizophrenia features involving thought connections, emotional expression, conflicting feelings, and withdrawal into inner experience.
blindadjective
Kept unaware of key study details so expectations do not change behavior or results.
blind alleynoun
A passage in a maze ends without another way out, requiring a return through its entrance.
blind analysisnoun
An evaluation examines evidence without access to particular background information or earlier conclusions about the subject.
blind judgmentnoun
An assessment is made while information that could sway the evaluator is withheld to reduce bias.
blind reviewnoun
A reviewer evaluates a manuscript or funding proposal without knowing who wrote or submitted it.
blind spotnoun
A hidden area of self-awareness where someone keeps missing a problem in their behavior or motives.
blind walknoun
A group trust exercise has partners alternate guiding one another with eyes closed, then discuss their experiences.
blindnessnoun
A severe loss of vision that leaves little or no useful sight.
blindsightnoun
After damage to primary visual cortex, a person can respond to unseen visual events without consciously seeing them.
BLM (BLMS)abbreviation
Buccolingual masticatory syndrome involves involuntary tongue, mouth, and facial movements associated with older antipsychotic medications.
bloatingnoun
An uncomfortable feeling of abdominal fullness or swelling can arise through physical processes and interactions between digestion and stress.
blobnoun
A small neuron cluster in the primary visual cortex has elevated cytochrome oxidase activity and responds to light wavelengths.
Bloch’s lawnoun
For sufficiently brief, dim flashes, detection depends on the product of light intensity and duration.
blocknoun
A barrier that stops or slows a mental, body, or treatment process.
block designnoun
An IQ test task where a person uses colored blocks to copy a printed pattern.
block randomizationnoun
Researchers randomly assign participants within small batches to study conditions, maintaining planned group proportions in each batch.
block samplingnoun
Researchers divide a population into roughly equal-sized groups, randomly select some groups, then randomly choose targets within them.
block-design testnoun
An intelligence assessment task asks a person to arrange colored blocks to reproduce a shown pattern.
blockingnoun
A sudden stop in thinking, speaking, or learning because another mental process gets in the way.
blocking factornoun
A variable used to group participants into similar sets before comparing treatments in a study.
Blocq’s diseasenoun
A historical name describes severely unsteady walking despite preserved leg control while lying down, traditionally attributed to psychological causes.
blood alcohol concentration (BAC)noun
A measurement shows how much alcohol is present in a given volume of blood, often expressed as a percentage.
blood glucosephrase
The amount of sugar circulating in the blood, which cells use for energy.
blood groupnoun
An inherited blood category depends on which identifying markers occur on red blood cells, such as A or B.
blood levelsphrase
The amount of a drug or other substance present in a measured sample of blood.
blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD)adjective
An fMRI signal described this way varies with blood oxygenation, providing an indirect clue about brain activity.
blood phobianoun
An intense, lasting fear of seeing or encountering blood causes distress or avoidance beyond what the situation warrants.
blood poisoningnoun
An informal medical expression describes a serious infection involving germs in the bloodstream.
blood pressurephrase
The force of blood pushing on artery walls changes with heartbeat, health, and activity level.
blood sugarphrase
The amount of glucose, a body fuel, circulating in your bloodstream at a given time.
blood typenoun
An inherited classification identifies blood by specific markers carried on its red cells, including those used in ABO grouping.
blood–brain barriernoun
Closely connected cells lining brain blood vessels regulate which substances can enter surrounding brain tissue.
bloodlettingnoun
A medical practice removes blood, historically to treat many illnesses and sometimes today for specific medical purposes.
Bloom’s taxonomynoun
An educational framework organizes learning goals into levels of complexity, especially thinking skills such as remembering, evaluating, and creating.
blownoun
In drug slang, this word names cocaine, a substance that stimulates the brain and affects mood and alertness.
blow jobnoun
An informal sexual expression describes a partner using their mouth to stimulate a penis.
BLSAabbreviation
Baltimore’s longitudinal study of aging repeatedly assesses volunteers to distinguish changes associated with getting older from those associated with illness.
bluenoun
A color seen when the eye responds to short-wavelength light in the visible range.
blue-collar workernoun
An employee does mainly physical or hands-on technical work, such as repairing machinery or working in construction.
blue-sightedadjective
Someone described this way has unusually strong visual sensitivity to blue, sometimes after removal of a yellowed eye lens.
blue–yellow blindnessnoun
A rare difference in color vision makes some colors involving blue and yellow difficult to distinguish.
bluesnoun
Everyday word for mild, usually brief depressive symptoms such as sadness or losing interest in things.
blunted affectnoun
A person shows noticeably reduced emotional expression or responsiveness compared with what is typical for them or the situation.
blurnoun
A lack of clear edges that makes an image look smeared or hard to see.
blur pointnoun
During a vision test, this threshold marks when a previously clear target first becomes noticeably unfocused.
blurred visionphrase
Seeing things less clearly or sharply than normal, often as a symptom or medication side effect.
blushingnoun
The face becomes red without deliberate control, sometimes during embarrassment, self-consciousness, or other emotional experiences.
BMIabbreviation
A height-and-weight ratio used to estimate whether someone's body size is underweight, average, overweight, or obese.
BMLDabbreviation
Binaural masking level difference measures how differences between the ears' inputs change the ability to detect a sound within noise.
BMRabbreviation
Basal metabolic rate measures the minimum energy used to sustain essential bodily functions while awake, resting, and comfortably warm.
BNSQabbreviation
The Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire asks how often people experienced different sleep problems during the preceding three months.
BNTabbreviation
The Boston Naming Test assesses finding words by asking people to name pictured objects of varying familiarity.
board certifiedadjective
Having passed a specialty board exam and been approved as an expert in that healthcare area.
boarding homenoun
A shared residence provides accommodation and meals, sometimes with personal care, supervision, or support during a transition toward independent living.
Bobo dollnoun
A blow-up clown toy used in Bandura's studies to show children learn aggression by watching adults.
bodily-kinesthetic intelligencenoun
Gardner's multiple-intelligences theory proposes a distinct ability to control and coordinate bodily movements skillfully.
bodynoun
A person's whole physical form, especially when contrasted with the mind.
body awarenessphrase
Knowing where your body is and what it feels like at a given moment.
body boundariesnoun
In some inkblot interpretations, imagined bodies with clear or unclear outlines are proposed to reveal how definite bodily boundaries feel.
body buffer zonenoun
The space someone prefers between themselves and others helps them feel comfortable and varies with relationships, situations, and culture.
body buildnoun
A person's overall physical structure can be described through torso proportions, limb lengths, and measurements around the body.
body cellnoun
A somatic cell belongs to bodily tissues rather than the cell line that produces eggs or sperm.
body cognitionsnoun
A person's beliefs and attitudes about their appearance shape how they interpret and judge physical features.
body conceptnoun
A person's thoughts and feelings about their bodily characteristics form their understanding and evaluation of their body.
body disfigurementnoun
A noticeable physical difference in appearance results from a condition present at birth, an injury, or an illness.
body distortionnoun
A person's internal picture of their bodily appearance, dimensions, or movement differs from its actual physical characteristics.
body dysmorphianoun
A person experiences intense negative concern about an appearance feature that others see as minor or do not notice.
body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)phrase
A person becomes obsessed with an imagined or tiny appearance flaw and may repeatedly check or hide it.
body egonoun
Psychoanalytic theory proposes that an early foundation of the self develops from sensing and experiencing one's own body.
body electrode placementnoun
The locations and arrangement of electrodes on the body determine where electrical activity is measured.
body esteemnoun
The degree of positive regard someone has for their body includes how they value its parts and appearance.
body idealnoun
A culture promotes certain bodily appearances as especially desirable, creating standards that people may accept, question, or resist.
body imagenoun
A person's inner picture of their body and feelings about how it looks and works.
Body Image Assessment (BIA)noun
An assessment asks people to choose silhouettes representing their perceived current body and preferred body from figures of increasing size.
body integrity identity disorder (BIID)noun
A rare condition involves distress because a healthy body part feels inconsistent with the body a person feels they should have.
body languagephrase
Feelings and thoughts shown through posture, gestures, facial expressions, and other movements instead of words.
body mass index (BMI)phrase
A number estimating body fat from weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.
body memorynoun
A proposed form of remembering involves bodily sensations linked to past trauma, sometimes without accompanying words or mental pictures.
body narcissismnoun
An older psychological expression describes excessive fascination with one's body, including areas associated with sexual pleasure.
body odornoun
A person's smell caused when skin bacteria break down sweat and other skin oils.
body perceptnoun
A person's mental picture of their physical features includes perceived size, shape, strength, and other bodily characteristics.
body positioningnoun
A proposed memory effect occurs when posture and bodily feedback provide cues that help learning or remembering.
body rockingnoun
A person repeatedly sways their body forward and backward, sometimes for sensory stimulation or comfort.
body schemanoun
In this usage, an organized mental representation brings together a person's perceived appearance and related thoughts and feelings.
body temperaturenoun
The amount of heat inside the body, kept within a safe range for normal brain and body function.
body therapiesnoun
A group of approaches uses movement, touch, breathing, or posture to try to reduce psychological tension and related symptoms.
body typenoun
A category groups people according to similarities in their overall physical build or shape.
body-build indexnoun
Eysenck proposed classifying physical build using height multiplied by 100 and divided by six times chest width.
body-image avoidancenoun
Concerns about appearance lead someone to avoid situations or conceal bodily features they feel uncomfortable showing.
body-image distortionnoun
Someone perceives their body's appearance, size, or movement in a way that differs from its actual characteristics.
body-image idealsnoun
Personal standards describe how someone would most like their body and its different features to look.
body-size overestimationnoun
A person judges parts of their body as larger than objective measurements show.
body–mind problemnoun
A philosophical question asks how thoughts, feelings, and other mental experiences relate to physical processes in the body.
bodybuildingnoun
A planned routine of lifting weights aims to increase muscle size and make muscles look more clearly defined.
bodyworknoun
Physical practices such as massage, guided movement, and touch exercises may be used alongside psychotherapy.
Bogardus Social Distance Scalenoun
A questionnaire assesses attitudes toward ethnic groups by asking which levels of social closeness someone would accept.
bogus pipelinenoun
Researchers use a fake device supposedly able to detect true attitudes to encourage honest answers about sensitive topics.
boilermaker’s deafnessnoun
Exposure to very loud noise can damage hearing, especially the ability to hear high pitches.
BOLDabbreviation
A brain scan signal that tracks local oxygen-rich blood as a clue to neural activity.
boldnessnoun
A person's tendency to take risks and approach unfamiliar people, places, or situations.
bolstering of an attitudenoun
Someone adds supporting thoughts to an existing attitude to reduce discomfort caused by conflicting information.
bombesinnoun
A signaling peptide first identified in toad skin can reduce appetite and influence smooth muscle activity.
bona fide groupnoun
A group develops through everyday social life rather than being assembled specifically for a research study.
bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ)phrase
A truly necessary trait for doing a specific job well, even if using it in hiring is usually banned.
bona fide pipeline measurenoun
An indirect attitude test compares how quickly people judge positive and negative targets after seeing a particular cue.
bondnoun
A close, trusting connection between people that makes them feel linked and likely to stay together.
bondagenoun
Consenting adults may use physical restraints during sexual activity for pleasure.
bondage and discipline (B and D)noun
Consenting adults combine physical restraint with agreed rules or disciplinary acts during sexual activity.
bondingnoun
The forming of close emotional ties, especially between a parent and infant.
bone agenoun
An estimate of skeletal development uses bone formation patterns, usually viewed in hand and wrist X-rays.
bone conductionnoun
Sound reaches the inner ear when vibrations travel through skull bones.
bone pointingnoun
Historical accounts describe deaths after a believed curse, with intense fear proposed as a possible physical cause.
bone-conduction testingnoun
A hearing test sends vibrations through skull bones and compares results with ordinary sound testing to help locate hearing difficulties.
Bonferroni t testnoun
Multiple t tests use a significance cutoff divided by the comparison count to limit the overall chance of false positives.
Bonnet syndromenoun
People with substantial vision loss may see things that are absent while recognizing these visual experiences are unreal.
bony labyrinthnoun
Hard cavities inside the skull's temporal bone surround the inner ear's delicate structures for hearing and balance.
Boolean algebranoun
A mathematical system combines true-or-false values using operations such as AND, OR, and NOT.
boomerang effectnoun
An attempt at persuasion shifts someone's attitude in the reverse direction from what the communicator wanted.
booster sessionnoun
An occasional therapy appointment after regular treatment ends helps maintain improvements and address new obstacles.
bootstrappingnoun
A resampling method that repeatedly draws from the same data to estimate uncertainty when usual statistical assumptions fail.
borderlineadjective
Describing something that falls between two groups and shows features of both.
borderline casenoun
Someone has symptoms resembling a disorder but does not meet all the requirements for that diagnosis.
borderline disordernoun
This usually means borderline personality disorder, involving persistent difficulties regulating emotions, maintaining stable relationships, and sustaining a consistent self-image.
borderline intelligencenoun
An older classification describes measured thinking abilities below average but near the range associated with intellectual disability.
borderline personality disordernoun
A disorder marked by unstable emotions, identity, and relationships, often with impulsive or self-harming behavior that disrupts daily life.
borderline psychosisnoun
A historical label described people considered vulnerable to losing contact with reality under stress despite currently maintaining that contact.
borderline schizophrenianoun
A historical label described occasional schizophrenia-like symptoms, sometimes during stress, with reality awareness maintained most of the time.
borderline statenoun
A broad label describes psychological symptoms that are difficult to place within a clear diagnostic category.
boredomnoun
Feeling tired and unhappy because the world around you is not interesting or engaging enough.
Borg scalenoun
Either of two related rating tools lets people report how intense physical effort or another sensation feels.
Börjeson–Forssman–Lehmann syndromenoun
A rare condition involving PHF6 gene changes affects intellectual development and physical growth, often more strongly in males.
borna diseasenoun
A viral illness affecting mammals, including humans, can damage the brain and disrupt movement, vision, and mental functioning.
borstal systemnoun
A historical British approach sought to rehabilitate young offenders through structured work, recreation, and supervision after release.
BOSabbreviation
The abbreviation means behavioral observation scale, which rates how often an employee demonstrates effective actions at work.
Boston Naming Test (BNT)noun
An assessment checks word retrieval by asking someone to name pictured objects ranging from familiar to uncommon.
Boston Process Approachphrase
A testing method that studies how a person solves tasks, not just the final score.
BOTabbreviation
A test that measures how well a person can do fine and large body movements.
botanical medicinenoun
Plant materials are used as remedies intended to relieve symptoms or manage illness.
botanynoun
A branch of biology investigates how plants grow, function, reproduce, and interact with their surroundings.
bottleneck modelnoun
An attention theory proposes that information encounters a stage with very limited processing capacity.
bottom-up designnoun
A design approach builds a product or system around specific user needs identified through observation and evidence.
bottom-up processingphrase
Perception starts with raw sensory details, which build upward into recognizing and understanding what you notice.
bottoming outnoun
Severe mental and physical depletion can leave someone struggling with concentration, motivation, and self-worth after accumulated stress or setbacks.
botulinum toxinnoun
A bacterial protein blocks nerve signals to muscles, causing paralysis, while carefully controlled doses have medical uses.
bouffée délirantenoun
French psychiatry uses this label for a sudden, temporary episode of delusions and other psychotic symptoms, sometimes following stress.
Boulder modelnoun
Psychologist training combines scientific research with professional practice so each informs and strengthens the other.
bound energynoun
Classical psychoanalytic theory proposes mental energy held within the ego and directed toward organized thinking about external reality.
bound morphemenoun
A smallest meaningful language unit must attach to another unit, as the plural ending does in cats.
boundarynoun
A limit that protects personal space, roles, or involvement in relationships, groups, testing, or therapy.
boundary ambiguitynoun
Family members feel uncertain about who belongs to the family or what roles particular people hold.
boundary detectornoun
A specialized retinal cell responds to sharp visual edges; a computational method can similarly identify image edges or speech divisions.
boundary issuesphrase
Problems with keeping safe professional limits so clients are not exploited or harmed.
boundary spanningnoun
People in organizations gather outside information, share selected details internally, and communicate relevant internal information to outsiders.
boundary systemnoun
In systems theory, partly open divisions between living systems regulate information exchange and the extent of mutual involvement.
bounded rationalityphrase
People make the best workable choice they can, limited by knowledge, thinking ability, and real-world complexity.
bourgeoisienoun
A social class occupying the middle of society’s economic and social ranking is called the bourgeoisie.
bowel disordernoun
A condition affecting the intestines can disturb digestion or bowel movements, sometimes with symptoms influenced by stress.
bowel incontinencenoun
Loss of bowel control allows stool or gas to pass without the person intending it.
Bowen family systems theorynoun
Murray Bowen’s theory views a family as an emotional system whose members influence one another’s behavior and well-being.
box-and-whisker plotnoun
A graph uses a box, lines, and sometimes dots to summarize a dataset’s median, spread, and unusually distant values.
box-score methodnoun
A research summary counts studies by statistical significance without considering how large their observed effects are.
Box–Cox transformationnoun
A statistical method changes positive outcome values using powers or logarithms to help data better fit a linear model.
Box–Tidwell transformationnoun
A statistical method adjusts predictor values using estimated powers to make their relationship with an outcome more nearly linear.
boxed warningnoun
A prominent box in medication information highlights especially serious risks or important restrictions on use under FDA requirements.
boxer’s dementianoun
An older name describes progressive problems with thinking, memory, and movement associated with repeated impacts to the head.
BPabbreviation
A small brain signal that shows up just before you choose to make a movement.
BPAabbreviation
A short name for bisphenol A, a chemical used in some plastics and resins.
BPRSabbreviation
The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale lets trained clinicians rate how strongly a person shows various mental health symptoms.
BPSabbreviation
The British Psychological Society is a professional organization supporting psychology, psychologists, and public benefit in the United Kingdom.
BRACabbreviation
The basic rest–activity cycle is a proposed roughly 90-minute rhythm of changing nervous system activity during sleep and wakefulness.
bracenoun
A supportive device helps hold a body region in a suitable position and may allow controlled movement.
brachial plexusnoun
A branching nerve network links the spinal cord with the shoulder and upper limb, carrying movement and sensory signals.
brachiumnoun
The anatomical name for the upper arm can also describe an arm-shaped structure elsewhere in the body.
brachium conjunctivumnoun
The superior cerebellar peduncle is a nerve fiber bundle linking the cerebellum mainly with the midbrain.
Brachmann–de Lange syndromenoun
A rare genetic condition affects growth and physical development and can involve differences in learning and behavior.
brachy-prefix
A word part placed before another element indicates shortness in the feature being described.
brachycephalicadjective
An anatomical description identifies a head that is relatively broad compared with its front-to-back length.
brachymorphnoun
An anatomical classification describes a person whose body build is unusually short and broad.
brachyskeletaladjective
An anatomical description indicates unusually short bones, especially those of the legs.
bracketed moralitynoun
People temporarily set aside their usual duty to weigh everyone’s interests equally because a setting seems to permit different rules.
brady-prefix
A word part placed before another element indicates slowness in the process being described.
bradyarthrianoun
Speech proceeds at an unusually slow pace or includes unusual hesitation.
bradycardianoun
An unusually slow heartbeat, often under 60 beats per minute in adults.
bradyesthesianoun
Sensations take longer than usual to register or feel less distinct.
bradykinesianoun
Unusually slow voluntary movement, often seen in disorders that affect the brain.
bradylalianoun
A speech pattern involves unusually slow speaking or noticeable hesitation while producing words.
bradylexianoun
Reading occurs extremely slowly for reasons that are not explained by intellectual impairment.
bradylogianoun
An unusually slow or hesitant flow of speech is described by this clinical word.
bradyphrenianoun
Unusually slow thinking that makes answering, solving problems, and making decisions take longer.
bradyrhythmianoun
The heart follows a rhythm that is slower than expected.
brahmacharyanoun
In Hindu and Buddhist traditions, disciplined spiritual living includes sexual restraint or celibacy, with meanings varying by tradition.
braid cutting fetishnoun
Sexual excitement is especially connected to the act of cutting someone's hair.
Braid’s strabismusnoun
A historical hypnosis method used an inward and upward eye position that was thought to help induce hypnosis.
braillenoun
A touch-based writing system using raised dot patterns so blind people can read written material.
brainnoun
The organ inside the skull controls thinking, feeling, movement, and many automatic body functions.
brain abscessnoun
An infection can create a contained pocket of pus within brain tissue, potentially disrupting nearby functions.
brain asymmetrynoun
The brain’s two halves differ in some physical features, chemical patterns, and contributions to particular tasks.
brain atlasnoun
A collection of labeled brain images provides a guide to its structures and their locations.
brain atrophynoun
Brain tissue loses volume through changes such as aging, disease, or injury, with effects that vary.
brain banknoun
A research program collects and preserves donated brain tissue after death so scientists can study health and disease.
brain centernoun
A brain region is identified with a particular function, although that function often depends on connections with other regions.
brain comparatornoun
A proposed brain mechanism checks planned movement against incoming sensory information to help adjust movement.
brain concussionnoun
A blow or sudden jolt can cause a mild brain injury that affects thinking, feelings, or physical coordination.
brain contusionnoun
An injury bruises brain tissue, damaging small blood vessels and potentially affecting how the brain works.
brain damagephrase
Harm to brain tissue can weaken thinking, movement, feeling, or other abilities the brain controls.
brain deathphrase
Permanent loss of all brain function, including breathing and reflexes, even if machines keep the body working.
brain diseasephrase
Any illness that harms brain tissue, including degenerative, metabolic, or infectious conditions.
brain disordernoun
A condition interferes with usual brain functioning and may affect thinking, emotions, movement, or other abilities.
brain electrical activity mapping (BEAM)noun
Computers analyze electrical signals recorded through scalp electrodes and display patterns of brain activity as maps.
brain exercisenoun
Structured mental activities aim to maintain or improve skills such as attention, memory, reasoning, and problem solving.
brain fagnoun
A culturally described distress pattern among West African students involves study-related exhaustion, thinking difficulties, and head or neck discomfort.
brain fingerprintingnoun
A proposed forensic technique measures brain responses to test whether someone recognizes details related to a crime.
brain graftnoun
Surgery places brain tissue into the brain to replace damaged tissue or help make up for lost function.
brain growthphrase
The brain becoming larger and more complex, especially before birth and through the early years.
brain imagingphrase
Using safe scans to see brain structure or activity without opening the skull.
brain inflammationnoun
Immune activity within the brain responds to triggers such as infection or injury and can influence brain functioning.
brain injurynoun
Harm to the brain from a blow, lack of oxygen, illness, or another physical cause.
brain lesionphrase
Damage in part of the brain from injury, illness, surgery, stroke, tumor, or infection.
brain localization theorynoun
A family of theories proposes that particular brain regions make distinct contributions to specific mental or bodily functions.
brain mappingnoun
Researchers create visual guides showing how brain areas contribute to different activities and abilities.
brain nucleusnoun
A group of nerve cell bodies within the brain carries out related jobs.
brain pathologyphrase
Damage or disease in the brain that disrupts how it works.
brain plasticitynoun
The brain can adjust its structure and activity through experience and sometimes compensate for injury or illness.
brain potentialnoun
Electrical voltage produced by brain cells can be measured to study brain activity.
brain researchphrase
Scientists study how the brain is built and works by testing, measuring, and imaging it.
brain reservenoun
A proposed supply of brain tissue and connections may help maintain abilities despite disease or injury.
brain scanphrase
A picture-taking method that shows brain structure problems or measures how active parts are.
brain self-stimulationnoun
A person or animal performs an action that triggers electrical stimulation through electrodes implanted in their own brain.
brain splittingnoun
Surgeons cut some or all connecting nerve fibers between the brain's two halves, sometimes to limit severe seizures.
brain stimulationphrase
Using electricity or magnets on parts of the brain can reveal their jobs or help treat problems.
brain syndromephrase
An older label for mental or behavior problems caused by damage, disease, or other changes in the brain.
brain traumanoun
Physical damage to brain tissue can disrupt thinking, feelings, movement, or other functions.
brain tumorphrase
An abnormal growth inside the skull that can press on the brain and disrupt body and thinking functions.
brain volumetrynoun
Researchers or clinicians use magnetic resonance images to measure how much space the brain and its parts occupy.
brain wavesnoun
Patterns of electrical activity across groups of brain cells can be recorded using sensors, often placed on the scalp.
brain weightphrase
The brain's mass usually increases until about age 20, then slowly becomes lighter with age.
brain-based learningnoun
An interdisciplinary field studies how brains support learning and explores ways that knowledge might improve teaching.
brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)phrase
A brain protein that helps nerve cells grow, survive, and change connections needed for learning and memory.
brain-wave therapynoun
An alternative treatment encourages alpha and theta brain rhythms, proposing that these support learning, memory, and emotional understanding.
brain–computer interface (BCI)noun
A device converts measured brain activity into commands for computers or other equipment without requiring muscle movement.
brain–machine interface (BMI)noun
A system uses recorded brain signals to operate equipment directly, without relying on muscle actions.
brainstemnoun
The lower brain links the cerebrum to the spinal cord and controls automatic body functions like breathing and heartbeat.
brainstem auditory evoked responsenoun
A measurable electrical reaction in the brainstem follows a sound and helps assess hearing pathways.
brainstem reticular formationnoun
An interconnected network of brainstem neurons helps regulate alertness, sleep, waking, and aspects of movement.
brainstormingnoun
Generating many ideas freely, usually in a group, before anyone judges which ones are good.
brainwashingnoun
Intense methods, often involving pressure or coercion, aim to greatly change someone's beliefs, attitudes, and feelings.
brainwave entrainmentnoun
Brain activity can synchronize with repeating sounds, flashes, or other rhythmic signals from the environment.
branchingnoun
A teaching system that sends learners to different next steps based on whether they answer correctly or not.
brand namenoun
A distinctive product name identifies its commercial source and can shape buyers' expectations.
brand-use surveynoun
Researchers ask consumers whether they bought a particular advertised brand to help evaluate an advertising appeal.
Brandeis briefnoun
A 1908 Supreme Court filing used extensive social research to argue that long workdays harmed women.
brandingnoun
Marketers build a recognizable identity for a business or offering to distinguish it and encourage customer loyalty.
Brattleboro ratnoun
A research rat with an inherited gene change cannot make working vasopressin, a hormone involved in water balance and behavior.
braverynoun
A person faces a difficult challenge despite meaningful risks to their safety, feelings, or principles.
Brawner rulenoun
A legal test excuses criminal responsibility when mental disorder substantially limits understanding wrongfulness or controlling conduct to follow law.
Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scalenoun
A structured assessment examines young infants' behavior and nervous system responses to sights, sounds, handling, and other stimuli.
BRCA1 and BRCA2noun
Two genes help repair DNA, and certain harmful variants increase the chance of breast, ovarian, and other cancers.
breakthroughnoun
A major advance that moves research, treatment, or a whole field forward quickly.
breastnoun
The milk-making gland on the chest contains ducts, fat, and supporting tissue.
breast envynoun
Melanie Klein proposed that infants envy the mother's breast for its ability to nourish and create.
breast-feedingnoun
An infant or young child receives nourishment from milk produced by a parent's breasts.
breast-phantom phenomenonnoun
After a breast is removed, someone may still feel its presence or experience sensations where it used to be.
breath controlnoun
A person deliberately adjusts breathing speed, depth, or pauses to achieve a goal, such as reducing tension.
breathingnoun
The repeated act of inhaling and exhaling air to move it through the lungs.
breathing retrainingphrase
A therapy method teaches slow belly breathing to reduce hyperventilation and calm panic or anxiety symptoms.
breathworknoun
An alternative practice pairs steady, deliberate breathing with reflection, with the proposed goal of emotional relief and personal change.
breathy voicenoun
Speech sounds airy when vibrating vocal folds do not close fully, allowing extra air to escape.
breech birthnoun
A baby is delivered with the buttocks or feet leading through the birth canal instead of the head.
breednoun
A group within one species that shares inherited traits, usually shaped by selective breeding by humans.
breeding behaviornoun
Animals perform activities connected with reproduction, including attracting partners, choosing mates, and mating.
bregmanoun
A landmark atop the skull lies where the frontal bone meets both parietal bones.
bride pricenoun
In certain marriage traditions, a future husband or his relatives transfer money or goods to the bride's family.
bridge to realityphrase
Within remotivation, discussing current everyday topics helps withdrawn patients reconnect with their surroundings and participate in treatment.
bridgingnoun
In multimodal therapy, starting with the client's favored focus helps the therapist later shift to a more important area.
brief group therapynoun
Several people receive psychotherapy together over a limited period, with sessions directed toward a clear treatment goal.
brief intensive group cognitive behavior therapynoun
A group works on unhelpful thinking and behavior in long sessions packed into a short treatment period.
brief interventionphrase
A short, focused counseling approach that helps someone change a specific unhealthy behavior or manage a health problem.
Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS)noun
Trained observers use a structured rating tool to judge the severity of several psychiatric symptoms.
brief psychodynamic psychotherapyphrase
A short, focused talk therapy uses insight into past relationships to understand current problems and increase self-awareness.
brief psychosocial screeningnoun
A short assessment checks for possible emotional, social, or behavioral concerns that may need closer evaluation or support.
brief psychotherapynoun
A therapist and client work toward focused emotional or behavioral goals within a relatively short course of treatment.
brief psychotic disorderphrase
A sudden psychotic episode with delusions, hallucinations, or severe disorganization lasts over a day but under a month.
brief stimulus therapy (BST)noun
A form of electroconvulsive treatment uses short electrical pulses to produce a medically controlled seizure.
Brief Visuospatial Memory Testnoun
An assessment measures visual learning and memory by asking someone to reproduce geometric designs immediately and after a delay.
bright light therapynoun
Planned exposure to bright visible light is used to treat seasonal depression and some problems with sleep timing.
brightnessnoun
How bright something looks, shaped by light strength, color, and what surrounds it.
brightness adaptationnoun
After exposure to strong light, a visual stimulus can temporarily seem dimmer as the visual system adjusts.
brightness constancynoun
An object's perceived lightness tends to remain stable even when the amount of light reaching it changes.
brightness contrastnoun
A surface can appear lighter beside dark surroundings and darker beside light surroundings, exaggerating the difference.
brightness discriminationnoun
The ability to tell how bright two lights are can vary with their wavelengths.
brightness perceptionnoun
The visual system creates an impression of how intense light seems, influenced by surroundings and previous light exposure.
brightness thresholdnoun
The weakest light someone can detect against a background depends on its wavelength and the viewing conditions.
bril scalenoun
A brightness measurement system uses decibels based on observers’ judgments, with zero placed near the point of first detection.
brilliancenoun
A visual quality makes something appear strikingly bright, as though brightness radiates from it.
Briquet’s syndromenoun
An outdated diagnosis called somatization disorder described numerous bodily symptoms lasting years without an adequate medical explanation.
Brissaud’s infantilismnoun
A historical diagnosis described delayed physical and mental development continuing beyond puberty because of insufficient thyroid activity.
British associationismnoun
A historical theory proposed that links among simple ideas explain most or all complex thought, memory, and learning.
British Manual Alphabetnoun
A system of letter shapes made using both hands allows people to spell words alongside sign language.
British Museum algorithmnoun
A problem-solving procedure tests every possible solution in sequence, starting with those that require the fewest steps.
British Psychological Society (BPS)noun
A British professional body founded in 1901 supports psychologists and advances psychological knowledge for society’s benefit.
broadbandnoun
A high-capacity communication connection carries large amounts of digital information and can support multiple signals.
broadband noisenoun
A noise signal contains energy spread across a wide range of frequencies.
Broca’s aphasianoun
A brain-language problem causing slow, broken speech, with fairly good understanding but poor writing.
Broca’s areanoun
A left frontal brain region helps plan and produce spoken language.
Brodmann’s areanoun
A numbered region of the brain’s outer layer is distinguished by its cell types and their arrangement.
brofarominenoun
An antidepressant drug temporarily inhibits MAO-A, slowing the breakdown of certain chemicals that carry signals between nerve cells.
broken homenoun
An outdated, judgmental label describes a household with one parent after parental separation or divorce.
broken sleepphrase
Waking up during the night and having trouble falling back asleep.
bromazepamnoun
A benzodiazepine medicine reduces anxiety by increasing calming effects within the nervous system.
bromidenoun
These medicines were historically used to calm anxiety and control seizures, but toxicity greatly limited their use.
bromocriptinenoun
A medicine activates dopamine receptors to ease Parkinson’s symptoms and reduce release of the hormone prolactin.
bromosisnoun
A distressing preoccupation involves believing one gives off an unpleasant body smell that others do not notice or barely notice.
bronchodilatornoun
A medicine opens narrowed breathing passages, helping air move through the lungs more easily.
bronchusnoun
Either of two large air passages branches from the windpipe and leads into a lung.
brood parasitismnoun
Some birds place eggs in another bird’s nest, leaving the nest’s owners to raise their young.
brooding compulsionnoun
A hard-to-resist urge drives repeated thinking about minor details or abstract questions to ease distress or prevent feared events.
Brooklands experimentnoun
An English study found improved language and other skills among children with severe intellectual disabilities moved into a homelike setting.
brotherlinessnoun
A sense of shared humanity encourages care for others and society, which Erich Fromm proposed could fulfill the need for belonging.
brown fatnoun
A specialized fatty tissue burns stored energy to produce heat and help warm the body.
Brown-Séquard’s syndromenoun
One-sided spinal damage can reduce strength and position sense there, while reducing pain and temperature sensation on the opposite side.
Brown–Forsythe testnoun
A statistical test checks whether groups differ in variability by comparing scores’ absolute distances from their group medians.
Brown–Peterson distractor techniquenoun
A memory experiment inserts a distracting task between learning a few items and recalling them, limiting mental repetition.
Brown–Spearman formulanoun
A formula estimates how test reliability changes when similar questions are added or removed.
Bruce effectnoun
In some rodents, exposure to an unfamiliar male’s scent soon after mating can interrupt the establishment of pregnancy.
brucinenoun
A poisonous plant compound blocks receptors for glycine, reducing some of the nervous system’s inhibitory signaling.
Brugsch’s indexnoun
A body measurement expresses chest circumference as a percentage of height, using matching units.
Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT)noun
A standardized assessment measures young people’s movement skills, including precise hand actions, balance, coordination, and strength.
brujerianoun
In this cultural health context, illness or distress is understood as resulting from spells or witchcraft.
Brunswik facesnoun
Researchers use simple face drawings with adjustable features to study how people notice differences and sort faces into categories.
Brunswik rationoun
A numerical measure compares perception with the sensory image and actual object to estimate perceptual constancy.
Brushfield–Wyatt syndromenoun
A historical syndrome combines a facial vascular birthmark with brain vessel abnormalities and possible seizures or weakness affecting one side.
brute forcenoun
A problem-solving method generates and checks every possible candidate solution.
bruxismnoun
Repeated jaw activity involves grinding teeth or holding them tightly together during sleep or while awake.
BSMabbreviation
Behavioral sleep medicine studies how thoughts and actions affect sleep problems and uses evidence-based psychological methods to treat them.
BSRIabbreviation
The Bem Sex Role Inventory measures self-described traits using historical American cultural ideas about masculinity and femininity.
BSSabbreviation
An abbreviation names Beck’s scale assessing suicidal thinking to help guide more detailed questions about a person’s intentions.
BSTabbreviation
Brief stimulus therapy is an electroconvulsive treatment method using shortened electrical stimulation to trigger a controlled seizure.
BTabbreviation
Basic technique is a parapsychology card-guessing procedure that sets each guessed card aside and checks answers after the full deck.
bubble concept of personal spacenoun
A theory describes a flexible private zone around each person that influences comfortable distances from others.
bubble plotnoun
A graph shows two variables through circle positions and a third through differences in circle size.
buccaladjective
An anatomical description indicates a connection with the cheek or the inside of the mouth.
buccal intercoursenoun
A sexual activity involves stimulating another person’s genitals using the mouth or tongue.
buccal speechnoun
A way of speaking produces sound using air held inside the mouth and vibrating cheek tissues instead of vocal cords.
buccinatornoun
A cheek muscle presses inward, keeping food near the teeth and helping control airflow during speech.
buccofacial apraxianoun
A movement difficulty disrupts planned facial actions even when the person understands the task and has enough muscle strength.
buccolingual masticatory syndrome (BLM; BLMS)noun
A movement disorder linked to older antipsychotic medicines causes unwanted chewing motions and movements of the tongue, lips, and cheeks.
BuChEabbreviation
The abbreviation names butyrylcholinesterase, an enzyme present in plasma and various tissues that can break down the chemical messenger acetylcholine.
Buddhismnoun
Religious and philosophical traditions inspired by the Buddha teach practices for understanding suffering and seeking freedom from craving.
buffernoun
A temporary holding place in memory keeps information available for a short time while you use it.
bufferingnoun
Support from other people that softens how much stress hurts someone during hard experiences.
buffering hypothesisnoun
A proposed explanation holds that support from other people can weaken the harmful effects of stress on health.
bufoteninnoun
A naturally occurring chemical in certain plants and toad secretions can change perception and produce hallucinations.
buggerynoun
An older word commonly describes anal intercourse, although its historical legal meanings have varied.
bulbnoun
A rounded body structure may receive this name, which was also formerly used for the brain’s medulla oblongata.
bulbaradjective
This describes something related to a rounded body structure, especially the medulla oblongata in the lower brainstem.
bulbar paralysisnoun
Paralysis affecting muscles used for speech, chewing, and swallowing often results from problems in the lower brainstem’s movement pathways.
bulbar retraction reflexnoun
Touching an animal’s eye surface automatically draws the eye backward and moves its third eyelid across it.
bulbi xanthomatosisnoun
Excess fats collect in and damage the cornea, the transparent tissue covering the front of the eye.
bulbocavernosus musclenoun
A muscle around the genital base helps move fluid through the urethra and supports functions such as ejaculation or vaginal tightening.
bulbocavernous reflexnoun
Stimulating the penis tip triggers an automatic contraction of a nearby muscle through a spinal nerve circuit.
bulbopontine regionnoun
A brainstem area includes the pons together with the neighboring section of the medulla oblongata.
bulbospongiosus musclenoun
A muscle also called bulbocavernosus supports genital functions, including ejaculation or vaginal tightening, depending on anatomy.
bulbotegmental reticular formationnoun
A section of the brainstem’s connected nerve network runs through the medulla oblongata and belongs to systems supporting alertness and movement.
bulbourethral glandsnoun
Two small glands near the penis base release fluid into the urethra that helps lubricate the passage.
bulimianoun
Extreme, hard-to-satisfy hunger can come from body problems or from a psychological eating disorder.
bulimia nervosanoun
An eating disorder with repeated binges followed by purging, fasting, or too much exercise to prevent weight gain.
bulky colornoun
Color appears to fill a substance’s depth, as when the tint of juice seems spread throughout the liquid.
bullyingnoun
Repeated threats, cruelty, or humiliation aimed at someone with less power counts as bullying.
bundle hypothesisnoun
A proposal associated with Max Wertheimer suggests that separate sensory qualities join together within conscious experience.
bundlingnoun
A strategy groups products or policies into one package to make the combined offer more appealing.
Bunsen–Roscoe lawnoun
For very brief, dim flashes, reducing brightness can preserve visibility if viewing time increases enough to keep their product constant.
buphthalmosnoun
An enlarged eyeball can develop when high pressure stretches a young child’s eye, commonly in congenital glaucoma.
buprenorphinenoun
A medicine that partly activates opioid receptors and helps treat pain or opioid addiction.
bupropionnoun
An antidepressant that mainly boosts dopamine and norepinephrine signals, and can also help with quitting smoking.
bureaucracynoun
An organization run through fixed rules, specialized jobs, and many levels of authority.
bureaucratic leadernoun
A person leads mainly through the formal rules, established routines, and authority attached to a position within an organization.
Buridan’s assnoun
A philosophical example uses a donkey facing equally attractive choices to illustrate how preference alone may fail to settle a decision.
Burkitt’s lymphomanoun
A rapidly growing cancer affects immune cells called B cells and typically involves changes in the location of the MYC gene.
burn injuriesnoun
Damage to body tissue from heat, electricity, radiation, or chemicals can vary in depth and cause physical and emotional distress.
burned outadjective
Someone feels deeply drained in mind, emotions, or body after demands and stress have exceeded their ability to recover.
burnoutnoun
Long-lasting stress can leave someone drained, less motivated, less effective, and more negative toward work and people.
burntadjective
Describing a smell quality that resembles something scorched, used in odor classification systems.
burstnoun
A short period of many responses happening quickly, often right when rewards stop.
burst–pause firingnoun
Brain cells alternate coordinated bursts of electrical activity with quiet periods, helping produce the large, slow waves seen during deep sleep.
Buschke–Fuld Selective Reminding Testnoun
A memory assessment repeats recall attempts while presenting again only the items a person missed on the previous attempt.
business gamenoun
A training activity lets people or teams compete at simulated business decisions and learn from the outcomes.
business psychologynoun
A branch of psychology studies people at work and uses research to improve organizations and employees’ well-being.
business-simulation gamenoun
A teaching exercise places participants in a pretend business where they compete, make management choices, and receive feedback.
buspironenoun
A medicine that lowers anxiety by partly stimulating serotonin signals, usually without sedation or dependence.
bust-to-waist rationoun
A body measurement compares size around the bust with size around the waist by dividing the first measurement by the second.
butabarbitalnoun
A barbiturate medicine slows nervous system activity and has been used for sleep problems and sedation, with dependence and overdose risks.
Buteyko methodnoun
A breathing practice emphasizes breathing through the nose, using slower or shallower breaths, and relaxing, although its underlying theory remains unproven.
butorphanolnoun
A synthetic opioid relieves pain through mixed effects at opioid receptors and can cause drowsiness, dependence, and slowed breathing.
butterfly effectnoun
Tiny differences at the start of a complex system’s activity can grow into large differences in later outcomes.
butyrophenonenoun
A member of an antipsychotic drug family, such as haloperidol, reduces dopamine signaling and may cause unwanted movement effects.
butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE)noun
An enzyme found in the liquid portion of blood and other tissues can break down acetylcholine and certain other chemicals.
buying behaviorphrase
The thoughts, feelings, and actions involved in deciding to buy and use a product or service.
BVRTabbreviation
A test that checks visual memory by having people remember and draw simple designs.
BWASabbreviation
The Barron–Welsh Art Scale assesses visual preferences through likes and dislikes of drawings, with scores sometimes interpreted in relation to creativity.
BWSabbreviation
Battered-woman syndrome describes psychological responses to repeated partner violence, which may include traumatic stress and feeling unable to change the situation.
bystander effectphrase
People are less likely to help in an emergency when other people are also nearby.

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