8 Psychology Concepts Experts know...  and you should too!

8 Psychology Concepts Experts know...  and you should too!

Written By

Aditya Shukla, Psychology Consultant, Cognition Today

1

Cognitive dissonance

A mental tension from having 2 opposing views at the same time. E.g., You want a pizza but you also need to work on your health.

2

Neuroplasticity

The brain rewires itself with new neural connections by learning, and this happens at any age.

3

Metacognition

Cognition is thinking. Metacognition is thinking about thinking. Introspection, deliberate analysis, problem-solving, etc., is metacognition.

4

Psychological Richness

The novelty and variety of experiences that keep life interesting create psychological richness. It is necessary for wellbeing.

5

Brain reserve

Everything people learn creates extra neural resources that fortify the brain against damage, aging, and disease like Alzheimer's.

6

Priming

Inputs from the environment & your own recent experience modify what you pay attention to. E.g., If you see yellow for too long, and someone asks you name 2 fruits, you'll likely name 2 yellow fruits.

7

Heuristics

While making decisions, we use shortcuts because thoroughly thinking is too much work. E.g., selecting a phone because others like it instead of analyzing its specs.

8

Stimulus-Response

Human behavior can be broken down into a stimulus (anything entering our senses & internally from the body) and a response (the action we take because of it).