haptephobia
cypridophobia
gynophobia
ergophobia
physiognomy the science of determining someone's personality simply by looking at his or her face. High testosterone, for example, reveals itself by widening the face, squaring the jaw, and jutting out brow ridges. Such facial structures have been correlated with a higher propensity for aggression and other masculine behaviors.
placebo a sham pill or treatment, which, presented as real medicine, often has measurable curative effects.
positive psychology a psychological movement developed in the late 1990s in which psychologists encourage unhappy clients to focus on the positive, especially one's strengths, and to cultivate a sense of gratitude and optimism instead of relying on making drastic changes in their lives in order to find contentment.
positive reinforcement a method of changing one's unhealthy behavior through a reward system.
posthypnotic suggestion a suggestion given to a hypnotized person that is performed after coming out of the trance.
postpartum depression depression sometimes suffered by new mothers directly after the birth of a child, possibly due to hormone fluctuations.
post-traumatic stress disorder extreme symptoms of stress manifesting themselves weeks, months, or years after experiencing a traumatic event.
sharp objects
sin, committing
sleep
snakes
snow
solitude
speaking
spiders
stars
strangers
sunlight
thunderstorms
touched, being
venereal disease
women
work
power of suggestion the influence of a statement made with confidence and authority by a respected or charismatic person that may change someone's perception of reality or even persuade the person to do something he or she otherwise would not do, as a hypnotist with an audience participant.
prefrontal lobotomy partial surgical removal of the frontal brain lobes from the thalamus, a procedure used to treat psychiatric conditions in the 1930s and 1940s.
pressured speech rapid, nonstop, loud speech, often carried on even when people are not listening.
primal scream therapy therapeutic method that encourages patients to vent repressed emotions and frustrations from past hurts through loud screaming and violent demonstrations.
prodromal referring to any kind of presymptom that indicates an impending seizure, disease outbreak, mental breakdown, etc.
projection an ego defense mechanism in which an awareness of one's undesirable traits or thoughts is repressed and attributed to someone else.
proxemics the study of such nonverbal expression as physical distance maintained between two or more people in a social situation and their body orientation toward one another.
pseudocyesis false pregnancy, a symptom of conversion hysteria.
pseudoseizures false seizures, characterized by staring, stiffness, jerking, and an altered state of consciousness, a dissociative trance state.
psychic blindness the loss of vision, caused by hysteria or brain lesions.
psychoanalysis the Freudian school of thought emphasizing the study of the unconscious mind and the accompanying therapy which strives to bring unconscious desires into consciousness and to resolve conflicts dating back to childhood.
psychobabble psychological terminology and jargon.
psychodrama role-playing psychotherapy in which personal conflicts and fantasies are acted out in front of a group.
psychogenic amnesia the loss of memory of portions of the past that are threatening or painful.
psychogenic pain disorder chronic or severe pain without any identifiable source.
psychopharmacology the study of the effects of drugs on behavior.
psychophysiological disorder any physical pain or illness having a psychological cause. Also known as psychosomatic disorder.
psychosomatic disorder a disorder in which physical symptoms are brought on by emotional turmoil.
psychotherapy talk therapy.
psychotropic drugs mood-altering drugs.
rationalization justification of one's actions (often negative) through self-convincing but erroneous or dishonest thought processes.
reaction formation the adoption and display of behaviors and principles that may in fact be completely opposite of what one really feels, especially when one's true feelings are socially unacceptable.
regression returning to a state of immature or primitive behavior.
reinforcement reward or punishment to either encourage a behavior or stop it.
relationship-contingent self-esteem a sense of self- worth that is overly dependent on the positive feedback from one's romantic partner, causing a cycle of neediness and obsessiveness and following even minor spats depression and anxiety.
repression the blocking out of unpleasant or anxiety-provoking thoughts.
retrograde amnesia forgetting events immediately prior to a traumatic event but remembering everything earlier.
Rorschach test a test in which a person gives his interpretation or tells what he sees in special cards marked by distinctive inkblots, a means of revealing the unconscious.
Rosenthal effect phenomenon of human behavior through which experimenters' tend to find the results they want or expect due to their own bias and unconscious manipulation of parameters, named after Robert Rosenthal.
SAD seasonal affective disorder. Feelings of depression suffered by some people during the winter months, when sunlight is greatly reduced, which has been shown to cause changes in brain chemistry.
sadism the condition of deriving sexual pleasure from inflicting pain on someone.
savant syndrome having a low IQ but being extraordinarily talented or skilled in one area, such as music, art, or numbers.
schadenfreude the secret sense of delight one may feel at another's misfortune.
schizoid personality disorder a personality disorder characterized by an extreme lack of interest in forming relationships, including sexual ones, and often marked by emotional coldness and indifference to all people, including family members.
schizophrenia a severe psychotic illness affecting the regulation of emotion, thought processes, moods, and personality, with a wide range of symptoms, from delusions to hallucinations.
schizotypal personality disorder a personality disorder characterized by extreme fear of others and a lack of close relationships but that often goes beyond ordinary shyness with aspects of magical thinking, belief in the paranormal, and various odd or eccentric behaviors. Studies show the people with this disorder tend to be more creative than normal. Van Gogh, Emily Dickinson, and Isaac Newton are thought to have had schizotypal personalities.
screen memory a false memory, manufactured to shroud a more painful and real one, as in child abuse cases.
seasonal affective disorder see sad.
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor a class of drugs used to treat depression and anxiety.
self-actualization living out one's full potential, especially creatively, despite difficulties or flaws in one's makeup.
self-fulfilling prophecy fulfilling one's own fear of failure—for example, by failing to even try a task, or by being so consumed with feelings of inadequacy that it becomes impossible to focus efficiently on the job at hand.