Repetition compulsion is a psychological phenomenon in which an individual repeatedly re-enacts a traumatic event or its circumstances, seemingly in an attempt to master, heal, or understand the event, even though it may result in harm. It’s a concept rooted in Freudian psychoanalysis, suggesting that people are “compelled” to repeat past behaviors or events.
Reliability in psychology research refers to the reproducibility or consistency of measurements. Specifically, it is the degree to which a measurement instrument or procedure yields the same results on repeated trials. A measure is considered reliable if it produces consistent scores across different instances when the underlying thing being measured has not changed.
Reductionism in psychology refers to understanding complex behaviors and mental processes by breaking them down into simpler components or underlying factors, often focusing on biological or physiological mechanisms. It’s the belief that complex phenomena can be explained by examining simpler, foundational elements or causes.
Recidivism refers to an offender’s relapse into criminal behavior. There is no one definition of recidivism; however, all of the definitions that do exist share three traits (Zgoba and Salerno, 2017).
Sensory memory in psychology refers to the short-term retention of sensory information, like sights, sounds, and smells, immediately following stimuli input.
It’s a crucial stage in memory processing that briefly stores vast amounts of sensory data before it’s selectively filtered into conscious awareness as working memory.
Piaget’s Sensorimotor Stage is the first of four stages in his theory of cognitive development, spanning from birth to approximately 2 years of age. During this phase, infants and toddlers primarily learn through sensory experiences and manipulating objects. Key achievements include understanding object permanence (recognizing that objects continue to exist even when not seen) and developing a sense of self as distinct from the world around them.
Semantic memory is a type of long-term memory that stores general knowledge, concepts, facts, and meanings of words, allowing for the understanding and comprehension of language, as well as the retrieval of general knowledge about the world.
The Semantic Differential Scale is a tool commonly used in linguistics and social psychology to measure social attitudes. Introduced by Osgood, Suci, and Tannenbaum in 1957, it usually employs a seven-point bipolar rating system with opposing adjectives, though some studies use five or six-point scales.
Self-verification theory posits that individuals seek to confirm their positive or negative self-concepts. People are motivated to maintain consistency between how they view themselves and how others view them, even if these views are unfavorable. This drive for consistency helps stabilize one’s self-concept and provides a predictable world.
The self-serving bias is a cognitive bias where individuals attribute their successes to internal factors like talent or effort, while blaming external factors like luck or other people for their failures. This bias serves to maintain self-esteem and protect one’s ego.