psychology
gb/saɪkˈɑləd͡ʒi/ us/saɪkˈɑləd͡ʒi/
B1
English
~ 3000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
science of mind and behavior
The study of how the mind works and why people act the way they do.
Usage pattern:
[someone] studies psychology
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'psychology' with 'psychiatry'; psychiatry is a branch of medicine that treats mental illness, while psychology is the broader study of mind and behavior.
Synonyms
mental science (Less common term, mainly used in academic or historical contexts.)
|
behavioral science (Broader term that can include other disciplines like sociology alongside psychology.)
Antonyms
physiology (Focuses on the functions of the body rather than the mind.)
Collocations
study psychology
|psychology degree
|psychology student
|clinical psychology
|psychology experiment
Themes
science
|education
|emotions
|health
Examples
- She decided to major in psychology at university.
- Psychology helps us understand why people react differently to stress.
- The professor specializes in child psychology.
- Modern psychology uses both experiments and observation.
- He has a PhD in social psychology.
Learner examples
- I am studying psychology at school.
- Psychology is about the mind and feelings.
- My sister wants to learn psychology.
- Psychology can help people with problems.
- He reads books about psychology.
Noun
B2
entity
2
mental make-up of a person/group
The usual way someone or a group thinks and feels.
Usage pattern:
the psychology of [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'psychology' here when 'attitude' or 'mindset' would be more natural in casual conversation.
Synonyms
mentality (More informal; refers to a way of thinking.)
|
mindset (Focuses on attitudes or fixed ways of thinking.)
Antonyms
physiology (Relates to bodily functions rather than mental patterns.)
Collocations
human psychology
|consumer psychology
|team psychology
|psychology of fear
Themes
emotions
|society
|health
Examples
- The book explores the psychology of successful leaders.
- Understanding consumer psychology can improve marketing strategies.
- War changes the psychology of entire nations.
- Her research focuses on the psychology of trust.
- The film captures the psychology of loneliness.
Learner examples
- I want to understand the psychology of children.
- The psychology of a team is important in sports.
- The movie shows the psychology of fear.
- We studied the psychology of happiness.
- He is interested in the psychology of crowds.
Grammar
Dictionary form
psychology
IPA
GB/saɪkˈɑləd͡ʒi/
US/saɪkˈɑləd͡ʒi/
Syllables & stress
psy - cho - logy (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (cho)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: psychology
- Plural: psychologies, psychology
Word family
Forms
psychologies
noun
Core family
Related words
Advanced or less common
psychotherapy
noun C1
psychotherapist
noun
Expressions
armchair psychology
1/ˈɑɹmt͡ʃˌɛɹ saɪkˈɑləd͡ʒi/
fixed phrase
informal
casual amateur psychological analysis
Talking about why people act a certain way without being a trained psychologist.
Examples
- His comments about her motives were just armchair psychology.
- Armchair psychology can be fun, but it's not scientific.
pop psychology
1/pˈɑp saɪkˈɑləd͡ʒi/
fixed phrase
informal
simplified popular psychology
Ideas about the mind made simple so everyone can understand, often found in magazines or TV shows.
Examples
- That magazine article is just pop psychology, not real science.
- Pop psychology books often promise quick fixes for complex problems.
reverse psychology
1/ɹɪvˈɚs saɪkˈɑləd͡ʒi/
fixed phrase
Get result by suggesting opposite desire
A way of making someone do what you want by telling them to do the opposite.
Examples
- She used reverse psychology to get her son to clean his room.
- Reverse psychology can be effective with stubborn people.
- Reverse psychology can be risky if the person realizes what you are doing.