Mind & Self
Human Psychology
Why people do what they do
Novice
Mastery0%
Novice
Mind & Self
Why people do what they do
Novice
Subdomain
How your self-story shapes what you try, quit, or never attempt. Belief about ability quietly decides effort, and effort decides outcomes.
Growth vs fixed mindset
Carol Dweck's distinction between believing abilities are malleable through effort (growth) versus fixed traits people are simply born with (fixed).
Open
Attachment theory in adulthood
A framework describing how early caregiver relationships shape adult patterns of intimacy as secure, anxious, or avoidant attachment styles.
Open
Cognitive dissonance
The mental discomfort that arises when a person holds two contradictory beliefs, or acts in a way that conflicts with a belief, motivating rationalisation to restore consistency.
Open
Self-determination theory
A theory of human motivation proposing that intrinsic motivation and wellbeing depend on satisfying three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
Open
Flow state
A subjective state of complete absorption in an activity, characterised by deep focus, loss of self consciousness, distorted sense of time, and intrinsic reward, occurring when challenge and skill are well matched.
Open
Heuristic
Mental shortcut that's fast but sometimes wrong.
Bias
Systematic error in thinking, not random noise.
Prospect theory
Kahneman/Tversky model: losses loom larger than gains.
Steelman
The strongest possible version of an opposing argument.
Replication
Re-running a study to see if the result holds up.
Conformity
Adjusting behaviour to match a group, even against private judgment.
Attribution
How we explain causes of behaviour, to character or to circumstance.
Anchoring
First-number effect on subsequent estimates.
Default Mode Network
Brain regions active during self-referential thought and mind-wandering, tied to rumination and creativity.
Affect heuristic
Leaning on immediate emotion to judge a probability or value.
Status games
Ranking by prestige (competence-based) vs dominance (fear-based) in any social group.
Attachment style
Secure, anxious, or avoidant relational patterns shaped by early caregiving.