Terms beginning with S
Which psychology terms begin with S?
7 entries beginning with S: Schizophrenia, Self-Determination Theory, Self-Efficacy, Social Identity Theory, Statistical Power, Stereotype Threat, Stigma.
From the PsychologyOrbit knowledge base on 2 November 2026.
S
Schizophrenia
A serious mental disorder involving psychosis — hallucinations and delusions — together with disorganised thinking and reduced motivation and expression. It usually begins in late adolescence or early adulthood, and outcomes are far more varied and often better than its reputation suggests.
Self-Determination Theory
A theory of motivation holding that people function and grow best when three basic psychological needs are met — autonomy, competence and relatedness — and that the quality of motivation matters more than its quantity.
Self-Efficacy
A person's belief in their ability to carry out the actions needed to reach a particular goal. Introduced by Albert Bandura, it predicts effort, persistence and performance, and it is specific to a task rather than a general trait.
Social Identity Theory
An account of intergroup behaviour holding that people derive part of their self-concept from group membership, and are motivated to see their own groups as positively distinct from others.
Statistical Power
The probability that a study will detect an effect of a given size if that effect exists. Low power both misses real effects and, through selective publication, inflates the size of the effects that do get published.
Stereotype Threat
The proposal that awareness of a negative stereotype about a group one belongs to can impair performance on a task the stereotype concerns. Widely influential, and one of the areas where replication has substantially reduced confidence.
Stigma
The process by which a characteristic is labelled, linked to negative stereotypes, and used to separate and devalue people — producing discrimination, and operating at structural, public and internalised levels.
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