hard terms

Visuospatial Sketchpad:
Part of your short-term memory that helps you remember and work with images and spaces in your mind (like remembering how to get somewhere or picturing a map).

Yerkes-Dodson Law:
This law says you perform best when you’re at a medium level of stress or arousal—not too relaxed, not too anxious.

Reaction Formation:
A defense mechanism where someone acts the opposite of what they really feel (like being overly nice to someone you actually dislike).

Reciprocal Determinism:
The idea that your behavior, personal thoughts, and environment all influence each other (e.g., your attitude can affect your actions and your surroundings, and vice versa).

Scaffolding:
A teaching method where support is given to help a learner, then slowly removed as they become more skilled (like training wheels on a bike).

Moratorium:
A period of time when a person is actively exploring different roles or beliefs, but hasn’t made a final decision yet (common in teen years when figuring out identity).

Eustress:
Positive stress that motivates you and helps you perform well (like the excitement before a big performance or game).

Halo Effect:
A bias where we assume someone has other good traits just because they have one (like thinking someone who’s attractive is also smart and kind).

Theory of Mind:
The ability to understand that other people have thoughts, feelings, and beliefs different from your own.

Conservation:
A concept in child development where a child understands that things stay the same (like amount or volume) even if their shape changes (e.g., water in different-shaped glasses).