Psychology is another minor category that can appear on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Don’t worry — you’re not expected to open up your own therapy practice in order to pass the MAT, but you should familiarize yourself with some common psychological terms and the people who have made major contributions to the field. The following lists are a selection of important psychology figures and terms.

Psychology terms that appear on the MAT test

Brush up on your knowledge of psychology by studying these terms and their definitions.

  • Acute stress reaction: Shock; response to a traumatizing event

  • Alcoholism: Addiction to alcoholic beverages

  • Alzheimer’s disease: Form of dementia; loss of memory

  • Anorexia nervosa: Eating disorder in which a person does not eat much and believes, falsely, that he is overweight

  • Archetype: A universally understood model of a personality or behavior

  • Attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Behavioral disorder in which the person is inattentive and hyperactive

  • Behaviorism: Belief that all actions of an organism are influenced by its environment

  • Bulimia: Eating disorder in which the person binges and purges

  • Classical conditioning (AKA Pavlovian conditioning or respondent conditioning): Learning method in which a first stimulus signals a second stimulus

  • Ego: According to Freud, the part of the mind that seeks to meet the needs of the id in reality

  • Id: According to Freud, the part of the mind that contains basic instincts

  • Instinct: Innate inclination toward a behavior

  • IQ (Intelligence Quotient): A score on a standardized test designed to measure intelligence; 100 is average

  • Operant Conditioning (AKA instrumental conditioning): Learning method in which the consequences of behavior determine whether that behavior will be repeated

  • Psychiatrist: Doctor who treats mental illnesses and can prescribe medicine

  • Psychoanalysis: Therapy in which patient verbalizes thoughts and then confronts defense mechanisms

  • Psychologist: A trained professional who helps others achieve better well-being and reduce dysfunction

  • Super-ego: According to Freud, the part of the mind that is our conscience; formed by influences from figures of authority

Important figures in the field of psychology

The following lists important people in the field of psychology you should become familiar with before taking the MAT.

  • Adler, Alfred: Austrian doctor who studied the inferiority complex

  • Binet, Alfred: French psychologist who invented the first IQ test with Théodore Simon

  • Ekman, Paul: American psychologist who studied facial expression and emotion

  • Erikson, Erik: American psychologist who theorized on human development

  • Freud, Sigmund: Austrian founder of psychoanalysis who studied dreams

  • Gibson, James: American psychologist who worked in the field of visual perception

  • Jung, Carl: Swiss psychiatrist who defined personality types

  • Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth: Swiss-American psychiatrist who studied near-death, death, and dying

  • Maslow, Abraham: American psychologist who created a hierarchy of human needs

  • Pavlov, Ivan: Russian psychologist who explained the conditioned reflex by ringing a bell and then feeding dogs

  • Rogers, Carl: American psychologist who was known for his humanistic approach, he helped found psychotherapy

  • Simon, Théodore: French psychologist who invented first IQ test with Alfred Binet

  • Skinner, B. F.: American psychologist who studied behavior and reinforcement

  • Watson, John B.: American psychologist who established behaviorism

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book authors:

Vince Kotchian is a full-time standardized test tutor specializing in the MAT, SSAT, ISEE, ACT, GRE, and GMAT. He teaches a GRE prep course at the University of California, San Diego, and has an extensive understanding of analogies and the MAT.

Edwin Kotchian is a MAT tutor and freelance writer who has contributed to a variety of test-prep material.

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