soft psychology

a usually pejorative name for those areas of psychology that do not always make rigorous use of scientific methods in developing, evaluating, and applying the principles and techniques of academic psychology. For example, experimental researchers may refer to clinical psychology as soft psychology. Compare hard psychology.

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Psychology term of the day

November 27th 2024

weight regulation

a process, governed by a complex array of neural mechanisms and structures (including the hypothalamus), in which the brain seeks an optimum balance between an organism’s food intake and energy expenditure after a certain body weight is achieved. A number of other factors, such as environmental stimuli, may influence the process as well.