B2 · Upper-Intermediate

Psychology & Mind — B2 English Vocabulary

This B2 vocabulary list gathers 50 upper-intermediate English words about psychology & mind — behaviour, cognition and the psyche. Every word comes with its British-English pronunciation and a natural example sentence, so you learn each one in real context. When you are ready, open the flashcards to practise and remember them for good.

  1. cognitive/ˈkɒɡ.nə.tɪv/

    “Children develop cognitive skills.”

  2. consciousness/ˈkɒn.ʃəs.nəs/

    “He lost consciousness after the fall.”

  3. subconscious/ˌsʌbˈkɒn.ʃəs/

    “Dreams come from the subconscious.”

  4. instinct/ˈɪn.stɪŋkt/

    “Animals act on instinct.”

  5. impulse/ˈɪm.pʌls/

    “He bought it on impulse.”

  6. trauma/ˈtrɔː.mə/

    “She never recovered from the trauma.”

  7. anxiety/æŋˈzaɪ.ə.ti/

    “Exams cause a lot of anxiety.”

  8. depression/dɪˈpreʃ.ən/

    “He suffers from depression.”

  9. phobia/ˈfəʊ.bi.ə/

    “She has a phobia of spiders.”

  10. counselling/ˈkaʊn.səl.ɪŋ/

    “He went for counselling after the loss.”

  11. mindset/ˈmaɪnd.set/

    “A positive mindset really helps.”

  12. self-esteem/ˌself ɪˈstiːm/

    “Praise builds children’s self-esteem.”

  13. resilience/rɪˈzɪl.i.əns/

    “She showed great resilience.”

  14. empathy/ˈem.pə.θi/

    “A good nurse needs empathy.”

  15. intuition/ˌɪn.tjuˈɪʃ.ən/

    “Trust your intuition.”

  16. recollection/ˌrek.əˈlek.ʃən/

    “He has a clear recollection of the day.”

  17. conditioning/kənˈdɪʃ.ən.ɪŋ/

    “The reaction is due to conditioning.”

  18. stimulus/ˈstɪm.jə.ləs/

    “The dog responds to the stimulus.”

  19. reinforce/ˌriː.ɪnˈfɔːs/

    “Rewards reinforce good behaviour.”

  20. obsession/əbˈseʃ.ən/

    “Football is his obsession.”

  21. compulsion/kəmˈpʌl.ʃən/

    “She felt a compulsion to check the door.”

  22. denial/dɪˈnaɪ.əl/

    “He is in denial about the problem.”

  23. ego/ˈiː.ɡəʊ/

    “He has a very big ego.”

  24. mentality/menˈtæl.ɪ.ti/

    “It is a winning mentality.”

  25. perceive/pəˈsiːv/

    “We perceive the world through our senses.”

  26. introvert/ˈɪn.trə.vɜːt/

    “An introvert prefers quiet places.”

  27. extrovert/ˈek.strə.vɜːt/

    “An extrovert loves big parties.”

  28. behavioural/bɪˈheɪ.vjə.rəl/

    “The therapy is behavioural.”

  29. psychological/ˌsaɪ.kəˈlɒdʒ.ɪ.kəl/

    “The injury was psychological.”

  30. sentiment/ˈsen.tɪ.mənt/

    “He expressed a kind sentiment.”

  31. burnout/ˈbɜːn.aʊt/

    “Long hours led to burnout.”

  32. willpower/ˈwɪl.paʊə/

    “Dieting needs willpower.”

  33. bias/ˈbaɪ.əs/

    “We all have some bias.”

  34. disposition/ˌdɪs.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/

    “She has a cheerful disposition.”

  35. paranoia/ˌpær.əˈnɔɪ.ə/

    “His paranoia made him suspicious.”

  36. amnesia/æmˈniː.ʒə/

    “The accident caused amnesia.”

  37. perceptive/pəˈsep.tɪv/

    “She is a perceptive observer.”

  38. addictive/əˈdɪk.tɪv/

    “Sugar can be addictive.”

  39. self-control/ˌself kənˈtrəʊl/

    “He has great self-control.”

  40. psyche/ˈsaɪ.ki/

    “Stress affects the human psyche.”

  41. therapist/ˈθer.ə.pɪst/

    “She talked to a therapist.”

  42. psychiatrist/saɪˈkaɪ.ə.trɪst/

    “A psychiatrist prescribed the medicine.”

  43. emotionally/ɪˈməʊ.ʃən.əl.i/

    “He was emotionally exhausted.”

  44. subjective/səbˈdʒek.tɪv/

    “Beauty is subjective.”

  45. objective/əbˈdʒek.tɪv/

    “Try to stay objective.”

  46. aspiration/ˌæs.pəˈreɪ.ʃən/

    “Her aspiration is to lead the team.”

  47. conform/kənˈfɔːm/

    “Teenagers often conform to their group.”

  48. mindful/ˈmaɪnd.fəl/

    “Be mindful of your breathing.”

  49. meditation/ˌmed.ɪˈteɪ.ʃən/

    “Meditation calms the mind.”

  50. psychology/saɪˈkɒl.ə.dʒi/

    “She studies child psychology.”