Psychological Terms – Anankastic Neurosis
A traditional term referring to what is now commonly classified as obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD).
It involves intrusive thoughts, compulsive rituals, rigid internal standards, and distressing urges.
The emphasis is on the inner necessity (from ananke, “compulsion”) that drives individuals to perform repetitive acts to control anxiety.

Psychological Terms – Anandamide
A naturally occurring neurotransmitter-like chemical in the brain that activates the same receptors influenced by cannabis-derived compounds.
It is involved in regulating mood, memory, appetite, and pain perception.
The term draws on Sanskrit roots meaning “bliss,” suggesting its association with rewarding and pleasurable subjective states.

Psychological Terms – Anamorphic
Describes an image that is intentionally distorted so that it appears normal only when viewed from a particular angle or via a specialized reflective surface (such as a cylindrical mirror).
Although the distorted figure may be difficult or impossible to decipher in its original orientation, the proper vantage point restores accurate proportions.
A notable example is the skull hidden in Holbein’s The Ambassadors (1533), which is visible only when viewed at a sharp angle.
This phenomenon illustrates perceptual transformation and visual reconstruction.

Psychological Terms – Anamnesis
​Refers to recollection, especially the revival of past experiences or personal history.
The term can also describe an individual’s narrative account of the origin and development of a disorder, often gathered during evaluation or intake to support diagnosis.
In clinical practice, anamnesis helps chart symptom progression and contextual influences.
The adjective anamnestic refers to ease of recall or to memory traces that readily emerge.

Psychological Terms – Analytic Statement
A propositional form in which the truth is established by the logical relationship among its terms rather than by reference to external facts.
Because the predicate concept is already embedded within the subject concept, these statements are true by definition and are known a priori.
Examples include:
• “All triangles have three sides.”
• “All bachelors are unmarried.”
The denial of an analytic statement results in self-contradiction.
They are contrasted with synthetic statements, whose truth depends on observation.

​Psychological Terms – Analytic Language
​Another term for an isolating language, one that relies minimally on inflectional endings or grammatical markers; instead, meaning is expressed through word order and auxiliary terms.
Languages of this type convey relationships primarily through syntax rather than morphological change.
In linguistics, analytic languages contrast with synthetic languages, which express grammatical relationships using affixes.

​Psychological Terms – Analytical Psychology
​A theoretical framework developed by Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) when he separated from Freud in 1913.
This system emphasizes the influence of unconscious archetypes, symbolic images, spirituality, and the lifelong quest for psychological integration called individuation.
Analytical psychology differs from Freudian analysis in assigning greater importance to myths, religion, collective symbolism, and future-oriented growth rather than solely past conflict.
The approach includes methods such as dream interpretation, active imagination, and exploration of personal and collective unconscious material.
Also called Jungian analysis.

Psychological Terms – Analyst
​A professional who conducts psychoanalytic treatment, guiding an individual (the analysand) in exploring unconscious impulses, emotional conflicts, and symbolic processes.
The analyst listens to free associations, interprets dreams, investigates transference and resistance, and seeks to uncover buried psychological material that shapes behavior and relationships.
They are trained in psychoanalytic theory and technique, often through supervised clinical work and their own personal analysis.

​Psychological Terms – Analysis of Variance
​A statistical method used to determine whether mean differences across multiple groups are unlikely to be due to chance.
It partitions total variance in a dependent variable into components attributable to influences of one or more independent variables and error variance.
In multifactor designs, ANOVA also estimates interaction effects, revealing whether combinations of variables produce outcomes not predictable from their individual effects.
Developed by statistician R. A. Fisher (1918).
Abbreviated ANOVA.

Psychological Terms – Analysis of Covariance Structures
A method for examining causal models using correlational data through a combination of factor analysis and multiple regression.
It is implemented through structural equation modeling (SEM) and commonly visualized with path diagrams, representing hypothesized relationships among variables.
This approach allows researchers to assess whether proposed causal structures are consistent with observed data.