About this site
Psyfield is an illustrated, bilingual glossary of psychology. Each term gets one page with a plain definition, a figure and sources you can check.
What each page contains
A one- or two-sentence definition of what the term refers to; a figure showing its structure or process; three or four key points; an everyday example; a section on how the term is commonly misread and where the evidence stops; and the sources.
Pages are kept short on purpose. The sources are the place to go further.
How entries are sourced
Every definition rests on original publications or authoritative references: the work of the people who proposed the idea, peer-reviewed reviews and meta-analyses, textbooks, and material from the organization that owns a framework. Superscript numbers in the text match the numbered sources at the foot of the page.
Each page shows the date it was last checked against its sources. References are listed in their original language so they are easy to find.
Chinese terminology
The Simplified Chinese pages follow mainland usage: the names most widely used in mainland Chinese academic journals and the Chinese editions of key books. The Traditional Chinese pages follow Taiwan usage: names from the National Academy for Educational Research terminology database, Taiwanese journals and Taiwanese editions of key books, with Taiwanese transliterations of people’s names. Other common renderings are listed under “Also called.” Where no established name could be found, the page marks it as this site’s own translation.
Every term is given in English as well, so readers can search the literature in either language.
About personality type tests
Typologies such as the Enneagram and the MBTI are popular, but the research behind them is not on the same footing as trait models such as the Big Five. Their pages explain where each framework comes from and what the evidence shows, so readers can judge for themselves.
What this site does not do
This site is for learning. It does not diagnose, interpret test results or give treatment advice. Pages on clinical terms such as ADHD describe the concept and where the diagnostic criteria come from; they are not a tool for self-diagnosis.
If you are struggling, please talk to a qualified doctor, psychologist or counselor.