
Psychology is the scientific study of human thought and behaviour, and hence of everyday life, which means that many people consider themselves experts on the topic, even if they’ve never cracked the spine of a psychology textbook. Armchair psychologists will bandy terms about, such as “neurotic” or “split personality,” with little understanding of where these terms came from or even whether they’re still in use. Here is a small selection of some of the psychological terms that are most frequently abused.