Are you new to the study of psychology? It may seem like a vast and daunting topic at first, but understanding a few basic facts can make it easier to get started. The following are just a few of the important things you need to know about psychology. Once you have a solid understanding of some of the basics, you'll be prepared to study the subject in much greater depth. Whether you are new to the subject or just want to brush up on your knowledge, these articles can help you get started on your studies.

• What Is Psychology?
• 10 Things You Need to Know About Psychology
• A Brief History of Psychology
• Branches of Psychology

Another way to learn more about psychology basics is to enroll in our free psychology 101 e-course. All lesson materials arrive via e-mail each week, allowing you to explore the resources whenever you choose. The 9-week course serves as a great introduction to the basics of psychology and covers a range of topics, including history, memory, intelligence, development and personality.

Is school, life, work or family stressing you out? While some stress is manageable, allowing it to build can lead to health problems, anxiety, and burnout. Students face a great deal of stress with tight deadlines, busy schedules, and tough tests, but keeping up with assignments and using good study habits can help minimize student stress. If you need to improve your study habits, these study tips for psychology students can help.

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About's Guide to Stress Management, Elizabeth Scott, offers many great tips for dealing with student stress. If you need to lower your anxiety and cope with student stress, check out some of these great tips.

• Stress Relievers for Students
  These stress management tips are specifically geared toward busy students. Learn more about some quick and easy ways to reduce students stress.


• Reduce Stress and Stay in School
  Learn more about how to reduce test anxiety, develop stronger study skills, and succeed in school.


• Top Ten Stress Relievers
  Learn more about some proven ways of managing stress and reducing tension.

Have you ever wondered why you get "brain freeze" when you eat something cold such as ice cream or a milkshake? That sudden pain in your forehead is known in medicine as sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, and occurs because the abrupt change in temperature in the tissue at the roof of your mouth causes blood vessels to quickly swell in an effort to warm the area back up.

Image by Andy Reid

About.com's Guide to Chemistry, Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., explains, "The dilation of the blood vessels triggers pain receptors, which release pain-causing prostaglandins, increase sensitivity to further pain, and produce inflammation while sending signals through the trigeminal nerve to alert the brain to the problem. Because the trigeminal nerve also senses facial pain, the brain interprets the pain signal as coming from the forehead. This is called 'referred pain' since the cause of the pain is in a different location from where you feel it."

Check out this brief video in which Dr. Charlotte Grayson explains the phenomenon and offers a few tips on how to avoid brain freeze. Why Do You Get Brain Freeze?

Definition:In psychology, the term self-esteem is used to describe a person's overall sense of self-worth or personal value. Self-esteem is often seen as a personality trait, which means that it tends to be stable and enduring. Self-esteem can involve a variety of beliefs about the self, such as the appraisal of one's own appearance, beliefs, emotions and behaviors. Learn more about self-esteem.

Related Reading:

• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
• Self-Efficacy
• Self-Actualization

_{Image courtesy Piotr Bizior}