Glossary / Lexicon

Prompts are cues that convey a message and remind people to do something.

In psychology, prompts refer to any cues or stimuli that are used to encourage or guide a person's behavior or thought process. Prompts can be verbal, written, visual, or tactile in nature, and are commonly used in a variety of therapeutic and educational settings.

Here are some examples of prompts in the psychology context:

1. In cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a therapist might use prompts to help a client identify and challenge negative thought patterns. For example, they might ask the client to complete the sentence "I am anxious because..." as a way of identifying the underlying thoughts and beliefs that are contributing to their anxiety.

2. In a classroom setting, a teacher might use prompts to guide students through a learning activity. For example, they might provide a set of questions or tasks to help students analyze a piece of literature or solve a math problem.

3. In addiction recovery programs, prompts can be used to encourage people to stay on track with their sobriety goals. For example, a person in recovery might carry a sobriety coin or bracelet as a physical reminder of their commitment to staying sober.

4. In occupational therapy, prompts might be used to help people with cognitive or physical disabilities carry out daily activities. For example, a therapist might use visual cues to help a person with memory impairment remember the steps involved in making a cup of tea.

Overall, prompts are a useful tool in psychology for guiding behavior, promoting learning and problem-solving, and helping people make positive changes in their lives.