Glossary U
Glossary U
Deutsch: Nutzen / Español: Utilidad / Português: Utilidade / Français: Utilité / Italian: Utilità
Utility in psychology refers to the perceived value or satisfaction that an individual derives from a particular choice or outcome. It is a concept borrowed from economics and adapted to understand how people make decisions based on their preferences, needs, and desires. Utility plays a crucial role in decision-making processes, influencing how individuals evaluate options and choose actions that maximize their well-being or happiness.
Deutsch: Nutzentheorie / Español: Teoría de la utilidad / Português: Teoria da utilidade / Français: Théorie de l’utilité / Italiano: Teoria dell’utilità
Utility Theory in the psychology context refers to a decision-making framework that assumes individuals make choices by evaluating the potential utility—or personal value—of different outcomes and selecting the one that maximizes their benefit. Originally rooted in economics, utility theory has been adapted in psychology to explore how people assess risk, rewards, preferences, and consequences.
While classic utility theory assumes rational actors, psychological adaptations recognize that real-life decisions are influenced by emotion, bias, cognitive limitations, and subjective meaning.
Deutsch: Äußern / Español: Expresar / Português: Proferir / Français: Exprimer / Italiano: Proferire
Utter in the psychology context refers to the act of expressing thoughts, feelings, or internal states through spoken words. It is closely tied to communication, emotional processing, and identity development. While seemingly simple, the act of uttering—to speak out—carries deep psychological weight, especially in contexts involving trauma, self-expression, or relational dynamics.