Folk Psychology

Folk Psychology is a term that refers to everyday, commonsense, attributions of emotional states and motivations. The study of folk psychology focuses on the ways that laypeople; people without any special training in psychology, understand and attribute the underlying reasons for actions or emotional displays.

For instance, you've probably seen examples of people acting angry to cover up embarrassment, or have seen young children cry and have meltdowns as reactions to being tired. Learning to understand these types of reactions is a part of the experience of growing up and maturing.