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What does "$12 psychological term" mean? What does "$12" introduce into the phrase as a modifier to adjective? How should it be read? "Twelve dollar psychological", "twelve dollars...", "dozen dollars...", smth else...

Let me apologize in advance for using the $12 psychological term self-efficacy throughout the book. I will use the word a lot because it’s central to our research and there’s not another term that comes close enough to it. Another way of thinking about it in practical terms is simply as your belief in your competency to complete a particular behavioral goal. [Norcross, J. C. Changeology: 5 steps to realizing your goals and resolutions. N.Y., 2013. — Subsection "Self-efficacy and beyond".]

user2683246
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    Same as the common idiom ten dollar word or sometimes five dollar word, meaning "overpriced", "pretentious", "fancy", "snobby" etc. I don't know if the extra two bucks are because the precise cost of these snobby words aren't fixed, and vary from speaker to speaker, or because this particular author wanted to communicate that he knew psychological terms are even more overpriced (i.e. draw more skepticism from the public, because psychology has a reputation as a blustery field). – Dan Bron Mar 25 '16 at 14:18
  • @DanBron Thank you very much! In the internet I've also come across a price list with an item "$12/psychological testing". So may it be a play on both "ten dollar word" idiom and for instance the fact that psychological testing costs usually $12 in US? – user2683246 Mar 25 '16 at 14:41
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    I don't think there is standardized pricing for psych testing in the US, and if there would it would be a lot more than $12. I've personally never run across a $12 psych test. But, that's anecdotal. I could be wrong. Let's see how others answer your question -- someone may go into great detail on the origins and variations on "$X or N¢ words", and associated idioms ("Never use a ... where a ... will do", "the $64K question", and so on). Also, one of our highest-ranking members also has a medical and sociological background, maybe she will comment on the specific value $12. – Dan Bron Mar 25 '16 at 14:48
  • It may mean "pretentious" and "snobby" — and, in this context, I guess it does — but it can also mean "fancy" in the sense of "superior".  Hardee's restaurant sold a product that they called the Six Dollar Thickburger to suggest that it was the sort of thing one might expect to be able to get (only) at more upscale, high-quality restaurants.  (As I recall, the actual price was around $4.) – Scott - Слава Україні Mar 25 '16 at 19:19
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    It's inflation. When I was kid, long pretentious words only cost 50 cents. – cobaltduck Mar 25 '16 at 19:36
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    Closely related: Should I use 10 cent words or $2 words? – Mari-Lou A Mar 25 '16 at 20:27
  • As Stu suggests, simple inflation, plus the fact that shrinks charge more than they're worth all the time. I've no doubt that the price of a "50-cent word" has gotten up to $10 by now. (Does anyone even know what a 4-cent stamp costs anymore??) And if regular sesquipedalian words are now $10, psych words are obviously at least $12. – Hot Licks Mar 25 '16 at 21:52
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    (You'd read it aloud as "twelve dollar psychological term".) – Hot Licks Mar 25 '16 at 21:53

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There is a previous Stack Exchange question of "Value (in cents) of a term" from 2011.

Of interest, the phrase (five-cent) word began during the time of the telegraph, explaining in reality that a longer word costs more money. The idiom thus implies a flowery term where something more mundane would do.

The speaker here appears to be using the idiom in his own way, perhaps just pulling a number out of his behind for no reason.

I might know someone with an advanced psychology background who has no idea over the significance of the $12. But perhaps it makes some form of ironic or neurotic sense to the speaker.

Stu W
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