avoidance gradient

the variation in the strength of a drive as a function of the organism’s proximity to an aversive stimulus. For example, a rat’s withdrawal behavior increases in intensity as it nears a feared stimulus (e.g., an electric shock). The avoidance gradient appears steeper than the approach gradient. [originally proposed by Neal E. Miller]

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Psychology term of the day

November 27th 2024

psychoanalytic play technique

a method of child analysis developed by Melanie Klein during the 1920s, in which play activity is interpreted as symbolic of underlying fantasies and conflicts and substitutes for free association. The therapist provides toys for the child and encourages free, imaginative play in order to reveal the child’s unconscious wishes and conflicts.