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claustrophobia

n. a persistent and irrational fear of enclosed places (e.g., elevators, closets, tunnels) or of being confined (e.g., in an airplane or the backseat of a car). Situations where enclosure or confinement may be encountered are often avoided or else endured with intense anxiety or distress. The focus of fear is typically on panic symptoms triggered in these situations, such as feelings of being unable to breathe, choking, sweating, and fears of losing control or going crazy. —claustrophobic adj.

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Psychology term of the day

March 9th 2025

true experiment

true experiment

a study in which participants are assigned at random to two or more experimentally manipulated treatment conditions or to a treatment group and a control group. This type of experiment is in contrast to quasi-experimental designs, such as natural experiments and field experiments.