cognitive flooding

a method used in psychotherapy, mainly to treat phobias, in which the client is encouraged to focus on negative or aversive mental images to generate emotional states similar to those experienced when faced with a feared object or situation. The simulated fear is then seen to be manageable and associated with images that will reduce the original fear. See also implosive therapy; prolonged exposure therapy.

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Psychology term of the day

May 9th 2024

binocular summation

the phenomenon of increased sensation or increased magnitude of perceptual response that results from stimulation through both eyes, as compared to stimulation through one eye.