deixis

n. in linguistics, the use of a word or phrase whose meaning is dependent on the situation in which it is used. For example, the meaning of The tree on my side of the fence depends on who says it and where that person is standing. Some words, including the personal and demonstrative pronouns and such adverbs as here, there, and now, are always deictic. The psychological interest in deixis stems from the recognition of the different possible perspectives that it entails. —deictic adj.

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Psychology term of the day

January 5th 2025

common region

a recently introduced gestalt principle of organization, stating that objects sharing a common bounded region of space appear to belong together and tend to be perceived as a distinct group. For example, animals in a fenced-in enclosure are more likely to be seen as a group than are the same distribution of animals arrayed in open space. Also called law of common region; principle of common region. [proposed in 1992 by U.S. psychologist Stephen E. Palmer (1948– )]