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expiatory punishment

a punishment in which the wrongdoer is made to suffer in proportion to the severity of the wrongdoing, but not necessarily in a way that reflects the nature of the transgression. Compare reciprocal punishment.

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Psychology term of the day

September 17th 2024

fragmentation

fragmentation

n. division or separation into pieces or fragments. For example, fragmentation of thinking (typically termed loosening of associations) is a disturbance in which thoughts become disjointed to such an extent as to no longer be unified, complete, or coherent; fragmentation of personality (typically termed personality disintegration) occurs when an individual no longer presents a unified, predictable set of beliefs, attitudes, traits, and behavioral responses.