flight into fantasy

a defensive reaction in which individuals experiencing disturbing thoughts and impulses retreat into fantasy (e.g., through daydreams) as a means of avoiding harming themselves or others by acting on these impulses. In this way, they can maintain control over their impulses. Compare flight from reality; flight into reality.

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Psychology term of the day

May 9th 2024

cognitive ethology

the study of mental experiences, including consciousness and intentionality, in nonhuman animals and of the influence of these experiences on the animals’ behavior as they interact with their natural environment. Whether, and which, animals actually possess consciousness and intentionality remains a subject of controversy. [proposed in 1978 by U.S. zoologist Donald Redfield Griffin (1915–2003)]