Jonah complex

in the humanistic psychology of Abraham Maslow, inhibition of becoming fully self-actualized—that is, of fulfilling one’s potential—for fear of facing new challenges and situations. It is named for the biblical prophet Jonah, who attempted to evade the mission imposed on him by God. See also fear of success.

Browse dictionary by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Psychology term of the day

July 27th 2024

horizontal–vertical illusion

the misperception that vertical lines are longer than horizontal lines when both are actually the same length. The vertical element of an upper case letter T, for example, looks longer than the cross bar, even when the lengths are identical. See also foreshortening; Helmholtz square illusion.