masochism

n. the derivation of pleasure from experiencing pain and humiliation. The term generally denotes sexual masochism but is also applied to experiences not involving sex, such as martyrdom, religious flagellation, or asceticism. In classical psychoanalytic theory, masochism is interpreted as resulting from the death instinct or from aggression turned inward because of excessive guilt feelings. [Leopold Sacher Masoch (1835–1895), Austrian writer] —masochist n. —masochistic adj.

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Psychology term of the day

January 24th 2025

butabarbital

n. an intermediate-acting barbiturate used in the treatment of insomnia and for daytime and preoperative sedation. Like other barbiturates, it is a nonselective CNS depressant and therefore quite toxic in overdose. Because tolerance to its sedative and hypnotic effects accrues much more rapidly than tolerance to its CNS depressant effects, its therapeutic index drops and its potential lethality increases as the dose is increased. These factors, plus its potential for abuse, have caused a decline in its clinical use. U.S. trade name: Butisol Sodium.