an interaction pattern in which all participants try to act as if they are unaware of the most crucial facts in a situation (e.g., a situation in which one of the participants is terminally ill). This pattern is often regarded by therapists and researchers as an anxiety-driven strategy that inhibits communication, increases tension, and leads to missed opportunities for meaningful mutual support. [first described in Awareness of Dying (1965) by U.S. sociologists Barney G. Glaser (1930– ) and Anselm L. Strauss (1916–1996)]