reality testing

any means by which an individual determines and assesses his or her limitations in the face of biological, physiological, social, or environmental actualities or exigencies. It enables the individual to distinguish between self and nonself and between fantasy and real life. Defective reality testing is the major feature of psychosis.

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Psychology term of the day

November 18th 2024

paradigm clash

in science or philosophy, the conflict that occurs when a new set of fundamental assumptions about reality or human knowledge proves incompatible with an established set of such assumptions. For example, the doctrine of organic evolution challenged established thinking about the origin and nature of the living world and ultimately replaced previous theories.