Find over 25,000 psychological definitions


role reversal

a technique used for therapeutic and educational purposes in which an individual exchanges roles with another individual to experience alternative cognitive styles (e.g., in problem solving), feelings, and behavioral approaches. In psychodrama, the protagonist exchanges roles with an auxiliary ego in acting out a significant interpersonal situation. Role reversal is also used in management development programs, for example, as in an exchange of roles between a supervisor and an employee.

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

March 11th 2025

delirium

delirium

n. a disturbed mental state in which attention cannot be sustained, the environment is misperceived, and the stream of thought is disordered. The individual may experience changes in cognition (which can include disorientation, memory impairment, or disturbance in language), perceptual disturbances, hallucinations, illusions, and misinterpretation of sounds or sights. The episode develops quickly and can fluctuate over a short period. Delirium may be caused by a variety of conditions, such as infections, cerebral tumors, substance intoxication and withdrawal, head trauma, and seizures.