sleep talking

verbalization during sleep, either in the form of mumbling or coherent speech. It usually occurs during NREM sleep, and the sleeper is sometimes responsive to questions or commands. It is generally not considered pathological and occurs at one time or another in most people. Also called somniloquy.

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Psychology term of the day

December 26th 2024

false self

in the object relations theory of British psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott (1896–1971), the self that develops as a defense against impingements and in adaptation to the environment. This contrasts with the true self, which develops in an environment that adapts to the infant and allows him or her to discover and express true impulses.