solipsism

n. the philosophical position that one can be sure of the existence of nothing outside the self, as other people and things may be mere figments of one’s own consciousness. Although psychologically unacceptable, such a position is notoriously difficult to refute, either logically or empirically. The question posed by solipsism has been put in various ways, but all arise from the fact that one’s experience of one’s own consciousness and identity is direct and unique, so that one is cut off from the same kind of experience of other minds and the things of the world. See Cartesian self; egocentric predicament. —solipsist n. —solipsistic adj.

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Psychology term of the day

July 27th 2024

object constancy

1. in object relations theory, the ability of an infant to maintain an attachment that is relatively independent of gratification or frustration, based on a cognitive capacity to conceive of a mother who exists when she is out of sight and who has positive attributes when she is unsatisfying. Thus, an infant becomes attached to the mother herself rather than to her tension-reducing ministrations; she comes to exist continuously for the infant and not only during instances of need satisfaction. This investment by an infant in a specific libidinal object indicates that he or she no longer finds people to be interchangeable.

2. see perceptual constancy.