somatization

n. the expression of psychological disturbance in physical (bodily) symptoms. The first use of the word has controversially been attributed to Viennese psychoanalyst Wilhelm Stekel (1868–1940) to describe what is now called conversion. Some investigators use the word in reference not only to the physical symptoms that occur in almost every type of anxiety disorder but also to the expression of symptoms in such psychosomatic disorders as psychogenic asthma and peptic ulcers.

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Psychology term of the day

October 18th 2024

social representation

a system, model, or code for unambiguously naming and organizing values, ideas, and conduct, which enables communication and social exchange (i.e., at the levels of language and behavior) among members of a particular group or community. [term coined and theory elaborated by Romanian-born French psychologist Serge Moscovici (1925– )]