stimulus overload

the condition in which the environment presents too many stimuli to be comfortably processed by an individual, resulting in stress and behavior designed to restore equilibrium. See also communication overload; information overload; sensory overload.

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Psychology term of the day

March 14th 2025

collective behavior

joint or similar actions performed by members of a collective, especially when these actions would be atypical of the same individuals outside of the collective. Examples of collective behavior by groups or aggregations concentrated in a specific location include lynching, rioting, and panics. Others, such as fads and social movements, involve widely dispersed individuals who nonetheless engage in similar actions (see collective movements).