theater of consciousness

a metaphor in which the objects of conscious experience are likened to the actors in an attentional spotlight on a stage, whereas nonconscious psychological functions are likened to the darkened audience and the invisible backstage crew. See also Cartesian theater.

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Psychology term of the day

November 28th 2024

fatigue effect

a decline in performance on a prolonged or demanding research task that is generally attributed to the participant becoming tired or bored with the task. The fatigue effect is an important consideration when administering a lengthy survey or test in which participants’ performance may worsen simply due to the challenges of an extended task.