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windigo psychosis

a severe culture-bound syndrome occurring among northern Algonquin Indians living in Canada and the northeastern United States. The syndrome is characterized by delusions of becoming possessed by a flesh-eating monster (the windigo) and is manifested in symptoms including depression, violence, a compulsive desire for human flesh, and sometimes actual cannibalism. The psychosis is also known by numerous variant names and spellings, among them whitiko, wihtigo, wihtiko, witigo, witiko, and wittigo.

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Psychology term of the day

May 9th 2024

equity theory

equity theory

a theory of justice regarding what individuals are likely to view as a fair return from activities involving themselves and a number of other people. The theory posits that people compare the ratio of the outcome of the activity—that is, the benefits they receive from it (e.g., pay, fringe benefits, intrinsic gratifications, recognition)—to their inputs (e.g., effort, seniority, skills, social status) with the outcome-to-input ratios of those engaged in a comparable activity. Outcomes are equitable only when people receive benefits that are proportional to their inputs. See external inequity; internal inequity; overpayment inequity; underpayment inequity.