Psychological Phenomena

noun In Greek mythology, Circe is a powerful sorceress known for her ability to transform people into animals.

pronoun Circe can be used as a pronoun if referring to a specific person or character, such as 'Circe cast a spell on the sailors.'

• Circe was a powerful enchantress in Greek mythology who turned Odysseus's men into animals.
• Have you heard the story of Circe and Odysseus?
• Circe was like a total boss in that myth, turning people into pigs and stuff.
• Her ability to charm and manipulate others was often compared to the sorcery of Circe.

noun a quantity or quality that is too large or too small to be measured or compared

adjective not able to be judged by the same standard as something else; not comparable

• The differences in their opinions were incommensurable, making it difficult to find a common ground.
• Their tastes in music are just incommensurable, they can never agree on what to listen to.
• Their styles are incommensurable, they just don't vibe together.
• The distance between them felt incommensurable, like they were worlds apart.

noun the quality or state of being incorporeal; lack of physical substance or form

• The concept of incorporeality has been debated by philosophers for centuries.
• Some people believe in the idea of incorporeality, while others find it hard to grasp.
• I don't really buy into all that talk about incorporeality, if you ask me.
• Her presence in the room felt like an incorporeality, as if she wasn't really there.

noun a combining form meaning 'resembling,' 'having some, but not all of the features of,' used in the formation of compound words

adjective resembling or having a likeness to something; seemingly; apparently

• The scientist proposed a quasi-experimental design for the research study.
• She has a quasi-famous Instagram account with a few thousand followers.
• That movie was so quasi, I couldn't even finish watching it.
• His relationship with his boss was quasi-parental, with her offering guidance and support.

adjective relating to or characterized by retribution; serving to repay or punish

• The judge imposed a retributive sentence on the convicted criminal.
• He got what was coming to him with that retributive punishment.
• The retributive justice system really laid down the law on that one.
• Her retributive actions came back to haunt her in the end.

noun a person who stares inquisitively at something that is unusual or out of the ordinary

verb to turn one's head to stare inquisitively at something

• The traffic jam was caused by rubbernecking drivers slowing down to look at the accident.
• Don't be a rubberneck and hold up traffic by staring at the accident.
• Stop rubbernecking and just keep driving!
• She couldn't help but rubberneck at the drama unfolding in front of her.

adjective relating to or characterized by superstition; showing a belief in superstitions

• Many people are superstitious and believe in omens and signs.
• My grandma is superstitious and won't walk under a ladder.
• I don't mess with that superstitious stuff, it creeps me out.
• Being superstitious is like carrying around a pocketful of fears.

noun a slang term referring to the time of year when people seek romantic relationships to avoid being alone during the colder months

• Cuffing season refers to the time of year when people seek out a romantic partner to spend the colder months with.
• Everyone knows that cuffing season is the best time to find a cuddle buddy.
• I'm on the hunt for a bae during cuffing season.
• In the business world, cuffing season is when companies look to partner up for strategic alliances.

noun a personality trait characterized by odd or eccentric beliefs, behavior, and speech patterns

• Schizotypy is a personality disorder characterized by odd beliefs and behaviors.
• Some people with schizotypy may have strange thoughts or ideas.
• People with schizotypy might come off as a bit 'out there' sometimes.
• His creativity was so intense, it bordered on schizotypy.

noun a detrimental effect on health produced by psychological or psychosomatic factors such as negative expectations or beliefs

• The patient experienced negative side effects due to the nocebo effect.
• She started feeling worse after reading about the side effects online, it's like a nocebo effect.
• I swear every time I read the side effects on medication, I start feeling them - it's like a nocebo effect or something.
• His fear of failure acted as a nocebo effect, causing him to underperform.

noun A unified consciousness or intelligence formed by a group of individuals, especially in reference to insects such as bees or ants.

• The concept of a hivemind is often discussed in the field of psychology.
• We all seem to be on the same page, like a hivemind or something.
• Our group chat is basically a hivemind at this point.
• The synchronized movements of the dancers made them appear as a hivemind on stage.

verb the act of being addicted to using Facebook

adjective describing someone who is addicted to using Facebook

• Many people find themselves spending hours on Facehooked, mindlessly scrolling through their news feed.
• I can't believe how Facehooked I was last night, I stayed up until 3 am just browsing through profiles.
• My friends always joke that I'm Facehooked because I'm constantly checking my notifications.
• She was so Facehooked that she didn't even notice when her friends arrived at the party.

noun the act of confabulating, or inventing imaginary experiences to fill in gaps in memory

• The patient's confabulation was a result of their memory impairment.
• She tends to confabulate when she's had a few drinks.
• I think he's just confabulating to make himself look better.
• The politician's confabulation was evident in his twisting of the facts.

noun a phenomenon where presenting evidence that contradicts a person's belief can actually strengthen their original belief

• The backfire effect occurs when presenting evidence contrary to a person's beliefs actually strengthens those beliefs.
• Trying to prove someone wrong can sometimes have the opposite effect and make them believe even more strongly - that's the backfire effect.
• Debunking myths can sometimes backfire and make people believe in them even more, it's like a reverse psychology thing.
• It's like throwing fuel on a fire - trying to change someone's mind with facts can often result in the backfire effect.