desensitisation
Meaning: The process of making someone less reactive to a stimulus, whether through repeated exposure in therapy or through gradual habituation to disturbing content.
In clinical psychology, systematic desensitisation is a behavioural therapy used to treat phobias and anxiety disorders by gradually exposing patients to feared stimuli. In broader usage, desensitisation often carries negative connotations, referring to how repeated exposure to violence or distressing imagery can reduce emotional responses. The term appears frequently in media studies and public health discussions.
Examples
- The therapist used a programme of systematic desensitisation to help the patient overcome her fear of flying. 治疗师运用系统脱敏方案帮助患者克服了飞行恐惧症。La terapeuta utilizó un programa de desensibilización sistemática para ayudar a la paciente a superar su miedo a volar.セラピストは系統的脱感作プログラムを用いて、患者が飛行恐怖症を克服するのを助けました。치료사는 체계적 탈감작 프로그램을 사용하여 환자가 비행 공포증을 극복하도록 도왔다.
- Critics argue that constant exposure to violent video games leads to desensitisation among young people. 批评者认为,持续接触暴力视频游戏会导致年轻人感觉麻木。Los críticos argumentan que la exposición constante a videojuegos violentos provoca una desensibilización entre los jóvenes.批評家たちは、暴力的なビデオゲームへの絶え間ない接触が若者の感覚を鈍らせると主張しています。비평가들은 폭력적인 비디오 게임에 지속적으로 노출되면 젊은이들의 감각이 둔화된다고 주장한다.
- Desensitisation to suffering can occur when people are repeatedly confronted with images of humanitarian crises. 当人们反复面对人道主义危机的画面时,可能会产生对苦难的脱敏现象。La desensibilización ante el sufrimiento puede producirse cuando las personas se enfrentan repetidamente a imágenes de crisis humanitarias.人道危機の映像に繰り返しさらされると、苦しみに対する脱感作が起こることがあります。인도주의적 위기의 영상에 반복적으로 노출되면 고통에 대한 감각 둔화가 발생할 수 있다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: academic, professional, media
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From de- (removal) and sensitisation, itself from Latin sensus (feeling, perception). The compound emerged in English in the early 20th century alongside developments in allergy treatment and behavioural psychology.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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