Glossary D

Glossary D

Distress in the Psychology Context: Understanding, Coping, and Healing

In the field of psychology, distress is a term used to describe a state of extreme discomfort, suffering, or emotional pain experienced by individuals. Distress can manifest in various forms, including psychological, emotional, and physical symptoms, and it often results from a wide range of stressors and life challenges. Understanding the concept of distress is essential for recognizing its impact on mental health, identifying its causes and triggers, offering recommendations for coping and self-care, and exploring treatment options for those who experience chronic or severe distress. In this comprehensive exploration, we will delve into the concept of distress in psychology, provide numerous examples of its applications, offer recommendations for managing distress, discuss the psychological effects of chronic distress, and list some similar concepts within the field of psychology.

Distress-maintaining style of attribution refers to the tendency of unhappy couples to attribute their partner’s good acts to external factors and bad acts to internal factors.

In the psychology context, a distressor is any stimulus or situation that causes stress or psychological discomfort. Distressors can vary widely among individuals, depending on personal sensitivities, past experiences, and current circumstances. They can include external factors like work pressure, relationship conflicts, or financial problems, as well as internal factors such as health concerns, negative self-talk, or emotional conflicts. The concept of a distressor is significant in understanding how different stressors affect mental health, coping mechanisms, and overall well-being.

Distributed coding is defined as a type of neural code in which different perceptions are signaled by the pattern of activity that is distributed across many neurons. Please see also Specificity coding.

Distributed criterion design refers to a small-n design in which the criteria for outcomes are distributed among two (2) or more behaviors. Please see Changing-criterion design.

Distributed practice means learning in which various sessions are spaced over time

Distribution refers to the transport of drugs by the blood to their site or sites of action in the body.

Distribution errors is defined as rating errors in which a rater will use only a certain part of a rating scale when evaluating employee performance.