parataxic distortion

noun

, Psychiatry.

1. a distortion in perception, especially of interpersonal relationships, based on a tendency to perceive others in accordance with a pattern determined by previous experiences.

Word History and Origins

Origin of parataxic distortion¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

When Psychiatrist Harry Stack Sullivan saw this kind of repetition neurosis, he called it parataxic distortion.

From Time Magazine Archive