egocentrism
egocentrism Lexical Profile
egocentrism Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The tendency to perceive, understand, and interpret the world exclusively in terms of the self, or a preoccupation with one's own internal world and interests.
"His chronic egocentrism prevented him from recognizing how his abrupt decisions affected the rest of the team."
In developmental psychology, the cognitive inability of a person, especially a young child, to differentiate between their own perspective and the viewpoints or feelings of others.
"According to Piaget's theory, childhood egocentrism gradually diminishes as children interact more frequently with their peers."
Word Nuance & Usage
In developmental psychology, egocentrism refers to a neutral cognitive stage in young children who cannot yet infer others' perspectives, whereas in everyday usage it carries a negative connotation similar to selfishness or egotism.
• Rhymes for egocentrism
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the early 20th century from Latin ego ('I') + Greek kentron ('center') + the suffix -ism, popularized in psychology by Jean Piaget to describe early childhood cognitive development.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.