fixation

/fik'seiʃn/

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Word: Fixation

Part of Speech: Noun

Basic Definition: "Fixation" is a word that can refer to several different ideas, but it generally means to hold something firmly in place or to have a strong focus on something.

Meanings Explained:

1. In Science (Histology): In biology, fixation refers to a method used to preserve and harden tissue samples for examination. This helps scientists see the tissues in a way that shows their structure as closely as possible to how they were in a living body.

   • Example: "The scientist used a special solution for the fixation of the tissue samples before studying them under the microscope."

2. General Use: Fixation can also mean the act of fastening something firmly in a certain position.

   • Example: "The fixation of the artwork to the wall was done with strong adhesive."

3. Psychology: In psychology, fixation refers to an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something or someone. This could mean being overly focused on a particular idea or person, making it difficult to think about anything else.

   • Example: "Her fixation on her childhood toy prevented her from moving on with her life."

4. Developmental Psychology: It can also describe a state where development has stopped too early, often used to explain certain behaviors or patterns.

   • Example: "His fixation on past experiences suggests he may be stuck in a developmental phase."

Usage Instructions:

• Use "fixation" when discussing topics related to biology, psychology, or when describing someone’s strong attachment or focus on something.
• Be careful with the context, as it can imply a negative connotation when referring to obsession or unhealthy preoccupation.

Advanced Usage:

• In academic or professional settings, "fixation" may be used to discuss specific theories or practices in psychology or biology, such as "oral fixation" in Freudian psychology, which refers to a fixation that occurs during the oral stage of development.

Word Variants:

• Fixate (verb): To focus intensely on something.
  • Example: "He tends to fixate on minor details."
• Fixed (adjective): Something that is securely placed or not changing.
  • Example: "She had a fixed expression on her face."

Synonyms:

• Obsession
• Attachment
• Preoccupation
• Focus
• Fastening (when used in a physical context)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• "Stuck in a rut": This idiom can relate to a fixation where someone is unable to move forward in life due to their focus on the past.
• "Fixate on": A phrasal verb that means to concentrate on something excessively.

Academic

Noun

1. (histology) the preservation and hardening of a tissue sample to retain as nearly as possible the same relations they had in the living body
2. the activity of fastening something firmly in position
3. an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something or someone
4. an abnormal state in which development has stopped prematurely

Synonyms

• fixing
• obsession
• arrested development
• infantile fixation
• regression