kaçnma

Kaçınma is the Turkish noun for avoidance, referring to the act or tendency to refrain from or stay away from a situation, stimulus, or experience. The term derives from the verb kaçınmak (to avoid, to escape) with the nominalizing suffix -ma, producing kaçınma as the act of avoiding. It is used both in everyday language and in scientific contexts.

In psychology and related fields, kaçınma denotes avoidance behavior, a response pattern aimed at reducing distress by staying away from aversive stimuli or situations. It appears in various conditions such as anxiety disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and chronic pain. While it can function as a short-term coping mechanism, excessive kaçınma is often maladaptive and contributes to impairment and maintained distress. A related concept is kaçınma öğrenmesi (avoidance learning), a form of learning in which an organism adopts behaviors to prevent an unpleasant outcome.

In clinical practice, excessive kaçınma is a common treatment target. Evidence-based therapies, particularly exposure-based cognitive-behavioral therapy, aim to reduce avoidance by gradually confronting feared stimuli in a controlled and supportive context, helping individuals develop non-avoidant coping strategies and reduce distress.

In social and occupational contexts, kaçınma can manifest as avoiding people, tasks, or situations perceived as threatening or stressful. While some avoidance can be protective, persistent kaçınma may lead to further problems, limiting opportunities and reinforcing anxiety or dysfunction if not addressed.