| stroking | The nonverbal fondling and nurturance accorded infants or the nonverbal and verbal forms of acceptance, reassurance, and positive reinforcement accorded to children and adults either by an individual to himself or herself or to another person in order to satisfy a basic biopsychological need of all developing humans; various psychopathological conditions are believed to result when such stroking is absent or faulty. (05 Mar 2000) |
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