Glossary

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Reassurance Robot

A term coined by Grace Barkhuff (CHI 2026) to describe generative AI systems — such as ChatGPT — that, by default, provide reassurance, confession-hearing, and decision-making on demand, thereby accommodating the compulsions of people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).…

Reassurance Seeking(also: Reassurance-Seeking Behavior)

A compulsive behavior in OCD where individuals repeatedly seek confirmation from others (or from technology, such as internet searches) that feared outcomes have not occurred or will not occur. Reassurance seeking provides temporary anxiety relief but reinforces the…

Rejection Sensitivity(also: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, RSD)

An intense emotional response to perceived or actual rejection, criticism, or failure that is commonly experienced by neurodivergent individuals, particularly those with ADHD and autism. Rejection sensitivity can significantly impact job-seeking behaviour, as the fear of…

Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria(also: RSD)

An intense, disproportionate emotional response to perceived or actual rejection, criticism, or failure, commonly reported by people with ADHD and often linked to trauma from chronic social rejection and the ongoing stigma of neurodivergence. RSD is not a formal diagnostic…

Replika

Replika is a commercial AI companion app, launched by Luka Inc. in 2017, that offers users a customisable digital avatar designed to 'develop its own personality' through conversational interaction. Users can shape the avatar's appearance, relationship type (friend, mentor,…

Resilience(also: Psychological resilience, Dementia resilience)

Resilience refers to the dynamic capacity of an individual to adapt positively in the face of adversity and to maintain or recover a satisfactory level of psychological and functional well-being. In the context of dementia, resilience challenges deficit-based models that frame…

Responsibility OCD(also: Checking OCD, Responsibility Obsessions)

A subtype of OCD characterized by an exaggerated sense of responsibility for preventing harm or negative outcomes, accompanied by compulsive checking behaviors. People with responsibility OCD may repeatedly check that doors are locked, appliances are off, or that they have not…

Revenge Bedtime Procrastination(also: Revenge Procrastination)

The deliberate delay of sleep without external factors forcing the delay, in order to reclaim personal time lost during a busy or low-autonomy day. The "revenge" framing points to reclaiming agency over one’s own time. The behavior is particularly common among people with ADHD,…

Rumination(also: Mental Compulsion, Obsessive Rumination)

A repetitive, often circular pattern of thinking in which a person dwells on distressing thoughts, questions, or scenarios without reaching resolution. In OCD, rumination is a covert mental compulsion where individuals repeatedly analyze obsessive thoughts, seek mental…

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