The adjective is derived from psycho- (prefix meaning ‘relating to the mind or soul’) + -centric (suffix meaning ‘having a specified object at the centre, or as the focus of attention’). The noun is probably derived from the adjective. Adjective sense 2 (“of a tourist: tending to avoid adventures and risks”) and the noun sense (“tourist who tends to avoid adventures and risks”) were coined by the American travel researcher Stanley C. Plog in a paper presented to the Southern California Chapter of the Travel Research Association on 10 October 1972, which was later published in February 1974: see the quotation.
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Human sciences, Philosophy, Sciences Primarily focused on the mind or spirit, especially as opposed to the body.
I have confessed that I feel drawn to you by many psychocentric influences.1890 January 11, “His Choice”, in Pick-Me-Up, volume III, number 67, London: […] Wertheimer, Lea & Co., […]; and published by Henry Reichardt, […], →OCLC, page 244, columns 1–2:
For the issue between realism and subjectivism does not arise from a psychocentric predicament—a difficulty of conceiving of objects apart from any consciousness—but rather from the much more radical 'ego-centric predicament,' the difficulty of conceiving known things to exist independently of my knowing them.1912 August, Edwin B[issel] Holt et al., “Introduction”, in The New Realism: Coöperative Studies in Philosophy, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC, section I (The Historical Significance of the New Realism), page 7:
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My view is psychocentric in that a judgment which appears to have an objective reference is found psychologically to have a reference, unsuspected by the person judging, to himself. But an account of it is not a complete psychocentric exposition until one or two gaps are filled in. […] I have chosen to illustrate the psychocentric concept by means of right rather than good merely because this concept has been taken as the more fundamental in modern ethics.1936, J[ohn] O[ulton] Wisdom, “Towards the Psychocentric Conception of Right”, in Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, volume XXXVI (New Series), London: Harrison and Sons, […], →JSTOR, →OCLC, section III, page 73:
[T]his alienation was a result of the introduction of rational calculation and power as a socially and economically determining factor, which implied the elimination of the Christian (and older) psychocentric traditions, faiths, social and personal relations.1959, Liberation, New York, N.Y.: Liberation, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 12, column 2:
But there is a fundamental difference between Greek and Gothic sculpture, despite the very similar treatment of draperies and the human form. To the Greeks, the face was merely part of the body. The Gothic makes it the 'window of the soul'. Gothic faces are psychocentric, dominated by the soul, which speaks through the eye.1963, Hans Weigert, “[Introduction]”, in Peter Gorge, transl., edited by Harald Busch and Bernd Lohse, Gothic Sculpture (European Sculpture), New York, N.Y.: Macmillan, →OCLC, page vii:
In most psychocentric religions, the cosmic forces or gods not only create and control physical processes, they are often embodied themselves; in physiocentric religions the cosmic forces, however mindless, create human consciousness and determine human will.1990, Gavin I. Langmuir, “Physiocentric Religion”, in History, Religion, and Antisemitism, Berkeley; Los Angeles, Calif.; Oxford, Oxfordshire: University of California Press, →ISBN, part 2 (Proposals for a Historiographic Solution), page 230:
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Human sciences, Lifestyle, Psychology, Sciences, Tourism, Transport Of a tourist: tending to avoid adventures and risks, preferring the familiar; self-inhibiting.
These experts type some aerophobes as psychocentric individuals so self-focused on imaginary problems they have little energy left to enjoy life. Other fearful flyers are stymied by territory-boundedness—an unadventurous spirit.1972, Cosmopolitan, New York, N.Y.: Hearst Corporation, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 108, column 1:
Members of the near-psychocentric and psychocentric segment, the remaining segment (15–20%), prefer a destination that does not exhibit its foreign culture. These tourists spend all of their time inside tourism complexes, stay for shorter periods of time, and are not big spenders. They are bargain hunters, and look for low-cost vacation spots.1991, Ugur Yucelt, Phyllis W. Isley, “Marketing of Tourism in a Competitive World Environment”, in Erdener Kaynak, editor, International Marketing: Sociopolitical and Behavioral Aspects, Binghamton, N.Y.: International Business Press, The Haworth Press, →ISBN, section V (Special International Marketing Topics), page 369:
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[Stanley C.] Plog (1974, 1990, 1991b) delineated personality types along a continuum ranging from allocentrism to psychocentrism. The psychocentric personality type tends toward territory boundedness, insecurity, and powerlessness. Psychocentric individuals also tend to have non-active lifestyles and are non-adventurous. In contrast, allocentric individuals tend to be self-confident, intellectually curious, and feel in control of their lives.1995, Robert Madrigal, “Personal Values, Traveler Personality Type, and Leisure Travel Style”, in Journal of Leisure Research, volume 27, number 2, Arlington, Va.: National Recreation and Park Association, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 Aug 2021, page 128:
Remember that whether a tourist is more psychocentric or more allocentric depends on the different motivations and the different destinations chosen by the tourist. The tourist may also oscillate between both psychocentric and allocentric choices. For example, a tourist may choose an allocentric holiday in December to a remote game reserve, but have a psychocentric short break in July to Singapore, where he or she may prefer a package tour and will stick to the touristy areas of town.2003, “Tourism Motivation and Behaviour”, in Berendien Lubbe, editor, Tourism Management in Southern Africa, Cape Town, Western Cape: Pearson Education South Africa, published 2005, →ISBN, part 2 (The Demand for Tourism), page 38, column 2:
The adjective is derived from psycho- (prefix meaning ‘relating to the mind or soul’) + -centric (suffix meaning ‘having a specified object at the centre, or as the focus of attention’). The noun is probably derived from the adjective. Adjective sense 2 (“of a tourist: tending to avoid adventures and risks”) and the noun sense (“tourist who tends to avoid adventures and risks”) were coined by the American travel researcher Stanley C. Plog in a paper presented to the Southern California Chapter of the Travel Research Association on 10 October 1972, which was later published in February 1974: see the quotation.
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Human sciences, Lifestyle, Psychology, Sciences, Tourism, Transport A tourist who tends to avoid adventures and risks, preferring the familiar.
[A] non-flyer was likely to experience many of these same problems which often resulted in very severely restricted life styles. Basically, we can see that this is a self inhibited, nervous, and non-adventuresome type of person. We call this individual the Psychocentric, from "psyche" meaning "self," and "centric" meaning the centering of one's thoughts or concerns on the small problem areas of one's life.1974 February, Stanley C. Plog, “Why Destination Areas Rise and Fall in Popularity”, in Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, volume 14, number 4, Ithaca, N.Y.: School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 55, column 2:
Currently, given the high level of visibility ski touring is experiencing, peer influence becomes more of a factor as participants are drawn from the marginally interested population and the "psychocentrics" or followers.1980, Timothy B. Knopp, G. Ballman, L. C. Merriam, “The Dynamics of Recreation Participation: Ski Touring in Minnesota”, in Proceedings: 1980 National Outdoor Recreation Trends Symposium (USDA Forest Service General Technical Report; NE-57), volume II, Broomall, Pa.: Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, →OCLC, page 77, column 2:
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According to [Stanley C.] Plog (1991b), psychocentrics tend to prefer a high degree of familiarity in their travel and, as a result, enjoy group or "packaged" tours. In contrast, allocentrics enjoy vacations to exotic and unique destinations, and prefer to travel independently (i.e., not as part of group tours).1995, Robert Madrigal, “Personal Values, Traveler Personality Type, and Leisure Travel Style”, in Journal of Leisure Research, volume 27, number 2, Arlington, Va.: National Recreation and Park Association, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 Aug 2021, page 128:
[P]sychocentrics could conceivably vacation in essentially allocentric destinations (with the exception of people with extremely low incomes). For instance, a psychocentric may travel to a remote area under the security of a completely planned, fully escorted tour. In other words, the security provided by travelling with a group of similar tourists, and being escorted at all times, may persuade a psychocentric to travel, say, to Asia.1999, K. K. Sharma, “Tourism Psychology and Motivation”, in Tourism and Culture, New Delhi: Prabhat Kumar Sharma for Sarup & Sons, published 2004, →ISBN, page 189:
Psychocentrics do not want to try anything new until they are sure of what it is like. The psychocentric waits for friends to do something and will follow whatever is in fashion. Simply put, psychocentrics are at ease only when within their comfort zone, while allocentrics are driven to leave their comfort zone on a regular basis.[2001, Doris S. Davidoff, Philip G. Davidoff, Donald M. Davidoff, Douglas G. Davidoff, “The Classic Motivation Mistake”, in Parenting the Office, Gretna, New Orleans, La.: Pelican Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 209:
[Stanley C.] Plog recognised that personalities change over time, and given time, the psychocentrics may become allocentric in their choice of holiday destination and activity as they gain experience of travel. It has long been accepted that many tourists actually seek novelty from a base of security and familiarity. This enables the psychocentric to enjoy more exotic forms of tourism.2020, J. Christopher Holloway, Claire Humphreys, “The Demand for Tourism”, in The Business of Tourism, 11th edition, London; Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications, →ISBN, part 1 (Defining and Analysing Tourism and Its Impacts), page 75: