Definitionv1
Abstinence violation effect: a psychological cascade that
Abstinence violation effect: a psychological cascade that occurs after a single rule violation, where the violation triggers categorical self-appraisal leading to guilt and shame, which makes the behavior associated with the rule aversive and increases the likelihood of abandoning the rule entirely
Why This Is a Definition
This definition precisely captures the mechanism of the abstinence violation effect by identifying its genus (psychological cascade) and differentia (specific sequence of self-appraisal → guilt/shame → aversive behavior → rule abandonment). It distinguishes this from general failure by specifying the categorical reappraisal and the specific downstream psychological and behavioral consequences that make it particularly damaging to habit maintenance.