̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˈāshəˌnizəm noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably from French associationisme, from association + -isme -ism
: a school of psychology that holds that the content of consciousness can be explained by the association and reassociation of irreducible sensory and perceptual elements — opposed to apperceptionism ; compare mental chemistry