Déformation professionnelle

Déformation professionnelle is a French phrase, meaning a tendency to look at things from the point of view of one's own profession rather than from a broader perspective, and from self-interest rather the public's interest. It is a pun on the expression formation professionnelle, meaning "professional training". The implication is that professional training, and its related socialization, often results in a distortion of the way one views the world.

The adage, "When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail" characterizes this phenomenon.

As a term in psychology, it was likely coined by the Belgian sociologist Daniel Warnotte or Russian-American sociologist Pitirim Sorokin.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Regulatory capture