DEMYELINATING DISORDERS
These diseases, which include multiple sclerosis and diffuse sclerosis, are due to the degeneration of the insulating (myelin) sheath around…
DISSOCIATIVE REACTION
A psychoneurotic reaction in which a portion of experience is split off, or isolated, from conscious awareness.As a neurotic reaction,…
DENIAL OF REALITY (DENIAL)
The unconscious defense mechanism of denying the existence of painful facts.This technique enables an individual to escape from intolerable thoughts,…
DIX, DOROTHEA LYNDE (1802-87)
Dorothea Dix was the most effective advocate of humanitarian reform in American mental institutions during the nineteenth century. Born in…
DEREISTIC THINKING
Mental activity which is not in accord with reality, experience and logic.Daydreams frequently fall into this category, but the most…
DOMINANCE RELATIONSHIP
A pattern of social organization in which some individuals assert a higher rank than others.Dominance relationships are frequently observed in…
DESCARTES, RENE (1596-1650)
Though primarily a philosopher and mathematician, Descartes nevertheless had a profound influence on the development of psychology. Bom in La…
DESCRIPTIVE PSYCHIATRY
A systematic approach to psychiatry based upon the observation, study, and classification of directly observable symptoms and clinical patterns. It…
DETECTION THEORY
An explanation of the way signals are perceived against a background of noise.The psychological study of signal detection is an…
DETERIORATION (Mental Deterioration)
In psychiatry, deterioration denotes a progressive impairment or decline of intellectual and personality functions such as memory, reasoning, concentration, communication,…
DARWIN, CHARLES ROBERT
Darwin, whose theory of evolution has had a profound influence on psychology, was born in ShrewsburyEngland, the son of a…
DAYDREAMING (Fantasy)
A waking fantasy or reverie; the free play of thought or imagination.Daydreaming is classed as a form of autistic thinking,…
DAY HOSPITAL (Day Care Program)
A mental hospital program organized on a daytime basis. The patients come to the hospital in the morning, receive practically…
DEFENSE MECHANISM (Ego Defense Mechanism)
An adjustive reaction, typically habitual and unconscious, employed to protect oneself from anxiety, guilt, or loss of self-esteem.In the course…
DEHYDRATION REACTION
A disturbance in behavior resulting from an insufficiency of water, classified as a metabolic disorder.In addition to intense thirst sensations,…
DELAYED REACTION
An experimental technique for determining whether an animal or young child can remember the solution to a problem after a…
DELIRIUM TREMENS
An acute psychotic reaction occurring in chronic alcoholics following a prolonged drinking bout. The disturbance may also occur after a…
DECROLY METHOD OF SCHOOLING 1
1. Educational method developed in Brussels in 1907 where the classroom is a workshop where learning is based on 4…
DEESE PARADIGM
A memory task where people will recall related words that are not on the list.