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,…
DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS
The basic tasks which must be mastered at each stage of life if the individual is to achieve normal development…
DEWEY, JOHN (1859-1952)
Dewey, who was to become pre-eminent in three fields—philosophy,and education—was bom in Vermont, and graduated from the state university at…
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…
DARWIN, CHARLES ROBERT
Darwin, whose theory of evolution has had a profound influence on psychology, was born in ShrewsburyEngland, the son of a…
DEGRADED STIMULUS
A stimulus, visual or auditory that has had a noise added to it that makes it harder to percieve.