PARKINSON’S DISEASE
A chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system, usually occurring between the ages of fifty and seventy. Atrophy takes…
PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE PERSONALITY
A personality trait disturbance characterized by immaturity and failure to develop an adequate balance between dependence and independence, and between…
PATHOLOGICAL INTOXICATION
An acute psychotic episode occurring in (1) individuals whose tolerance for alcohol is low due to an unstable personality or…
PEAK-CLIPPING
Increasing the intelligibility of transmitted speech by “clipping,” or eliminating, high intensity sounds and amplifying the low intensities.Peak-clipping is accomplished…
PELLAGRINOUS PSYCHOSIS
A metabolic disorder produced by a severe deficiency of vitamin B (niacin, nicotinic acid). Deficiencies of thiamine, riboflavin, and ascorbic…
PEPTIC ULCER
A craterlike wound in the inner wall of the stomach or duodenum resulting from the corrosive effects of acid-containing digestive…
PERPLEXITY STATES
A form of mental confusion in which the patient is assailed with doubt and uncertainty about his own thoughts.Perplexity is…
PAIN DRIVE
drive directed to the removal of noxious stimulation.This basic drive is activated by special sense organs in the form of…
PAIRED ASSOCIATES LEARNING
A technique for studying learning. Words, syllables, digits, or other items are learned in pairs, and the subject is later…
PARALOGICAL THINKING
False, illogical thinking found particularly in schizophrenic reactionsParalogical thinking may take many forms. A patient who is preoccupied with his…
PRESENTIST
Giving perspective regarding past events as their influence relates to the present situation.
PRESELECTION
A situation where an assumption is made that one member of a family is a carrier of a certain mutation,…
PREVENTIVE COUNSELING
Preventive counseling has as its main focus the anticipation and avoidance of conflicts or problems for those facing stress in…
PRIMAL SADISM
The theory that the death instinct has an aspect that mirrors masochism and remains in the individual as part of…
PRIMARY CIRCULAR REACTION
In Jean Piaget's theory regarding cognitive development, the primary circular reaction occurs approximately between six weeks and four months of…
PRIMARY PREVENTION
A regimen of programs and research with the main goal of promoting physical, behavioral and mental health in the nonclinical…
PRIMARY TERRITORY
As defined in social psychology, primary territory is a locale controlled and defined by a person or group that uses…
PRINCIPAL-COMPONENT FACTOR ANALYSIS
In factor analysis, the initial community estimate is set to 1 for each variable. This is a method of factor…
PRISONER OF WAR (POW)
A prisoner of war is a person held by the opposing side in a military conflict. They are often subjected…