PARANOID STATES
A psychotic disorder characterized by transient, poorly systematized delusions.Paranoid states appear to be intermediate between “true” paranoia and paranoid schizophrenia.…
PARATHYROID GLANDS
Two pairs of small endocrine glands adjacent to the thyroid gland in the neck, which regulate calcium metabolism and maintain…
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…
PRESENTING
Animal behavior characterized by a female exposing her posterior to a male to facilitate mating.
PREVENTION RESEARCH
Research with the intent of a reduction of possible pathology, particularly in populations with a certain predisposition to that pathology,…
PRIMAL FANTASY
Theoretically, the many and varied fantasies children use to explain to themselves about sexual experience while too young to have…
PRIMARY CARETAKER STANDARD
Utilized in child custody disputes, the primary caretaker standard evaluates each parent and generally awards custody to that parent that…
PRIMARY GROUP
An individual's small group of friends or acquaintances that help foster and maintain their attitudes, social mores and values.
PRIMARY PERSONALITY
In regards to an individual with dissociative identity disorder, primary personality refers to the original personality and not to any…
PRIMARY TASTE
Primary taste is the idea that the sense of taste is actually composed of a range of tastes such as…
PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS
Statistically, a technique that completely reproduces an interrelationship amongst many correlated variables with a smaller number of "principle components" that…