SYNESTHESIA (literally, “feeling to- gether”)
An experience in which two senses respond when only one is stimulated; also called crossed perception.About 5 to 10 per…
SZONDI TEST
A projective test in which the subject examines a set of photographs of people with different types of mental disorder…
STARTLE REACTION (Startle Pattern)
An extremely rapid response to a sudden, unexpected stimulus, such as a pistol shot or a face looming up in…
STIMULUS (literally “goad”)
In general terms, any event that initiates behavior; or more specifically, any energy change that activates a sense organ.The idea…
STIMULUS-STIMULUS ASSOCIATION (S-S Association, Sensory-Sensory Association)
A learned association between two stimuli.S-S associations are commonly formed when we learn to use one stimulus as a cue…
SUBITIZING
. Perceiving at a glance how many objects are presented without estimating or counting.It takes considerable time for children to…
SHERRINGTON, CHARLES SCOTT(1857-1952)
Sherrington, to whom we owe much of our knowledge of nerve activity, obtained his medical degree in 1885, then devoted…
SUBJECTIVE TONES
Auditory sensations or hallucinations in which certain notes or melodies are heard in the absence of external stimulation.A common type…
SKIN SENSES (Cutaneous Sense)
The senses of warmth, cold, pain, and touch (pressure) located in the skin.Skin sensations are the source of relatively simple…
SULLIVAN, HARRY STACK (1892- 1949)
Sullivan is chiefly noted for his “interpersonal theory,” an approach to personality and psychotherapy based on the crucial importance of…
SMELL PRISM
A three-dimensional diagram representing six “primary” odors and their mixture.Scientists have not yet been able to pin down the physical…
SUPPORTIVE THERAPY
A general form of psychological treatment aimed at reinforcing existing defenses and alleviating distress through techniques that operate on a…
SOCIAL CLASS (Social Stratification)
A broad social grouping based upon level of prestige determined by such characteristics as occupation, income, family genealogy, moral standing,…
SYMPATHISM
The defense mechanism of seeking emotional support through arousing sympathy. “Sympathy seeking” is more commonly used than sympathism.The individual dwells…
SOCIAL NORM (Group Norms)
The standards by which behavior is judged in a given social group; the way the members of a group are…
SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY
A broad area of psychiatric investigation and practice covering the relation between mental health and the social environment.The social viewpoint…
SOCIOPATHIC PERSONALITY DISTURBANCE
A group of personality or character disorders marked primarily by failure to adapt to prevailing ethical and social standards and…
SOMATOPSYCHIC DISORDERS
A term applied by some psychiatrists to psychological disturbances resulting from bodily disorders.An example is the post-encephalitic syndrome, in which…
SOMNAMBULISM
A dissociative reaction in which repressed impulses, anxieties or conflicts are acted out during sleep.Somnambulism is more than merely walking…
SPECIFIC ENERGIES
The view that the various kinds of sensory experience, such as touch, taste, and sight, are dependent on the specific…