Descriptionary

intermittent explosive disorder a disorder most often found between late adolescence and the late 20s, characterized by out-of-control, angry outbursts that may include physical abuse, thought to be caused by a shortage of the neurotransmitter serotonin.

introspection the examination of one's self and thought processes and feelings, resulting in height­ened self-awareness.

introversion a personality trait characterized by an inward or introspective focus, marked by an enjoy­ment of solitary pursuits and comfort in one's own company.

James-Lange theory a theory that physiologic reac­tions to an outer stimulus produce the experience of emotion.

koro in Chinese culture, an irrational fear that the penis will retract into the abdomen and cause death.

Korsakoff's psychosis alcoholic psychosis charac­terized by distorted thinking and loss of memory.

lability an unstable state characterized by rapidly changing moods or behaviors.

lapsus linguae a slip of the tongue.

latency in psychoanalytic theory, the development period between age six and puberty, wherein little occurs in the way of psychosexual development.

latent content in Freudian theory, the underlying or hidden meaning of dreams.

logomania nonstop talking.

logorrhea excessive and irrational talking.

longitudinal study a study involving the same sub­jects over many years.

loosening of associations disjointed speech with a train of unrelated or disconnected ideas, a symptom of brain damage.

magical thinking a childlike perception of reality, through which wishful thinking is believed to bring about what one wants or that the universe has a pre­ordained plan and that everyone will be taken care of, that coincidences hold meaning, or that everything happens for a reason, all notions unsupported by any scientific validation but which may bring people peace of mind.

malingerer someone who pretends to be ill.

mania elation or euphoria accompanied by irra­tional behavior, often alternating with deep depres­sion, as in manic-depressive illness. Also, an obses­sion or crazed desire for something. Manias include the following:

alcohol

dipsomania

animals

zoomania

books

bibliomania

cats

ailuromania

children

pedomania

Christ, delusion that one is

theomania

dancing

choreomania

death

necromania

demons, devil, delusion that

demonomania

one is possessed by

dogs

cynomania

eating

sitomania

fire

pyromania

flowers

anthomania

food

phagomania

genius, delusion that one is

sophomania

horses

hippomania

kill, desire to

dacnomania

money

chrematomania

nakedness

gymnomania

night

noctimania

open places, living out in

agoromania

pleasure

hedonomania

sex

aphrodisiomania

nymphomania

sleep

hypnomania

solitude

automania

stealing

kleptomania

sun

heliomania

talking

logomania

travel

hodomania

washing

ablutomania

wealth

plutomania

women

gynemania

woods

hylomania

manic excited.

manic-depressive psychosis a condition character­ized by extreme mood swings, from normal to elated, or from normal to depressed, or a combination of all of the above.

manic episode a temporary condition in bipolar disorder when one may experience grandiose thoughts and euphoria and behave in inappropriate or irratio­nal ways.

marasmus the deterioration and emaciation of an infant due to prolonged maternal separation and deprivation of affection.

martyr one who makes great sacrifices and puts on a display of suffering in order to elicit sympathy. One who is not happy unless he is miserable.

masochism the experience of pleasure from pain inflicted on oneself or inflicted on oneself by others.

mass hysteria a kind of emotional contagion in any group who perceive a threat—such as a terror­ist attack—and who may react by crying, screaming, fighting, rioting, or getting sick.

medical school syndrome a common form of hypo­chondria in which a medical student believes he or she has the symptoms or signs of the disease he or she is studying.

meta analysis a collective study of many previous studies on a particular subject, conducted to uncover subtle trends or to average out findings toward a par­ticular conclusion.

microexpressions fleeting or instantaneous facial expressions that appear and vanish quickly and that can be read by an observer trained to spot them.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory a

widely used test given by psychologists and psy­chiatrists to measure personality traits and psycho- pathology.

misanthropy an aversion to people.

misogyny an aversion to women.

morbid anxiety extreme, incapacitating anxiety.

moria childish excitement, foolishness, and the inability to act in a serious manner.