Descriptionary

projection an ego defense mechanism in which an awareness of one's undesirable traits or thoughts is repressed and attributed to someone else.

proxemics the study of such nonverbal expression as physical distance maintained between two or more people in a social situation and their body orientation toward one another.

pseudocyesis false pregnancy, a symptom of con­version hysteria.

pseudoseizures false seizures, characterized by star­ing, stiffness, jerking, and an altered state of con­sciousness, a dissociative trance state.

psychic blindness the loss of vision, caused by hys­teria or brain lesions.

psychoanalysis the Freudian school of thought emphasizing the study of the unconscious mind and the accompanying therapy which strives to bring unconscious desires into consciousness and to resolve conflicts dating back to childhood.

psychobabble psychological terminology and jargon.

psychodrama role-playing psychotherapy in which personal conflicts and fantasies are acted out in front of a group.

psychogenic amnesia the loss of memory of por­tions of the past that are threatening or painful.

psychogenic pain disorder chronic or severe pain without any identifiable source.

psychopharmacology the study of the effects of drugs on behavior.

psychophysiological disorder any physical pain or illness having a psychological cause. Also known as psychosomatic disorder.

psychosomatic disorder a disorder in which physi­cal symptoms are brought on by emotional turmoil.

psychotherapy talk therapy.

psychotropic drugs mood-altering drugs.

rationalization justification of one's actions (often negative) through self-convincing but erroneous or dishonest thought processes.

reaction formation the adoption and display of behaviors and principles that may in fact be com­pletely opposite of what one really feels, especially when one's true feelings are socially unacceptable.

regression returning to a state of immature or prim­itive behavior.

reinforcement reward or punishment to either encourage a behavior or stop it.

relationship-contingent self-esteem a sense of self- worth that is overly dependent on the positive feed­back from one's romantic partner, causing a cycle of neediness and obsessiveness and following even minor spats depression and anxiety.

repression the blocking out of unpleasant or anxi­ety-provoking thoughts.

retrograde amnesia forgetting events immediately prior to a traumatic event but remembering every­thing earlier.

Rorschach test a test in which a person gives his interpretation or tells what he sees in special cards marked by distinctive inkblots, a means of revealing the unconscious.

Rosenthal effect phenomenon of human behavior through which experimenters' tend to find the results they want or expect due to their own bias and uncon­scious manipulation of parameters, named after Rob­ert Rosenthal.

SAD seasonal affective disorder. Feelings of depres­sion suffered by some people during the winter months, when sunlight is greatly reduced, which has been shown to cause changes in brain chemistry.

sadism the condition of deriving sexual pleasure from inflicting pain on someone.

savant syndrome having a low IQ but being extraordinarily talented or skilled in one area, such as music, art, or numbers.

schadenfreude the secret sense of delight one may feel at another's misfortune.

schizoid personality disorder a personality dis­order characterized by an extreme lack of interest in forming relationships, including sexual ones, and often marked by emotional coldness and indifference to all people, including family members.

schizophrenia a severe psychotic illness affecting the regulation of emotion, thought processes, moods, and personality, with a wide range of symptoms, from delusions to hallucinations.

schizotypal personality disorder a personality dis­order characterized by extreme fear of others and a lack of close relationships but that often goes beyond ordinary shyness with aspects of magical thinking, belief in the paranormal, and various odd or eccentric behaviors. Studies show the people with this disorder tend to be more creative than normal. Van Gogh, Emily Dickinson, and Isaac Newton are thought to have had schizotypal personalities.

screen memory a false memory, manufactured to shroud a more painful and real one, as in child abuse cases.

seasonal affective disorder see sad.

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor a class of drugs used to treat depression and anxiety.