Psych definitions Flashcards
Illusion
Misperceptions of stimuli , seem to originate from an external source of stimulus
Hallucination
False perceptions of objects or events involving the senses. They seem real but are not and are caused by chemical reactions and/or abnormalities in the brain
Overvalued idea
A solitary abnormal belief that is neither delusional nor obsessive in nature, but is preoccupying to the extent of dominating the person’s life
Delusion
Beliefs that persist despite evidence to the contrary. They can cover a wide range of topics and are resistant to logical reasoning or contradictory evidence
Delusional perception
A symptom in which a patient believes that a normal percept has a special meaning to them
Thought alienation
A symptom of psychosis in which a patient feels like their own thoughts are in some way no longer within their control
Thought insertion
The delusion that one’s thoughts are not one’s own, but rather belong to someone else and have been inserted into their mind
Thought broadcast
A condition in which people believe that others can hear their thoughts, or that they are being broadcast by the TV, radio or internet
Thought withdrawal
When a person believes that a person or entity has removed thoughts from their mind
Thought echo
When a patient has a hallucination of hearing aloud their own thoughts a short time after thinking them
Thought block
Expressing a sudden and involuntary silence within a speech, and eventually an abrupt switch to another topic
Concrete thinking
Thinking that is focused on the physical world, actual objects and events, and the absence of concepts and generalisations
Loosening of association
A thought-process disorder characterised by disorganised speech due to a lack of connection between ideas
Circumstantiality
A disturbance in the thought process in which one gives an excessive amount of detail that is often tangential, elaborate and irrelevant
Tangentiality
The tendency to speak about topics unrelated to the main topic of discussion
