TEST 1 Flashcards
Affective instability or lability
relatively abrupt changes in affect (outward expression of one’s mood at the moment); being labile in mood or affect; applies especially when the affective change is excessive to the circumstances that provoke it
Blunted affect
—affect is muted; emotions are evident but at a subdued level, or expressed only fleetingly
Constricted affect—the range of one’s affect is reduced; e.g. the person evidences sadness or happiness but not other emotions
Dysphoria—
a pervasive negative mood or feeling that is not otherwise identifiable, or does not fit the description of any particular feeling; e.g. “I don’t know what’s wrong; I’m not really sad or depressed or angry, but I just feel bad somehow, like everything is wrong…I can’t put my feeling on it, it just hurts to feel this way”
Elevated
—mood that is “too good for the situation”
Euthymic
—“normal” mood state, appropriate to one’s circumstances and lacking in abnormality
Expansive
an increased range of emotional expressiveness; overly emotive; a mood that seems contagious or that is promoted among others
Flattened affect
he absence of affect; a blank expression
Inappropriate—affect that is inconsistent with, or contrary to, one’s circumstances or expressed mood; e.g. laughing while talking of missing one’s mother since her death
Labile
(excessive or rapid change in expressed emotions)
Asociality
—being disinterested in social events or interaction with others; can lead to social withdrawal
Avolition
—a reduction in of absence of spontaneous movement or activity; being avoidant of, or disinterested in, activities;
Catatonia
—an abnormality of the rate of behavior; e.g. sitting in the same position without moving for extended periods; being in constant motion
Compulsive behavior—
acting on irresistible urges or impulses to behave in a particular fashion or take particular actions; the actions/behavior are usually repetitive and unproductive; e.g. drinking every available liquid regardless of whether one is thirsty, due to an un unexplainable urge to drink that is difficult for the person to resist; or counting every window in every building one passes, feeling that this has to be done before one can pass by.
Echopraxia
—choosing your actions based on the actions of others around you; e.g. crossing your legs when the person next to you does; getting up and leaving when others leave the area.
Grimacing
facial expression suggestive of discomfort or distress; facial distortions
Posturing
—assuming and maintaining a posture that does not fit the circumstances, and that often appears uncomfortable or illogical; e.g. a person stands with one hand raised in the air for 10 minutes; akin perhaps to grimacing but involving the body rather than just the face
Psychomotor restlessness—
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a restlessness that is psychological in origin and manifested in one’s behavior, e.g. pacing about the unit as one experiences racing thoughts
Stereotypy
behavior that is repetitive and illogical for the circumstances; initiating a motion or phrase repeatedly in the same manner
Tangentiality
going off on tangents; one starts off on-topic, but increasingly drifts onto side issues that, over time, result in the person being off-topic; “Where am I going? Well, I’m on my way down this hall…you know, this is an ugly hallway…Why don’t they have some nice colors here? My room at home has nice colors…I wish I was at home”. The thoughts are connected to each other, but diverge off track.
Alogia—
an absence or reduction in the amount of speech; synonym: poverty of speech