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psychosis

n.

1. an abnormal mental state involving significant problems with reality testing It is characterized by serious impairments or disruptions in the most fundamental higher brain functions—perception, cognition and cognitive processing, and emotions or affect—as manifested in behavioral phenomena, such as delusions, hallucinations, and significantly disorganized speech. See psychotic disorder.

2. historically, any severe mental disorder that significantly interferes with functioning and ability to perform activities essential to daily living.

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Psychology term of the day

March 29th 2024

stiffness

stiffness

n.

1. inflexibility of the muscles and joints due to injury, dystonia, or over- or underuse.

2. a characteristic, due to the springlike properties of muscles, that determines how the force exerted by a muscle varies as a function of its length for a fixed level of activation.