G8 Glossary
presence of abnormal or distorted
mental processes, mental contents, or
behaviors.Positron emission tomography (PET) A
neuroimaging technique that measures
blood fl ow (or energy consumption) in the
brain and requires introducing a very small
amount of a radioactive substance into the
bloodstream.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) The
anxiety disorder that arises a month or
more after a traumatic event and that
involves a persistent reexperiencing of the
event, avoiding stimuli related to the event,
and symptoms of anxiety and hyperarousal
that persist for at least a month.
Predictions Hypotheses that should be
confi rmed if a theory is correct.
Premature ejaculation A sexual dysfunction
characterized by orgasm and ejaculation
that occur earlier than the man expects,
usually before, immediately during, or
shortly after penetration.Premorbid Referring to the period of time
prior to a patient’s illness.
Prevalence The number of people who
have a disorder in a given period of time.
Prevention programs Programs that are
designed to prevent or inhibit the
development or progression of
psychological problems or disorders.
Privileged communication Confi dential
information that is protected from being
disclosed during legal proceedings.
Prodromal phase The phase that precedes
the onset of a psychological disorder
(such as schizophrenia) when symptoms
do not yet meet all the criteria for the
disorder.Prodrome Early symptoms of a disorder.
Prognosis The likely course and outcome
of a disorder.
Projective test A tool for personality
assessment in which the patient is
presented with ambiguous stimuli (such as
inkblots or stick fi gures) and is asked to
make sense of and explain them.
Psychiatric nurse A mental health professional
who has an M.S.N. degree, plus a C.S.
certifi cate in psychiatric nursing.
Psychiatrist A mental health professional
who has an M.D. degree and has
completed a residency that focuses on
mental disorders.
Psychoactive substance A chemical that
alters mental ability, mood, or behavior.Psychoanalysis The intensive psychotherapy
based on Freud’s view that psychopathology
arises from unconscious confl ict.Psychoanalytic theory The theory that
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are a
result of conscious and unconscious forces
continually interacting in the mind.
Psychodynamic therapy A form of
psychotherapy based on psychoanalysis
but that involves less frequent sessions, less
emphasis on aggressive and sexual drives,
and more attention to present experiences.Psychoeducation The process of educating
patients about research fi ndings and therapy
procedures relevant to their situation.
Psychological disorder A pattern of
thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that causes
signifi cant personal distress, signifi cant
impairment in daily life, and/or signifi cant
risk of harm, any of which is unusual for
the context and culture in which it arises.
Psychomotor agitation An inability to sit
still, evidenced by pacing, hand wringing,
or rubbing or pulling the skin, clothes or
other objects.
Psychomotor retardation A slowing of
motor functions indicated by slowed
bodily movements and speech and lower
volume, variety, or amount of speech.Psychopathy A set of emotional and
interpersonal characteristics marked by a
lack of empathy, an unmerited feeling of
high self-worth, and a refusal to accept
responsibility for one’s actions.
Psychopharmacology The use of medication
to reduce or eradicate symptoms of
psychological disorders; also the study of
such treatment.
Psychosexual stages According to Freud,
the sequence of fi ve distinct stages of
development (oral, anal, phallic, latency,
and genital) through which children
proceed from infancy to adulthood;
each stage has a key task that must
be completed successfully for healthy
psychological development.
Psychosis An impaired ability to perceive
reality to the extent that normal functioning
is not possible. The two types of psychotic
symptoms are hallucinations and delusions.Punishment The process by which an event
or object that is the consequence of a
behaviordecreases the likelihood that the
behavior will occur again.
Purging Attempting to reduce calories that
have already been consumed by vomiting
or using diuretics, laxatives, or enemas.° R °
Random assignment Assigning participants
to each group in a study using a procedure
that relies on chance.
Randomized clinical trial (RCT) A research
design that has at least two groups—a
treatment group and a control group
(usually a placebo control)—to which
participants are randomly assigned.
Rapid cycling (of moods) Having four or
more episodes that meet the criteria for
any type of mood episode within 1 year.
Rational-emotive behavior therapy
(REBT) The form of treatment in which
a patient’s irrational thoughts are
transformed into rational ones, which in
turn leads to more positive emotions and
adaptive behaviors.
Reactivity A behavior change that occurs
when one becomes aware of being
observed.
Receptors Specialized sites on dendrites
and cell bodies that respond only to
specifi c molecules.
Reframe A systems therapy technique
in which the therapist offers new ways
to conceive of, or frame, the family’s or
identifi ed patient’s problem.
Reinforcement The process by which the
consequence of a behavior increasesthe
likelihood of the behavior’s recurrence.
Reliable Classifi cation systems (or
measures) that consistently produce the
same results.
Relief craving The desire for the temporary
emotional relief that can arise from using a
substance.
Replication The process of repeating
a study using the same data collection
methods under identical or nearly identical
conditions to obtain data that should have
the same characteristics as those from the
original study.
Residential treatment Treatment in which
patients stay in a staffed facility where
they sleep, eat breakfast and dinner, and
perhaps take part in evening groups.
Response bias The tendency to respond
in a particular way, regardless of what is
being asked by the question.
Restrained eating Restricting intake of
specifi c foods or overall number of calories.
Rett’s disorder A pervasive developmental
disorder that affects only females and
is characterized by normal prenatal
development and functioning after birth