Glossary G9
through at least 5 months of age, after
which the growth of the child’s head slows
and she loses the ability to control normal
muscle movements, interest in other
people, and previously developed skills.
Reuptake The process of moving leftover
neurotransmitter molecules in the synapse
back into the sending neuron.
Reuptake inhibitors Medications that
partially block the process by which a
neurotransmitter is reabsorbed into the
terminal button, thus increasing the amount
of the neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft.
Reward craving The desire for the gratifying
effects of using a substance.
° S °Sample The small portion of a population
that is examined in a study.
Sampling bias The distortion that occurs
when the participants in an experiment
have not been drawn randomly from the
relevant population under investigation.
Schizoaffective disorder The psychotic
disorder characterized by the presence
of both schizophrenia and a depressive,
manic, or mixed mood episode.
Schizoid personality disorder A personality
disorder characterized by a restricted range
of emotions in social interactions and
few—if any—close relationships.
Schizophrenia A psychological disorder
characterized by psychotic symptoms that
signifi cantly affect emotions, behavior, and
mental processes and mental contents.
Schizophreniform disorder The psychotic
disorder characterized by symptoms that
meet all the criteria for schizophrenia
exceptthat the symptoms have been
present for only 1–6 months and daily
functioning may or may not have declined
over that period of time.
Schizotypal personality disorder A
personality disorder characterized by
eccentric thoughts, perceptions, and
behaviors, in addition to having very few
close relationships.
Scientifi c method The process of gathering
and interpreting facts that can lead to
the formulation of a new theory or the
validation or refutation of an existing
theory.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) Recurrent
depression that follows a seasonal pattern.
Secondary reinforcers Objects and events
that do not directly satisfy a biological
need but are desirable nonetheless.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
(SSRIs) Medications that slow the
reuptake of serotonin from the synapse.
Sensate focus exercises A behavioral
technique that is assigned as homework
in sex therapy, in which an individual
or couple seeks to increase awareness of
pleasurable sensations that do not involve
genital touching, intercourse, or orgasm.Separation anxiety disorder A psychological
disorder that typically arises in childhood and
is characterized by excessive anxiety about
separation from home or from someone to
whom the individual has become attached.
Sex reassignment surgery The procedure in
which an individual’s genitals (and breasts,
for biological women) are surgically altered
to appear like those of the other sex.
Sexual aversion disorder A sexual dysfunction
characterized by a persistent or recurrent
extreme aversion to and avoidance of most
genital sexual contact with a partner.Sexual dysfunctions Sexual disorders that
are characterized by problems in the sexual
response cycle.
Sexual masochism A paraphilia in which
the individual repeatedly becomes sexually
aroused by fantasies, urges, or behaviors
related to being hurt—specifi cally, being
humiliated or made to suffer in other
ways—and this arousal pattern causes
signifi cant distress or impairs functioning.
Sexual response cycle The four stages of
sexual response—excitement, plateau,
orgasm, and resolution—outlined by
Masters and Johnson.Sexual sadism A paraphilia characterized
by recurrent sexually arousing fantasies,
urges, and behaviors that infl ict physical or
psychological suffering on another person.
Shaping The process of reinforcing a small
component of behavior at a time and then
progressively adding components until the
desired complex behavior occurs.
Shared psychotic disorder The psychotic
disorder in which an individual develops
delusions as a result of his or her close
relationship with another person who has
delusions as part of a psychotic disorder;
also known as folie à deux.
Single-participant experiments Experiments
with only a single participant.Social causation The hypothesis that the
daily stressors of urban life, especially
as experienced by people in a lower
socioeconomic level, trigger mental illness
in those who are vulnerable.Social desirability A bias toward answering
questions in a way that respondents think
makes them “look good” (i.e., that he or
she thinks is socially desirable), even if the
responses are not true.Social phobia The anxiety disorder
characterized by intense fear of public
humiliation or embarrassment, together
with the avoidance of social situations
likely to cause this fear; also called social
anxiety disorder.Social selection The hypothesis that those
who are mentally ill “drift” to a lower
socioeconomic level because of their
impairments; also referred to as social drift.Social support The comfort and assistance
that an individual receives through
interactions with others.Social worker A mental health professional
who has an M.S.W. degree and may have
had training to provide psychotherapy to
help individuals and families.Somatization disorder (SD) A somatoform
disorder characterized by multiple
physical symptoms that are medically
unexplained and impair an individual’s
ability to function.Somatoform disorders A category of
psychological disorders characterized by
complaints about physical well-being that
cannot be entirely explained by a medical
condition, substance use, or another
psychological disorder.Specifi c factors The characteristics of a
particular treatment or technique that
lead it to have unique benefi ts, above and
beyond those conferred by common factors.Specifi c phobia The anxiety disorder
characterized by excessive or unreasonable
anxiety or fear related to a specifi c
situation or object.Stages of change A series of fi ve stages
that characterizes how ready a person
is to change problematic behaviors:
precontemplation, contemplation,
preparation, action, and maintenance.Statistically signifi cant The condition in
which the probability of obtaining the
value of a statistical test is greater than
what would be expected by chance alone.Stereotyped behaviors Repetitive behaviors—
such as body rocking—that do not serve a
function; also referred to as stereotypies.Stimulus control The behavioral technique
for changing the frequency of a maladaptive
conditioned response by controlling the