Science / Psychiatry Glossary

Nominal Aphasia: difficulty in naming objects

Nystagmus: Involuntary rhythmic movements of the eyes that consist of small-amplitude~ rapid tremors in one direction and a larger, slower, recurrent sweep in the opposite direction. Nystagmus may be h . . . View Full Definition

Object Relations: The emotional bonds between one person and another, as contrasted with interest in and love for the self; usually described in terms of capacity for loving and reacting appropriately to othe . . . View Full Definition

Obsession: Recurrent and persistent thought, impulse, or image experienced as intrusive and distressing. Recognized as being excessive and unreasonable even though it is the product of ones mind. This . . . View Full Definition

Oedipus Complex: Attachment of the child to the parent of the opposite sex, accompanied by envious and aggressive feelings toward the parent of the same sex. These feelings are largely repressed (i.e., made . . . View Full Definition

Olfactory Hallucination: A hallucination involving the perception of odor, such as of burning rubber or decaying fish.

Ontogenetic: Pertaining to the development of the individual.

Operant Conditioning: A process by which the results of the persons behavior determine whether the behavior is more or less likely to occur in the future.

Oral Stage: The earliest of the stages of infantile psychosexual development, lasting from birth to 12 months or longer. Usually subdivided into two stages: the oral erotic, relating to the pleasurable . . . View Full Definition

Orientation: Awareness of ones self in relation to time, place, and person.

Orthostatic-Postural Hypotension: Sometimes an early side effect when starting certain antipsychotics, characterised by low blood pressure which may cause dizziness and fainting after standing or sitting up quickly.

Overcompensation: A conscious or unconscious process in which a real or imagined physical or psychological deficit generates exaggerated correction. Concept introduced by Adler.

Overdetermination: The concept of multiple unconscious causes of an emotional reaction or symptom.

Overvalued Idea: a sustained preoccupation that is unreasonable given the evidence available, that is held strongly but not to a delusional degree

Pallilalia: word or phrase is repeated

Panic Attacks: acute, episodic attacks of extreme anxiety

PANSS: Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale – an assessment tool to evaluate the presence/absence and severity of positive, negative and general psychopathology of schizophrenia.

Paramnesia: distorted recall leading to falsification of memory e.g. confabulation, déjà vu, déjà pensé, jamais vu, retrospective falsification

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