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Habituation to a specific practice, such as drinking alcoholic beverages or using drugs (for example, heroin, cocaine, or amphetamines), and disorders characterized by the chronic use of a drug, alcohol, or similar substance. Addiction and addictive…

Behavior that is intended to threaten or inflict physical injury or emotional harm on another person or organism. Aggression is a type of behavior (physical or verbal, or both) displayed by an individual who aims or is motivated to harm another…

Any disorder of recognition. Agnosias were named originally by Sigmund Freud in 1891 to denote disturbances in the ability to recognize and name objects. Usually the misrecognition involves one sensory modality, with primary sensation in that…

The repeated and/or excessive use of alcohol (ethanol) that continues despite negative physical, psychiatric, or social consequences. Alcoholism is characterized by consuming alcohol more often, in larger amounts, or over longer periods than…

A disease of the nervous system characterized by a progressive dementia that leads to profound impairment in cognition and behavior. Dementia occurs in a number of brain diseases where the impairment in cognitive abilities represents a decline from…

A significant but relatively selective inability to remember. Amnesia can be characterized along two dimensions with respect to its onset: an inability to remember events that occurred after the onset of amnesia is referred to as anterograde…

A disorder of language, acquired as a result of brain disease. Aphasia strikes at that most human of attributes—communication with other people. Aphasia must be distinguished from three other conditions: motor speech disorders, developmental…

An impairment in the performance of voluntary actions despite intact motor power and coordination, sensation and perception, and comprehension. The apraxic person knows the act to be carried out, and has the requisite sensory-motor capacities; yet…

A common psychiatric disorder (especially in children) characterized by attentional difficulties, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental disorder marked by an individual's inability to pay…

The quantitative assessment of individual hearing, both normal and defective. In typical tests, pure tones are presented through headphones, though some tests use speech instead of tones. In bone conduction tests, tones are presented through a…

A neurodevelopmental condition that impairs the way that a person relates to and communicates with other people. Persons with autism have difficulties with social communication and interaction. They also can have unusual behaviors, such as…

The branch of ecology that focuses on the evolutionary causes of variation in behavior among populations and species. The scientific study of behavioral ecology investigates how changes of behavior are influenced by ecological factors (Fig. 1).…

A major mental disorder in which there are lifelong episodes of both mania and depression; also known as manic-depressive illness. Bipolar disorder, also termed manic-depressive illness or manic depression, is characterized by sudden and often…

Unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power inequity. The behavior of bullying is often chronic and includes actions such as threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and purposefully excluding or…

The internal structures and processes that are involved in the acquisition and use of knowledge, including sensation, perception, attention, learning, memory, language, thinking, and reasoning. The mental processes and behaviors that constitute…

Technology used to augment human mental capacity. In contrast, technology is widely used to augment human physical capabilities. We can move faster using cars, we can lift heavier weights using cranes, and we can even fly through the air using…

The ability to discriminate light on the basis of wavelength composition. Color vision is found in humans, in other primates, and in certain species of birds, fishes, reptiles, crustaceans, and insects. These animals have visual receptors that…

A learned response performed by a human or other animal to a signal that was previously associated with an event of consequence for that human or animal. A conditioned reflex, also known as a conditioned response, is an acquired response in which…

The state of being aware of one's own existence, of one's mental states, and of the impressions made upon one's senses. Consciousness is central to human existence, yet it has proved difficult to define and characterize. Typically, consciousness…

A syndrome characterized by a generalized decline in cognition that is severe enough to cause functional impairment in daily activities. Dementia is a term used to describe a collection of symptoms of severe cognitive decline. Individuals suffering…

A heterogeneous affective disorder involving a depressed mood and/or a loss of interest in daily activities. The most common form of affective disorder is depression (also termed clinical depression) [Fig. 1]. A major depressive episode is defined…

The study of age-related changes in behavior from birth to death. Developmental psychology is an important branch of psychological analysis that investigates the development and changes of behavior over an individual's lifetime (Fig. 1). In general,…

Disorders characterized by abnormal eating behaviors, extreme weight-control behaviors, and dysfunctional beliefs about eating, weight, and body shape. Individuals suffering from eating disorders display abnormal eating behaviors and extreme…

A term commonly associated with both behaviors and states of mind (known as feelings) that are not under the control of reason and disturb the flow of consciously directed behavior. Emotions influence human thinking and behavior (Fig. 1), and they…