Find over 25,000 psychological definitions


amphetamine abuse

in DSM–IV–TR, a pattern of use of amphetamines or amphetamine-like substances that is marked by recurrent significant adverse consequences related to the repeated ingestion of these substances. This diagnosis is preempted by the diagnosis of amphetamine dependence: If the criteria for amphetamine abuse and amphetamine dependence are both met, only the latter diagnosis is given. In DSM–5, however, both have been combined into one category, stimulant use disorder, and are no longer considered distinct diagnoses. See also substance abuse.

Browse dictionary by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Psychology term of the day

May 9th 2024

nonadditive

nonadditive

adj. describing values or measurements that cannot be meaningfully summarized through addition because the resulting total does not correctly reflect the underlying properties of and associations between the component values. For example, if two variables a and b interact to influence another variable y, the addition of the separate effects of a and b will not equal the total effect since the contribution of the interaction needs to be included. Compare additive.