compliance

1. submission to the demands, wishes, or suggestions of others. See also conformity.

2. a change in a person’s behavior in response to a direct request. A variety of techniques have been developed to enhance compliance with requests. Although some techniques may enhance compliance by producing attitude change, behavioral change is the primary goal of these techniques. See disrupt-then-reframe technique; door-in-the-face technique; foot-in-the-door technique; low-ball technique; that’s-not-all technique.

3. in pharmacotherapy, see adherence.

4. in safety engineering, adherence to workplace codes or guidelines designed to enforce safe behaviors and exclude behaviors that increase the risk of injury or illness. Compliance is the end goal of workplace attempts to train or warn employees exposed to hazards. —compliant adj. —comply vb.

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Psychology term of the day

March 16th 2025

imipramine

n. a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) with a tertiary amine molecular structure. It was originally synthesized in the hope of creating an effective antipsychotic but was observed to be ineffective in reducing psychotic symptoms. It did, however, seem to help individuals with severe depression and was subsequently marketed as an antidepressant. It is considered the prototype TCA, and like all tricyclic agents, its use as an antidepressant has been largely supplanted by less toxic drugs. It retains a therapeutic role as a sedative and adjunct in the management of neuromuscular or musculoskeletal pain. U.S. trade name: Tofranil.