endophenotype

n. a type of biological marker that is simpler to detect than genetic sequences and that may be useful in researching vulnerability to a wide range of psychological and neurological disorders. Endophenotypes may be a useful link between genetic sequences and their external emotional, cognitive, or behavioral manifestations. [coined in the 1970s by U.S. behavioral geneticist and clinical psychologist Irving I. Gottesman (1930– ) and British psychiatrist James Shields (d. 1978)]

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Psychology term of the day

September 17th 2024

fragmentation

n. division or separation into pieces or fragments. For example, fragmentation of thinking (typically termed loosening of associations) is a disturbance in which thoughts become disjointed to such an extent as to no longer be unified, complete, or coherent; fragmentation of personality (typically termed personality disintegration) occurs when an individual no longer presents a unified, predictable set of beliefs, attitudes, traits, and behavioral responses.