malingering

n. the deliberate feigning of an illness or disability to achieve a particular desired outcome. For example, it may take the form of faking mental illness as a defense in a trial, faking physical illness to win compensation, or faking an injury or misinforming people of one’s state of rehabilitation to avoid practicing or playing sport. Malingering is distinguished from factitious disorder in that it involves a specific external factor as the motivating force. —malingerer n.

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Psychology term of the day

January 20th 2025

germ theory

the doctrine that infectious diseases are caused by the presence and activity of microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi, in body tissues.