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pain disorder

in DSM–IV–TR, a somatoform disorder characterized by severe, prolonged pain that significantly interferes with a person’s ability to function. The pain cannot be accounted for solely by a medical condition, and there is evidence of psychological involvement in its onset, severity, exacerbation, or maintenance. Although not feigned or produced intentionally (compare factitious disorder; malingering), the pain may serve such psychological ends as avoidance of distasteful activity or gaining extra attention or support from others. Pain disorder was formerly referred to as psychogenic pain disorder or somatoform pain disorder. The diagnosis has been eliminated from DSM–5, although the new term somatic symptom disorder retains mention of such a disorder “with predominant pain.”

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Psychology term of the day

November 18th 2024

paradigm clash

paradigm clash

in science or philosophy, the conflict that occurs when a new set of fundamental assumptions about reality or human knowledge proves incompatible with an established set of such assumptions. For example, the doctrine of organic evolution challenged established thinking about the origin and nature of the living world and ultimately replaced previous theories.