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Why? Because I can. No, not really. I actually thought I’d post a quick blurb about tangential thinking and speech in order to A) get another post in, since I’d been slipping back into old habits; B) as a follow-up on my post on attention, as that was an educational post not triggered by any particular external event; C) because terms like this are used quite often in psychological evaluations and intakes, and sometimes I wonder if even the person using the word understands it’s meaning.
So, with all that, I shall now discuss tangential thinking and speech, which is similar in meaning to the general meaning of the word. In psychology, tangential speech is evidence of a disturbance, in that an individual loses the thread of a conversation, and pursues new threads or ideas as a result of extraneous or irrelevant internal or external stimuli. In the case of tangentiality, the individual never comes back to the original point.
In general, the degree of tangential speech, as well as the insight into one’s “losing the thread,” will help establish just how serious the thought disturbance is. If a person is somewhat anxious, they may get off the point, but will be aware, probably apologized for being “scattered,” and then return. That is an important feature — if a person does come back to the point, and especially if they are aware they are all over the place, the problem isn’t nearly as bad, generally speaking, as someone who is losing the thread of a conversation, has no insight into losing track, and never returns to the point.
Quick example: I was evaluating a guy a couple of years ago, and I asked him a question about the health of his father. Here is an approximation of his response:
“It’s not good, he smokes cigarettes. I warned him about that, in his apartment, I used drugs there once. I saw a hole in the carpeting, and thought bugs were coming out.”
That’s getting off the point pretty fast, and ending nowhere near where my question started. Definitely a sign of major issues; often psychosis, but occasionally over issues (such as neuropsychological/organic brain difficulties). By the way, circumstantial speech is a related issue: similar to tangential speech, except the person eventually makes their way back to the original point. Either way, these presentations are signs that the person’s current thinking processes may be impaired.
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Let’s learn a new word every day! Browse our ‘word of the day’ collection of interesting, sophisticated, and rare words that describe relatable emotional states and give a new meaning to ordinary things. Whether you are a logophile, a lifetime learner, or just a person who would like to expand their vocabulary, then you will certainly enjoy our compilation!
the branch of psychology concerned with the treatment of abnormal mentation and behavior
the psychological result of perception and reasoning
an approach to psychology that emphasizes internal mental processes
the branch of psychology that studies the social and mental development of children
the branch of psychology that uses experimental methods to study psychological issues
any of several branches of psychology that seek to apply psychological principles to practical problems of education or industry or marketing etc.
an anxiety disorder characterized by irrational fear
the science of mental life
the branch of psychology that studies persons and their relationships with others and with groups and with society as a whole
a theoretical distribution with finite mean and variance
a statistic representing how closely two variables co-vary
a quantity whose value depends on another quantity
an experimental procedure in which neither the subjects of the experiment nor the persons administering the experiment know the critical aspects of the experiment
a value that does not depend on changes in other values
consent by a patient to undergo a medical or surgical treatment or to participate in an experiment after the patient understands the risks involved
a tentative insight that is not yet verified or tested
an average computed by adding some function of the numbers
an innocuous or inert medication
the square root of the variance
a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the world
something that is likely to change
the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others
the quality of arousing interest
purging of emotional tensions
a theory that the people should own the means of production
a relation between two opposite states or principles that together exhaust the possibilities
an open clash between two opposing groups
correspondence in form, type, or appearance
the quality of being believable or trustworthy
a situation in which people or things are crowded together
all the knowledge and values shared by a society
a meeting in which someone reports on a mission or task
a misleading falsehood
a quantity whose value depends on another quantity
the act of taking the position of another
a framework that supports and protects a picture or a mirror
an act of hindering someone’s plans or efforts
decision making by a group
a commonsense rule to help solve some problem
a tentative insight that is not yet verified or tested
a value that does not depend on changes in other values
the quality of being a single thing or person
consent by a patient to undergo a medical or surgical treatment or to participate in an experiment after the patient understands the risks involved
the trait of being willing to follow commands or guidance
communication intended to induce belief or action
the act of making something ready
the property of being close together
the selection of a random sample
the relation between selected values of x and observed values of y (from which the most probable value of y can be predicted for any value of x)
a feeling of pride in yourself
interested only in yourself
a psychotic disorder characterized by distortions of reality
tranquilizer used to treat psychotic conditions when a calming effect is desired
a psychological disorder of thought or emotion
mental or emotional as opposed to physical in nature
surgery on nerves to and from the frontal lobe of the brain
a process in which organisms evolve to adapt to environment
an almond-shaped neural structure in the anterior part of the temporal lobe of the cerebrum; intimately connected with the hypothalamus and the hippocampus and the cingulate gyrus; as part of the limbic system it plays an important role in motivation and emotional behavior
the cognitive process whereby past experience is remembered
an approach to psychology that emphasizes observable measurable behavior
the thought processes involved in solving a problem
the branch of psychology concerned with abnormal behavior
the branch of psychology concerned with abnormal behavior
the branch of psychology concerned with the behavior of animals
any of several branches of psychology that seek to apply psychological principles to practical problems of education or industry or marketing etc.
an approach to psychology that emphasizes observable measurable behavior
an approach to psychology that emphasizes observable measurable behavior
an approach to psychology that emphasizes observable measurable behavior
the branch of psychology that studies the social and mental development of children
an approach to psychology that emphasizes internal mental processes
the branch of psychology concerned with the behavior of animals
the branch of psychology that studies the social and mental development of children
the branch of psychology that studies measurable differences between individuals
the branch of psychology that uses experimental methods to study psychological issues
the branch of psychology that studies the social and mental development of children
the branch of social psychology that studies the psychodynamics of interaction in social groups
any of several branches of psychology that seek to apply psychological principles to practical problems of education or industry or marketing etc.
the interrelation of conscious and unconscious processes and emotions that determine personality and motivation
the branch of cognitive psychology that studies the psychological basis of linguistic competence and performance
any branch of psychology concerned with psychological measurements
any branch of psychology concerned with psychological measurements
any branch of psychology concerned with psychological measurements
the branch of psychology that uses experimental methods to study psychological issues
the branch of psychology concerned with quantitative relations between physical stimuli and their psychological effects
the branch of psychology that is concerned with the physiological bases of psychological processes
the study of reflex action as it relates to the behavior of organisms
the branch of psychology that studies persons and their relationships with others and with groups and with society as a whole
a person who tends to shrink from social contacts
a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense
an erroneous belief held in the face of contrary evidence
the conscious exclusion of unacceptable thoughts or desires
a stimulus that strengthens the behavior that produced it
making the expression of an impulse socially acceptable
the conscious exclusion of unacceptable thoughts or desires
an urge to withdraw or avoid a situation or an object
the branch of psychology concerned with abnormal behavior
an urge to accept or approach a situation or an object
(psychology) a balanced disposition intermediate between extroversion and introversion
the inner self that is in touch with the unconscious
the branch of psychology concerned with the behavior of animals
any of several branches of psychology that seek to apply psychological principles to practical problems of education or industry or marketing etc.
(psychology) a theory that association is the basic principle of mental activity
(psychology) a theory that association is the basic principle of mental activity
(psychology) a theory that reduces all mental phenomena to simple elements (sensations and feelings) that form complex ideas by association
the aggregate of the responses made by an organism
an approach to psychology that emphasizes observable measurable behavior
an approach to psychology that emphasizes observable measurable behavior
the aggregate of the responses made by an organism
an approach to psychology that emphasizes observable measurable behavior
an approach to psychology that emphasizes observable measurable behavior
the branch of psychology concerned with the treatment of abnormal mentation and behavior
a practitioner who works directly with patients
the performance of some composite cognitive activity
the performance of some composite cognitive activity
an approach to psychology that emphasizes internal mental processes
the field of science concerned with cognition
the branch of psychology concerned with the behavior of animals
(psychology) a theory of psychology that emphasizes the importance of configurational properties
the tendency to give rise to similar perceptual experiences
the academic department responsible for teaching and research in psychology
a set of techniques for exploring underlying motives and a method of treating various mental disorders; based on the theories of Sigmund Freud
the branch of psychology that studies the social and mental development of children
the branch of psychology that studies measurable differences between individuals
an unresolvable dilemma
the branch of psychology that uses experimental methods to study psychological issues
(psychology) bias introduced by an experimenter whose expectations about the outcome of the experiment can be subtly communicated to the participants in the experiment
an extroverted disposition
(psychology) a person concerned more with practical realities than with inner thoughts and feelings
an extroverted disposition
a person directed toward others as opposed to the self
English scientist (cousin of Charles Darwin) who explored many fields including heredity, meteorology, statistics, psychology, and anthropology; founder of eugenics and first to use fingerprints for identification (1822-1911)
the psychological theories of Sigmund Freud
a psychology based on the assumption that all mental process are useful to an organism in adapting to the environment
United States child psychologist whose theories of child psychology strongly influenced educational psychology (1844-1924)
English scientist (cousin of Charles Darwin) who explored many fields including heredity, meteorology, statistics, psychology, and anthropology; founder of eugenics and first to use fingerprints for identification (1822-1911)
(psychology) transfer of a response learned to one stimulus to a similar stimulus
transfer of a learned response to a similar stimulus
the branch of psychology that studies the social and mental development of children
a principle of Gestalt psychology that identifies factors leading to particular forms of perceptual organization
a principle of Gestalt psychology that identifies factors leading to particular forms of perceptual organization
(psychology) a theory of psychology that emphasizes the importance of configurational properties
United States child psychologist whose theories of child psychology strongly influenced educational psychology (1844-1924)
the branch of social psychology that studies the psychodynamics of interaction in social groups
an automatic pattern of behavior in reaction to a situation
United States child psychologist whose theories of child psychology strongly influenced educational psychology (1844-1924)
a personal facade that one presents to the world
any of several branches of psychology that seek to apply psychological principles to practical problems of education or industry or marketing etc.
Swedish film director who used heavy symbolism and explored the psychology of the characters (born 1918)
(psychology) unconscious internalization of aspects of the world (especially aspects of persons) within the self in such a way that the internalized representation takes over the psychological functions of the external objects
an introverted disposition
United States psychologist considered the founder of behavioristic psychology (1878-1958)
the psychological theories of Carl Jung
(psychology) the principle that behaviors are selected by their consequences; behavior having good consequences tends to be repeated whereas behavior that leads to bad consequences is not repeated
the cognitive study of how past experience is remembered
(psychology) a mental condition in which the qualities of a state are relatively constant even though the state itself may be dynamic
the performance of some composite cognitive activity
(psychology) a mental condition in which the qualities of a state are relatively constant even though the state itself may be dynamic
(psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress
(psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress
the branch of psychology that is concerned with the physiological bases of psychological processes
the performance of some composite cognitive activity
(psychology) the tendency for perceived objects to give rise to very similar perceptual experiences in spite of wide variations in the conditions of observation
repeat a response after cessation of the original stimulus
an image of oneself that one presents to the world
the branch of psychology that is concerned with the physiological bases of psychological processes
of or relating to a presentation
the area of cognitive psychology that studies the processes involved in solving problems
the performance of some composite cognitive activity
the branch of social psychology that deals with the processes and emotions that determine psychology and motivation
of or relating to the psychology of language
the branch of cognitive psychology that studies the psychological basis of linguistic competence and performance
of or relating to the science of mental life
(psychology) a mental condition in which the qualities of a state are relatively constant even though the state itself may be dynamic
with regard to psychology
in terms of psychology
(psychology) a mental condition in which the qualities of a state are relatively constant even though the state itself may be dynamic
a specialist in the science of mental life
the science of mental life
the academic department responsible for teaching and research in psychology
any branch of psychology concerned with psychological measurements
any branch of psychology concerned with psychological measurements
any branch of psychology concerned with psychological measurements
the branch of psychology that uses experimental methods to study psychological issues
the branch of psychology concerned with abnormal behavior
the branch of psychology concerned with quantitative relations between physical stimuli and their psychological effects
the branch of psychology that is concerned with the physiological bases of psychological processes
(psychology) an erroneous belief that is held in the face of evidence to the contrary
being temporarily ready to respond in a particular way
a form of practice
(psychology) a stimulus that strengthens or weakens the behavior that produced it
(psychology) a stimulus that strengthens or weakens the behavior that produced it
(psychology) the process of becoming highly sensitive to specific events or situations (especially emotional events or situations)
the process of becoming highly responsive to situations
being temporarily ready to respond in a particular way
English scientist (cousin of Charles Darwin) who explored many fields including heredity, meteorology, statistics, psychology, and anthropology; founder of eugenics and first to use fingerprints for identification (1822-1911)
of or relating to B. F. Skinner or his behaviorist psychology
the branch of psychology that studies persons and their relationships with others and with groups and with society as a whole
(psychology) transfer of a response learned to one stimulus to a similar stimulus
(psychology) transfer of a response learned to one stimulus to a similar stimulus
(psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress
a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense
a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense
(psychology) the configuration of smaller units of information into large coordinated units
(psychology) the configuration of smaller units of information into large coordinated units
an automatic pattern of behavior in reaction to a situation
United States psychologist considered the founder of behavioristic psychology (1878-1958)
a major division of the vertebrate brain
a basal part of the diencephalon governing autonomic nervous system
anterior part of the brain consisting of two hemispheres
the master gland of the endocrine system
an artery that supplies the cerebellum
any of three arteries in the brain that make up the circle of Willis
any of several masses of subcortical grey matter at the base of each cerebral hemisphere that seem to be involved in the regulation of voluntary movement
the posterior division of the forebrain
a nerve cell in the brain
the part of the brain continuous with the spinal cord and comprising the medulla oblongata and pons and midbrain and parts of the hypothalamus
the part of the brain continuous with the spinal cord and comprising the medulla oblongata and pons and midbrain and parts of the hypothalamus
the part of the brain continuous with the spinal cord and comprising the medulla oblongata and pons and midbrain and parts of the hypothalamus
an artery that supplies the cerebellum
either of two lateral lobes of the cerebellum
a bundle of myelinated neurons joining different parts of the brain
clear liquid produced in the ventricles of the brain
a ring of arteries at the base of the brain
any of three arteries in the brain that make up the circle of Willis
the anterior portion of the brain
the posterior portion of the brain including cerebellum and brainstem
the master gland of the endocrine system
an essential auditory center in the midbrain
any of various funnel-shaped parts of the body
the posterior division of the forebrain
a layer of deeply pigmented grey matter in the midbrain
one of two small round structures on the undersurface of the brain that form the terminals of the anterior arches of the fornix
one of two small round structures on the undersurface of the brain that form the terminals of the anterior arches of the fornix
lower or hindmost part of the brain
the middle portion of the brain
the middle portion of the brain
the posterior part of the hindbrain in developing vertebrates; forms the medulla oblongata in adults
the part of the brain having the most recent phylogenetic origin; the cerebral cortex and related parts
the part of the brain having the most recent phylogenetic origin; the cerebral cortex and related parts
the cranial nerve that serves the retina
a layer of deeply pigmented grey matter in the midbrain
the cranial nerve that serves the retina
the cranial nerve that serves the retina
the anterior lobe of the cerebellum which was one of the earliest parts of the hindbrain to develop in mammals
a sensory structure capable of light reception located on the dorsal side of the diencephalon in various reptiles
the master gland of the endocrine system
a band of nerve fibers linking the medulla oblongata and the cerebellum with the midbrain
a band of nerve fibers linking the medulla oblongata and the cerebellum with the midbrain
the anterior portion of the brain
the network in the reticular formation that serves an alerting or arousal function
the center in the medulla oblongata and pons that integrates sensory information about the level of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood and determines the signals to be sent to the respiratory muscles
the network in the reticular formation that serves an alerting or arousal function
a complex neural network in the central core of the brainstem; monitors the state of the body and functions in such processes as arousal and sleep and attention and muscle tone
a complex neural network in the central core of the brainstem; monitors the state of the body and functions in such processes as arousal and sleep and attention and muscle tone
the posterior portion of the brain including cerebellum and brainstem
the cranial nerve that serves the retina
clear liquid produced in the ventricles of the brain
a layer of deeply pigmented grey matter in the midbrain
an essential visual center between the retina and the striate cortex
the anterior division of the forebrain
large egg-shaped structures of grey matter that form the dorsal subdivision of the diencephalon
a sensory structure capable of light reception located on the dorsal side of the diencephalon in various reptiles
the posterior division of the forebrain
the narrow central part of the cerebellum between the two hemispheres
the narrow central part of the cerebellum between the two hemispheres
that part of the unconscious mind that acts as a conscience
the characteristics by which a thing or person is known
the quality of being a single thing or person
the act of designating something
being a person
(psychoanalysis) a personality characterized by meticulous neatness and suspicion and reserve; said to be formed in early childhood by fixation during the anal stage of development (usually as a consequence of toilet training)
(psychoanalysis) a personality characterized by meticulous neatness and suspicion and reserve; said to be formed in early childhood by fixation during the anal stage of development (usually as a consequence of toilet training)
your identity as it is experienced with regard to your individuality as male or female, both male and female, or neither; awareness normally begin in infancy and is reinforced during adolescence
(psychoanalysis) the mature personality which is not dominated by infantile pleasure drives
personality marked by self-love and self-absorption
personality characterized by a strong need to repeat certain acts or rituals
(psychoanalysis) a personality characterized either by generous optimism or aggressive and ambitious selfishness; formed in early childhood by fixation during the oral stage of development
the complex of attributes that make a person socially attractive
the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity
united in a league
your usual mood
properties that distinguish organisms on the basis of sex
a sunken or lowered geological formation
mental or emotional as opposed to physical in nature
confusion characterized by lack of clarity
a psychological state induced by a magical incantation
the beatitude that transcends the cycle of reincarnation
a feeling of great elation
an irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action
abnormal depression and discontent
an anxiety disorder characterized by irrational fear
a vague unpleasant emotion in anticipation of a misfortune
state of violent mental agitation
the experience of thinking a new situation already occurred
inability to use language because of a brain lesion
partial or total loss of memory
confusion characterized by lack of clarity
a psychological state induced by a magical incantation
the beatitude that transcends the cycle of reincarnation
a feeling of great elation
an irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action
abnormal depression and discontent
an anxiety disorder characterized by irrational fear
a vague unpleasant emotion in anticipation of a misfortune
state of violent mental agitation
the experience of thinking a new situation already occurred
inability to use language because of a brain lesion
partial or total loss of memory
an approach to psychology that emphasizes observable measurable behavior
lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
an emotion in anticipation of some specific pain or danger
the state of being very annoyed
the state of experiencing sorrow
the emotion of great happiness
special emphasis attached to something
a particular course of action intended to achieve a result
the science of mental life
a person who tends to shrink from social contacts
a commonsense rule to help solve some problem
the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others
the cell from the union of a haploid spermatozoon and ovum
proceeding creating a parent-child relation between persons
like or characteristic of or befitting a brother
relating to the study of diseases
the branch of medical science that studies diseases
your usual mood
the transmission of genetic factors to the next generation
having a relation between two opposite attributes
a distinguishing feature of your personal nature
a particle that is electrically charged positive or negative
preventing especially liquids to pass or diffuse through
metabolic equilibrium maintained by biological mechanisms
with deliberate intention
characteristic of the body as opposed to the mind or spirit
any localized abnormal structural change in a bodily part
of or relating to the parasympathetic nervous system
of or relating to the sense of smell
inability to use language because of a brain lesion
of or relating to the sense of taste
inability to recognize objects by use of the senses
the process whereby a transducer accepts energy in one form and gives back related energy in a different form
the ability to sense the position and location and orientation and movement of the body and its parts
the faculty of distinguishing sweet, sour, bitter, and salty properties in the mouth
of or relating to the cochlea of the ear
of or relating to the sense of taste
relating to the sense of equilibrium
of or relating to or produced by the effects of light on chemical systems
having influence or producing an effect
experienced at secondhand
any information or event that acts to arouse action
excessively unwilling to spend
an incident in which an infectious disease is transmitted
relating to or involving the search for abstract universal principles
relating to or involving the study of individuals
extreme stinginess
a word that expresses the same or similar meaning
having both male and female characteristics
associated with men and not with women
associated with women and not with men
an irresistible sexual attraction to dead bodies
emphasizing the organic relation between parts and the whole
uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow
contemplation of your own thoughts and desires and conduct
based on a decimal unit of measurement
a classification of organisms based on similarities
the philosophical theory of knowledge
the doctrine that knowledge derives from experience
the doctrine that reason is the basis for regulating conduct
the form of empiricism that bases all knowledge on perceptual experience (not on intuition or revelation)
a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words
the study of the rules for forming admissible sentences
relating to or involved in full development
the quality of being widespread
the relative frequency of occurrence of something
showing faulty adaptation
the branch of psychology concerned with abnormal behavior
a monoamine neurotransmitter found in the brain and essential for the normal functioning of the central nervous system; as a drug (trade names Dopastat and Intropin) it is used to treat shock and hypotension
a neurotransmitter involved in e.g. sleep and depression and memory
a catecholamine precursor of epinephrine that is secreted by the adrenal medulla and also released at synapses
bringing on suddenly or abruptly
bring about abruptly
made susceptible
cause to continue or prevail
of or relating to prediction
constitutional predisposition to a particular disease or abnormality
not capable of being changed or altered
the quality of being kind or helpful or generous
doing or causing evil
discretion in keeping secret information
providing protective supervision
showing faulty adaptation
of or relating to prediction
the beginning or early stages
a connected series of events or actions or developments
the study of poetic meter and the art of versification
a distinct speech sound in a particular language
conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
deserving of scorn or disrespect