In psychology, what is dissociation?

• A. A disruption in the normally integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity, or perception; seen in dissociative disorders.
• B. A mood symptom characterized by excessive happiness
• C. A normal reaction to stress
• D. A type of anxiety disorder

Answer: (D)

Dissociation is a disruption in the normally integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity, or perception. It often appears in dissociative disorders, where a person’s sense of self or memories can become fragmented—examples include gaps in memory for events (dissociative amnesia), feeling detached from oneself (depersonalization), the world seeming unreal (derealization), or adopting different identities (dissociative identity disorder). This is not just a mood symptom like excessive happiness, nor is it a typical normal reaction to stress, and it isn’t an anxiety disorder. It specifically reflects a breakdown in the integration of experience across mental processes.