#PATHOLOGICAL DEFINITION MANUAL#

This is different from psychopaths, who experience none of those reactions. It has been shown through lie detector tests that pathological liars exhibit arousal, stress, and guilt from their deception. The ICD-10 disorder Haltlose personality disorder is strongly tied to pathological lying.

#PATHOLOGICAL DEFINITION MANUAL#

Pathological lying is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), although only as a symptom of other disorders such as antisocial, narcissistic, and histrionic personality disorders, not as a stand-alone diagnosis. Some psychiatrists distinguish compulsive from pathological lying, while others consider them equivalent yet others deny the existence of compulsive lying altogether this remains an area of considerable controversy. For example, the person might be presented as being fantastically brave, as knowing or being related to many famous people, or as having great power, position, or wealth. The liar 'decorates their own person' by telling stories that present them as the hero or the victim. The stories told tend toward presenting the liar favorably.An internal motive for the behavior cannot be readily discerned clinically: e.g., long-lasting extortion or habitual spousal battery might cause a person to lie repeatedly, without the lying being a pathological symptom.Characteristics ĭefining characteristics of pathological lying include: Definition Ĭurtis and Hart (2020) defined pathological lying as 'a persistent, pervasive, and often compulsive pattern of excessive lying behavior that leads to clinically significant impairment of functioning in social, occupational, or other areas causes marked distress poses a risk to the self or others and occurs for longer than 6 months' (p. 63). Stanley Hall and in 1891 by Anton Delbrück. The phenomenon was first described in medical literature in 1890 by G. While theories have explored potential causes, the precise factors contributing to pathological lying have yet to be determined. Some researchers have suggested a biopsychosocial- developmental model. Various theories have been proposed to explain the causes of pathological lying, including stress, an attempt to shift locus of control to an internal one, and issues related to low self-esteem. However, efforts have been made to establish diagnostic criteria based on research and assessment data, aligning with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The lack of widely agreed-upon description or diagnostic criteria for pathological lying has contributed to controversy surrounding its definition. In psychology and psychiatry, there is ongoing debate regarding whether pathological lying should be classified as a distinct disorder or viewed as a symptom of other underlying conditions.

Individuals who engage in pathological lying often claim to be unaware of the motivations behind their lies. It involves a pervasive pattern of intentionally making false statements with the aim of deceiving others, sometimes without a clear or apparent reason. Pathological lying, also known as mythomania and pseudologia fantastica, is a chronic behavior characterized by the habitual or compulsive tendency to lie.

Pathological definition