conversion

conversion /con·ver·sion/ (kon-ver´zhun) an unconscious defense mechanism by which the anxiety that stems from intrapsychic conflict is converted and expressed in somatic symptoms.

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con·ver·sion (kn-vûrzhn, -shn)

n.

1. The acquisition by bacteria of a new property associated with presence of a prophage.

2. A defense mechanism in which repressed ideas, conflicts, or impulses are manifested by various bodily symptoms, such as paralysis or breathing difficulties, that have no physical cause.

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con·versive (-sv) adj.

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conversion

1. the act of changing into something of different form or properties.

2. manipulative correction of malposition of a fetal part during labor.

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conversion formulae

formulae for conversion of one numerical mode of expression into a different mode, e.g. avoirdupois to metric weight.

conversion ratio

a measure of activity of the thyroid gland; it expresses the proportion of the total radioactivity of the plasma, subsequent to the injection of radioactive iodine, which is bound to protein (protein-bound iodine test).

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conversion Psychiatry An unconscious defense mechanism by which anxiety caused by intrapsychic conflict is converted and expressed in a somatically symbolic fashion Clinical Paralysis, pain, sensory loss