Skip to main content

Irritability

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
  • 11 Accesses

Definition

Irritability is a term generally used to explain an emotional state and is characterized by an excessive response to stimuli. The term is used in many circumstances ranging from a child or parent dealing with an uncomfortable environment to very serious issues such as autism and other psychological disorders, acute or chronic infection, chronic disease, brain injury, and so on. Irritability may be demonstrated in behavioral responses to physiological and behavioral stimuli such as environmental or emotional stimuli. Irritability is not a symptom of any specific illness; however, it may be used as an early sign of serious problems.

Cross-References

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   899.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD   1,099.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References and Readings

  • Ding, C. (2005). Applications of multidimensional scaling profile analysis in developmental research: An example using adolescent irritability patterns. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 29(3), 185–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Faraday, M., Scheufele, P., Ley, K., & Grunberg, N. (2005). A shortened psychophysical task to quantify irritability: The reactive irritability scale II (RIS-II). Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 28(1), 3–20.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Farchione, T., Birmaher, B., Axelson, D., Kalas, C., Monk, K., Ehmann, M., et al. (2007). Aggression, hostility, and irritability in children at risk for bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disorders, 9(5), 496–503.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Godlaski, A., & Giancola, P. (2009). Executive functioning, irritability, and alcohol-related aggression. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 23(3), 391–403.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Paxinos, G. (1975). The septum: Neural systems involved in eating, drinking, irritability, muricide, copulation, and activity in rats. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 89(10), 1154–1168.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephanie A. Kolakowsky-Hayner .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Kolakowsky-Hayner, S.A. (2018). Irritability. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_2093

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics