Last Updated：2025/12/05
(clinical psychology, psychiatry) Dated form of selective mutism (“A severe anxiety disorder characterized by a total inability to speak in some social settings”). In the past, some clinicians erroneously believed that individuals with elective mutism chose to remain silent in some social situations as an act of defiance. Contrary to what was once believed, the inability to speak (mutism) is involuntary, thus the potentially misleading term elective mutism has largely been supplanted by selective mutism.
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elective mutism
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Source Word
elective mutism
Noun
dated
form-of
uncountable
(clinical
psychology,
psychiatry)
Dated
form
of
selective
mutism
(“A
severe
anxiety
disorder
characterized
by
a
total
inability
to
speak
in
some
social
settings”).
In
the
past,
some
clinicians
erroneously
believed
that
individuals
with
elective
mutism
chose
to
remain
silent
in
some
social
situations
as
an
act
of
defiance.
Contrary
to
what
was
once
believed,
the
inability
to
speak
(mutism)
is
involuntary,
thus
the
potentially
misleading
term
elective
mutism
has
largely
been
supplanted
by
selective
mutism.
Japanese Meaning
臨床心理学および精神医学の文脈で、かつて用いられた用語であり、選択性緘黙（selective mutism）の旧用語として、社交的な場面で全く話せなくなる重度の不安障害を指す。ただし、かつて一部の医師によって、故意に沈黙を選んでいると誤解されていたが、実際には無意識かつ不随意な症状である点が強調される
Sense（1）
(clinical
psychology,
psychiatry)
Dated
form
of
selective
mutism
(“A
severe
anxiety
disorder
characterized
by
a
total
inability
to
speak
in
some
social
settings”).
In
the
past,
some
clinicians
erroneously
believed
that
individuals
with
elective
mutism
chose
to
remain
silent
in
some
social
situations
as
an
act
of
defiance.
Contrary
to
what
was
once
believed,
the
inability
to
speak
(mutism)
is
involuntary,
thus
the
potentially
misleading
term
elective
mutism
has
largely
been
supplanted
by
selective
mutism.
