compulsion [L, compellere, to urge] , an irresistible, repetitive irrational impulse to perform an act that is usually contrary to one’s ordinary judgments or standards, yet results in overt anxiety if it is not completed. The compulsion also acts to decrease anxiety. The impulse is usually the result of an obsession. Compulsions are characteristic of an obsessive-compulsive disorder. Compare phobia. See also compulsive ritual, obsession, obsessive-compulsive disorder.
