echopraxia
/ˌɛkəʊˈpraksɪə
/noun [mass noun] Psychiatry
Meaningless repetition or imitation of the movements of others as a symptom of psychiatric disorder.Stupor or catalepsy, mutism, posturing/grimacing/stereotypy, echolalia or echopraxia and excessive motor activity were the main catatonic features....
- The conditions under which echopraxia can be observed are similar.
- The imitative behavior of echolalia and echopraxia can be understood as an attempt to introject the object.
Origin
Early 20th century: modern Latin, from Greek ēkhō 'echo' + praxis 'action'.