nondissociative

Nondissociative is an adjective used to describe processes or substances that do not undergo dissociation. The term is used in several fields, most often chemistry, but it also appears in psychology and medicine to contrast with dissociative phenomena.

In chemistry, nondissociative substances are those that do not separate into ions when dissolved; they are typically called non-electrolytes. Examples include glucose, sucrose, ethanol, and urea. Their solutions do not conduct electricity because there are no free ions. This behavior is contrasted with electrolytes, which dissociate into ions in solution and enable electrical conduction. The nondissociative property is important for understanding solubility, osmotic behavior, and molecular interactions in biochemistry and pharmacology.

In psychology and psychiatry, nondissociative is used to describe symptoms or experiences that do not involve dissociation of memory, identity, or consciousness. This usage is less standardized than the core concept of dissociative disorders, and it is typically employed to distinguish non-dissociative symptom clusters from dissociative ones in trauma-related research or clinical assessment. For instance, anxiety or mood symptoms may be described as nondissociative when dissociative features are not present.

The term is formed as the negation of dissociative and derives from Latin dissociatio. See also: dissociation, non-electrolyte.