Perseveration This term refers to the uncontrollable repetition of a particular response, such as a word, phrase, or gesture, despite the absence or cessation of the original stimulus. Persistence at tasks or in a way of doing things long after the behavior has ceased to be functional or effective. Continuation of the same behavior despite repeated failures or obvious reasons for stopping. Usually, it is seen in organic disorders of the brain, head injury, delirium, or dementia, however, can be seen in schizophrenia as well.   Copyright Notice Adapted from Wikipedia. Text is available under the  Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0 ; additional terms may apply.