latah

noun

1. a pattern of neurotic behavior, usually induced by a startle, first discovered in Malaya, and characterized by the compulsive imitation of the actions and words of others.

noun

1. a psychological condition, observed esp in Malaysian cultures, in which an individual, after experiencing a shock, becomes anxious and suggestible, often imitating the actions of another person

n.

1. A nervous disorder characterized by an exaggerated physical response to being startled or to unexpected suggestion.