Final answer:
The condition involving excessive, attention-seeking emotional reactions without a clear medical cause is known as hysteria, not hypochondriasis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The mental health condition that involves excessive and dramatic emotional reactions, often seeking attention and sympathy for various physical complaints without an apparent medical cause, is known as B) hysteria. This term was historically used to describe a range of physical symptoms in the absence of detectable medical conditions, predominantly in women. However, the term is outdated and not commonly used in modern medicine.
In contrast, hypochondriasis, also known as illness anxiety disorder, is a condition where an individual is excessively worried about having a serious illness despite having little to no symptoms or minor symptoms being interpreted as severe. With hysteria, the emphasis is on dramatic emotional reactions and attention-seeking behaviors rather than a focused concern on health.