BRAIN GROWTH
n. the phenomenon of increased size, mass, and complexity observed in the brain. As an individual matures, the brain develops…
BRAIN WEIGHT
n. the specific weight of the human brain, which is estimated at around 1,400-1,450 grams in a young and healthy…
BREADTH-FIRST SEARCH
n. a first-in, first-out strategy used in graph search wherein two states are examined recursively. After visiting the present state…
BRIEF PSYCHIATRIC RATING SCALE (BPRS)
n. a widely-used rating scale for psychotic, schizophrenic, and other psychiatric conditions. Scoring 24 factors in all, each symptom is…
BRITISH PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY (BPS)
n. a professional organization which represents the entire body of psychologists and psychology practitioners in the United Kingdom. Founded in…
BROOKLANDS EXPERIMENT
n. an experiment involving children having severe mental retardation, in which improvements were observed to be greater among those moved…
BUCCAL SPEECH
n. a type of phonation produced by shaping the buccal (oral) cavity into an air pocket rather generating sound through…
BULIMIA (BOULIMIA)
n. an eating disorder described as an excessive, insatiable consumption of food. Found to occur among younger women of normal…
BENEFFECTANCE
The combination of benevolence and effectiveness. Self-deception enhances their actions so they appear to morally good. See positive illusion.
B WAVE OF ELECTRORETINOGRAM
refers to a large, positive electrical wave pattern that is recorded by the eye when the retina is stimulated by…
BACKWARD ELIMINATION
refers to a form of stepwise regression in which the least important variables are systematically removed from the prediction equation.…
BALANCE THEORY
refers to the theory that people tend to prefer elements held in thoughts to be congruent with their behaviors (i.e.,…
BALTIMORE LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF AGING (BLSA)
refers to the intramural scientific study of aging conducted by the National Institute on Aging. It is estimated that over…
BARESTHESIA
n. in relation to sensitivity, the ability to sense weight or pressure. Greek in origin, it is derived from baros…
BARTLETT'S TEST
n. in statistics, a test for the equality of variance. Based on independent normal samples from populations, the null hypothesis…
BASE-RATE FALLACY
n. an error in prediction and decision-making which occurs when base rate is ignored as a prior probability. As such,…
BASIC SKILLS
n. a back-to-the-basics approach to education wherein emphasis is given to reading, writing, and arithmetic. Proficiency in these skills leads…
BATTERED-CHILD SYNDROME
n. a combination of physical injuries and post traumatic conditions in a child as a result of repeated, intentional physical…
BEATING FANTASY
n. fantasy of a male or female child in which he or she is being beaten by a parent, either…