D

n23

DECLARATIVE

The sentence or clause that makes a statement and not a question. See indicative.

DEDIFFERENTIATION

A loss of specialisation and functional abilities.

DEFECT ORIENTATION

A service planning process that focuses on a person's limitations, deficits and disabilities. See defect theory. Compare development orientation.

DEFERRED IMITATION

Imitating an act some time after it happened. Proposed by Jean Piaget and first seen at around 18 months old.

DEGREES OF FREEDOM

1. Number of elements free to vary in a statistical calculation. See chi-square distribution. 2. Motor control. The joints and

DEJA VECU

Feeling of having lived previously. See false memory.

DELAYED SPEECH

Speech that fails to develop at the expected age and pace.

DELTA RULE

The change in strength of an association is relative to the maximum strength and the current strength.

DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS

Anything that can influence or bias a person's behaviour. See experimenter effect- sensory leakage.

DEMOGRAPHY

The study of the statistics of population. See biostatistics- social statistics.

DENDRODENDRITIC SYNAPSE

The synapse between the dendrites of 2 neurons.

DENYING THE CONSEQUENT

Logic. If a conditional statement is accepted as true then the negative can be inferred as well. Also called modus

DEPERSONIFICATION

Treating a person as something they are not.

DEPRIVATION DWARFISM

A stunting of physical growth in infancy due to non-organic factors. See failure to thrive.

DERANGEMENT

A disturbance in mental functioning.

DES 1

The abbreviation for dysexecutive syndrome or diethylstilbestrol.

DESIGN FOR ADJUSTABLE RANGE

Designing equipment for peopel to use that can be adjusted for different people. Compare design for the average- universal design.

DESURGENCY

A trait of personality featuring brooding, seclusion and anxiety.

DETERMINING TENDENCY

A goal direction that maintains a sequence of behaviours. Also called determing set.

DEVELOPMENT CYCLE

Ergonomics. Process of developing a process.