PURPOSIVISM
An explanation of actions or behaviors based on goals and purposes. of those being observed.
REACTIVE AGGRESSION
A physical act committed with little consideration of the consequences. Generally the act is associated with intent to harm and…
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
A technique for correlating the computation of the most likely value of one variable from the known value of another.…
REPRESENTATIVENESS HEURISTIC
Psychological term in which people judge the probability of a hypothesis by ascertaining how well the hypothesis mimics available data.…
RETROSPECTIVE FALSIFICATION
Deliberately or unconsciously making changes to a story each time it is repeated to exaggerate good points or increase interest…
SECONDARY GAINS
In psychoanalysis, social, occupational, or interpersonal advantages that a patient derives from symptoms. Indirect benefit, usually obtained through an illness…
PRIMARY REINFORCEMENT
Also referred to as unconditioned reinforcement, primary reinforcement is the process by which presentation of a stimulus following a response…
PSYCHOCHEMISTRY
The science that examines the relationship between chemicals, behavior and psychological processes. It is the study of chemical influence on…
PSYCHOPHARMACOTHERAPY
The study and use of pharmacological agents in mental disorders. For example, depression is treated with the administration of anti-depressants.…
PYGMALION EFFECT
An effect caused by the expectations of a superior regarding the performance of their subordinates. It has been called a…
REACTIVE MEASURE
Any measure with the action of altering a response under examination. For instance, if a subject is aware of clinical…
REGRESSION EFFECT
Proclivity of a subject who scores either very high or very low on a test to perform more toward the…
REPRESSION
Psychological act of excluding impulses or desires from consciousness. Exclusion of a specific event from the memory and having no…
REVERSE CAUSALITY
In determining the elements of causal relationships, frequent mistake of confusing the cause with the effect, or the converse.
SALIENCE HYPOTHESIS
The standard principle of perceptual experience dependent upon which particularly salient stimuli (items, individuals, meanings, and so forth) should be…
SECONDARY MOTIVATION
Catalyst constituted by personal or social enticements instead of dominant physiological requirements.
PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS
Statistically, a technique that completely reproduces an interrelationship amongst many correlated variables with a smaller number of "principle components" that…