WUNDT, WILHELM MAX, (1832— 1920)
Wundt, the founder of experimental psychology, was bom near Mannheim, the son of a Lutheran minister. After years of tutoring…
WERNICKE’S SYNDROME
A brain disorder caused by a deficiency of vitamins, particularly thiamine and niacin; first described in 1881 by the German…
WERTHEIMER, MAX (1880-1943)
Wertheimer, originator of the Gestalt theory, was born in Prague, studied law at the universitythen became interested in psychology and…
WHITE, WILLIAM ALANSON (1870- 1937)
White, a leading figure in the development of American psychiatry, was bom in New York City and received his medical…
WITHDRAWAL
A defensive reaction consisting of retreat from threatening situations and, in its pathological form, retreat from reality as a whole.There…
WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS
Mental and physical symptoms experienced when drugs are unavailable to individuals who have become addicted or habituated to them.These symptoms…
WALDEN TWO
the title of a 1948 novel by B. F. Skinner which depicts an experimental community based upon psychological standards. The…
WARNING COLORATION
the vibrant colors or trends implying that a living being is threatening or unpalatable. Predators can learn rapidly from a…
WAYS OF COPING QUESTIONNAIRE (WAYS)
a 66-object survey delivered to determine thoughts and actions which adults utilize to deal with distressful experiences in day to…
WECHSLER, DAVID
A German-American psychologist. Wechsler received his doctorate at Columbia University. During World War I, he worked under Edwin G. Boring,…
WELL-BEING
noun. a state of happiness, being pleased and content, low degrees of anguish, generally positive physical and cognitive health and…
WESTERN APHASIA BATTERY (WAB)
a test battery which assesses a multitude of features of language-spontaneous speech, understanding, repetition, terming, and so forth, is utilized…
WHITE, ROBERT W
American psychologist. White received his doctorate in psychology at Harvard University, working alongside Henry A. Murray, a renowned character researcher.…
WIDOW-TO-WIDOW PROGRAM
a peer support program centered on mourning, death, and grief, thought to be the first of its type and acting…
WIND TUNNEL
a structure modeled as a corridor that air can be blown through at managed velocities and patterns of turbulence. Wind…
WITZELSUCHT
noun. a form of joking mania, marked by a morbid drive to tell bad jokes and stories lacking meaning, which…
WORD OF MOUTH
the unofficial channel of correspondence wherein facts, rumors, opinions, and gossip are conveyed by speaking from one individual to another.
WORK REHABILITATION CENTER
an institution wherein workers who have been hurt recover and ready for going back to work. Rehabilitation efforts are centered…
WORK-SAMPLE TEST
with regard to personnel selection, a task-specific examination which duplicates the daily jobs needed for the task. The applicant might…
WRITING ANGLE
a trait of a person's penmanship depicted by the angle between the horizontal base and an imaginary line linking the…