Category: A

Absolute Value a number considered without regard to its algebraic sign (i.e., whether it is positive or negative). For example, assume that…

Absolute Reality in philosophy, the totality of what really exists, regarded as a unity transcending the world of phenomena experienced and interpreted by humans.…

Absolute Measurement a measurement made directly and independently of comparison with other measurements. An absolute measurement of an individual’s height, for instance,…

Absolute Judgment a psychophysical judgment in which a single stimulus is placed in a particular category (e.g., bright, loud), as opposed to one in…

Ableism n. discrimination against individuals with disabilities or the tendency to be prejudiced against and to stereotype them negatively as, for example, less…

Abnormal Fixation in vision, the inability to focus on a given target of interest. Abnormal fixations may be the result of saccadic…

Aboiement n. the involuntary, uncontrollable production of animalistic sounds. Aboiement (French, “barking”) is a symptom sometimes occurring in schizophrenia and Tourette’s disorder.

Abortion n. the expulsion from the uterus of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. An abortion may be…

Abscess n. a contained but often enlarging area of infection that includes pus and dead tissue. A brain abscess raises intracranial pressure and can cause…

Absence n. a brief loss of consciousness or period of mental inattentiveness, particularly when associated with a seizure (see absence seizure), with no memory for the…