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actuarial risk assessment

a statistically calculated prediction of the likelihood that an individual will pose a threat to others or engage in a certain behavior (e.g., violence) within a given period. Unlike in a clinical risk assessment, someone conducting an actuarial risk assessment relies on data from specific, measurable variables (e.g., age, gender, prior criminal activity) that have been validated as predictors and uses mathematical analyses and formulas to calculate the probability of dangerousness or violent behavior.

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Psychology term of the day

May 9th 2024

contraception

contraception

n. any method intended to prevent conception, that is, the natural fertilization of the female ovum by the male spermatozoa. See birth control. —contraceptive n., adj.