avoidance gradient

the variation in the strength of a drive as a function of the organism’s proximity to an aversive stimulus. For example, a rat’s withdrawal behavior increases in intensity as it nears a feared stimulus (e.g., an electric shock). The avoidance gradient appears steeper than the approach gradient. [originally proposed by Neal E. Miller]

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Psychology term of the day

January 2nd 2025

therapeutic index

any of several indices relating the clinical effectiveness of a drug to its safety factor, the most common being the therapeutic ratio. Other therapeutic indices include the ratio of the minimum toxic dose to the minimum effective dose and the difference between the minimum effective dose and the minimum toxic dose.