behavior pattern

a complex arrangement of two or more responses that occur in a prescribed order. Behavior patterns are also referred to as chains of behavior, highlighting their nature as a complex linking of simpler segments of behavior. They may be formed via the operant conditioning of various segments presented in the appropriate order. Also called behavioral pattern.

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Psychology term of the day

May 9th 2024

nonadditive

adj. describing values or measurements that cannot be meaningfully summarized through addition because the resulting total does not correctly reflect the underlying properties of and associations between the component values. For example, if two variables a and b interact to influence another variable y, the addition of the separate effects of a and b will not equal the total effect since the contribution of the interaction needs to be included. Compare additive.