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biochemical defect

any of numerous chemical imbalances or aberrations in the brain that may be associated with neurological or psychiatric disorder. Such disorders may be related to the production of specific neurotransmitters or the availability of other biochemical substances necessary for brain function.

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Psychology term of the day

January 13th 2025

discontinuity hypothesis

discontinuity hypothesis

in Gestalt psychology, the viewpoint that emphasizes the role of sudden insight and perceptual reorganization in successful discrimination learning and problem solving. According to this view, a correct answer is only recognized when its relation to the issue as a whole is discovered. Also called discontinuity theory. Compare continuity hypothesis. See also aha experience; all-or-none learning; eureka task.