biochemical marker

a variation in the chemical activity of an organism that accompanies a disorder, irrespective of whether it directly causes the disorder; an example is demonstrated in the dexamethasone suppression test. See also biological marker; clinical marker.

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Psychology term of the day

December 26th 2024

false self

false self

in the object relations theory of British psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott (1896–1971), the self that develops as a defense against impingements and in adaptation to the environment. This contrasts with the true self, which develops in an environment that adapts to the infant and allows him or her to discover and express true impulses.