cardinal

adj. describing a number that indicates a count of a set of items, such as two dogs or three circles, but does not indicate order within the set. A child’s understanding of the concept of cardinal numbers is an area of study in developmental psychology. Compare nominal; ordinal.

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Psychology term of the day

November 17th 2024

cognitive conditioning

a process in which a stimulus is repeatedly paired with an imagined or anticipated response or behavior. Cognitive conditioning has been used as a therapeutic technique, in which case the stimulus is typically aversive. For example, the client imagines that he or she is smoking a cigarette and gives himself or herself a pinch; the procedure is repeated until the thought produces the effect of discouraging the behavior. See also cognitive rehearsal.