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collective conscience

the shared values, norms, sentiments, and beliefs that form the basis of moral thinking and action in a cohesive society. Also called common conscience. [introduced by Émile Durkheim]

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Psychology term of the day

March 17th 2025

family study

family study

research conducted among siblings, parents, or children to assess evidence for genetic links for characteristics or outcomes, often related to health or disease. For example, a family study might be conducted to assess whether individuals from the same family who share a similar genetic structure also have similar responses to a health-promotion intervention such as diet, exercise, or medication. The extent to which performance on a given measure varies as a function of genetic similarity is used as an indication of the heritability of that measure.