control

1. authority, power, or influence over events, behaviors, situations, or people. Researchers have hypothesized a need for control, and they also distinguish between primary control and secondary control.

2. the regulation of all extraneous conditions and variables in an experiment so that any change in the dependent variable can be attributed solely to manipulation of the independent variable and not to any other factors.

3. see statistical control.

Browse dictionary by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Psychology term of the day

March 17th 2025

feeding behavior

the behavior involved in taking nourishment. In humans, the development of feeding behavior includes (a) stimulation and coordination of the sucking and swallowing reflexes in early infancy, (b) adaptation to breast or bottle and to scheduled or self-demand feeding, (c) biting at about the 4th month, (d) anticipatory chewing movements, (e) actual chewing when the teeth are developed, and (f) transferring from finger feeding to the use of various utensils.