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control

n.

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.

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Psychology term of the day

March 16th 2025

imipramine

imipramine

n. a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) with a tertiary amine molecular structure. It was originally synthesized in the hope of creating an effective antipsychotic but was observed to be ineffective in reducing psychotic symptoms. It did, however, seem to help individuals with severe depression and was subsequently marketed as an antidepressant. It is considered the prototype TCA, and like all tricyclic agents, its use as an antidepressant has been largely supplanted by less toxic drugs. It retains a therapeutic role as a sedative and adjunct in the management of neuromuscular or musculoskeletal pain. U.S. trade name: Tofranil.