deviance

1. any behavior that differs significantly from what is considered appropriate or typical for a social group. Also called deviancy.

2. in statistics, a measure of the goodness of fit between a smaller hierarchical model and a fuller model that has all of the same parameters plus more. If the deviance reveals a significant difference, then the larger model is needed. If the deviance is not significant, then the smaller, more parsimonious model is retained as more appropriate.

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Psychology term of the day

January 28th 2025

Da Costa’s syndrome

an anxiety state identified in soldiers during the American Civil War (1861–1865) in which heart palpitations were the most prominent symptom. It is now recognized as a form of panic disorder observed in soldiers during the stress of combat and marked by fatigue, heart palpitations, chest pain, and breathing difficulty. See also combat stress reaction; effort syndrome. [Jacob Méndes Da Costa (1833–1900), U.S. surgeon]