deviation

n. a significant departure or difference. This conceptually broad term has a variety of applications in psychology and related fields but most commonly refers to behavior that is significantly different from the accepted standard or norm, or to the arithmetical difference between one of a set of values and some fixed amount, generally the mean of the set or the value predicted by a model. See standard deviation.

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Psychology term of the day

January 3rd 2025

unipolar disorder

persistent or pervasive depression that does not involve a manic episode, a hypomanic episode, or a mixed episode. As such, it contrasts with bipolar disorder. The term is sometimes used synonymously with major depressive disorder. Also called unipolar depression.