diffusion

1. the process by which knowledge, innovation, language, or cultural characteristics are spread within or between cultures or communities.

2. in biology, see passive transport.

3. more generally, any process by which something becomes spread or distributed throughout something else. —diffuse vb.

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

January 18th 2025

consistent missing

in parapsychology experiments using Zener cards or similar targets, the phenomenon in which a participant’s “calls,” or guesses, are consistently wrong or significantly below chance expectations. Some people attribute such systematic failure to processing error or a conscious or nonconscious reluctance to confirm psychic ability. See also psi-missing.