dispersal

n. the departure of nonhuman animals from their natal group to join a different group or find mates elsewhere. Dispersal is thought to be important in reducing inbreeding and avoiding competition with older individuals of the same sex. Species vary in terms of whether dispersal is male biased or female biased or whether both sexes disperse. It is a costly behavior, because the dispersing individual is more subject to predation as well as to aggression from other members of the same species. See also philopatry.

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Psychology term of the day

May 8th 2024

distractibility

n. difficulty in maintaining attention or a tendency to be easily diverted from the matter at hand. Excessive distractibility is frequently found in children with learning disorders or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and in people experiencing manic or hypomanic episodes.