dominance hierarchy

1. a system of stable linear variations in prestige, status, and authority among group members. It is the pecking order of the group, which describes who is influential and who submits to that influence. See also status relations.

2. any ordering of motives, needs, or other psychological or physical responses based on priority or importance. An example is Maslow’s motivational hierarchy.

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Psychology term of the day

December 19th 2024

Monte Carlo research

a simulation technique in which a large number of samples with specific selected properties (e.g., normality, size, model type) are generated by computer in order to assess the behavior of a statistical procedure or parameter under varying conditions. For example, an investigator might conduct Monte Carlo research with a large number of normally distributed samples of various sizes (e.g., N = 50, 100, 200, 400, 800) in which a structural model is applied to characterize the data. Results would help the researcher determine the conditions under which the model behaves correctly (i.e., fits the data) as well as shows its limits (e.g., not fitting well with sample sizes less than 200). Also called Monte Carlo method.