effector

1. an organ, such as a muscle or a gland, that responds to neural stimulation by producing a particular physical response or initiating a specific physiological event.

2. a motor nerve ending that triggers activity in tissue cells, such as causing a muscle to contract or a gland to secrete.

3. in motor control, the part of the body that interacts with the environment during an action (e.g., the hand during a reaching movement).

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Psychology term of the day

November 18th 2024

contrast effect

1. the perception of an intensified or heightened difference between two stimuli or sensations when they are juxtaposed or when one immediately follows the other. Examples include the effect produced when a trombone follows a violin or when bright yellow and red are viewed simultaneously.

2. in psychology experiments, an effect in which participants’ judgments shift away from an anchor after it is introduced. Compare assimilation effect.