feedback system

a circuit in which output information (e.g., biological, mechanical) is used to modulate the input to the same circuit. In a negative feedback system, the output is used to reduce the input; such systems play important roles in maintaining equilibrium of processes within organisms. See homeostasis; positive feedback.

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Psychology term of the day

March 14th 2025

bidirectionality of structure and function

the reciprocal interaction during development of some physical characteristic of an organism (e.g., brain cells) and the function emanating from that structure (e.g., the electrical firing of those cells). Such bidirectionality implies that development is not governed simply by a reading-out of the genetic code but is a dynamic process involving interaction at all levels of organization, from the genetic through the cultural.