Find over 25,000 psychological definitions


handedness

n. the consistent use of one hand rather than the other in performing certain tasks. The preference usually is related to a dominance effect of the motor cortex on the opposite side of the body. Also called hand dominance; manual dominance. See cerebral dominance; laterality; left-handedness; right-handedness.

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

November 16th 2024

tropism

tropism

n. a form of orientation observed in both plants and nonhuman animals toward or away from a stimulus, such as sunlight or gravity. The flower of a plant may turn gradually to face the sun as it moves across the sky (heliotropism), while its roots follow magnetic lines of force and the pull of gravity. Tropism contrasts with taxis, which is a directed movement toward or away from a stimulus. Compare kinesis. —tropic adj.