ideal observer

a hypothetical person whose sensory and perceptual systems operate without error or bias. The concept of the ideal observer is used most commonly in the context of psychophysical testing, particularly signal detection theory. Performance of the ideal observer can be simulated and compared with actual human performance.

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Psychology term of the day

January 30th 2025

febrile seizure

a seizure arising from a high fever. It is the most common type of seizure in childhood and 20 to 30% of them recur. Febrile seizure is a benign condition for most children, but experiments with nonhuman animals and neuroimaging studies in humans suggest some febrile seizures may damage the hippocampus.