interdependence theory

an approach to analyzing social interactions and relationships that focuses on how each person’s outcomes depend on the actions of others. More specifically, interdependence theory identifies the most important characteristics of social situations and describes their implications for understanding how individuals make choices and take action. A central element of the theory is the proposition that people have standards against which they compare their current outcomes. When people’s actual experiences are inconsistent with their standards, they may act to alter the situation. See outcome interdependence. [introduced in 1959 by John W. Thibaut and Harold H. Kelley]

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Psychology term of the day

May 9th 2024

best fit

the theoretical pattern that best accounts for the relationships among variables in a data set. For example, a regression equation having the best fit to sample data is the one that minimizes differences between observed and predicted values. On a scatterplot, a line of best fit provides a visual depiction of this pattern, allowing extrapolation to values not part of the original data set. It is important to note that the best-fitting pattern is not necessarily the one that generated the observed data, as other patterns not considered may provide a superior fit.