lateral inhibition

in perception, a mechanism for detecting contrast in which a sensory neuron is excited by one particular receptor but inhibited by neighboring (lateral) receptors. In vision, for example, lateral inhibition is seen in neurons that respond to light at one position but are inhibited by light at surrounding positions.

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Psychology term of the day

February 16th 2025

third-party administrator (TPA)

Sorry, "third-party-administrator-tpa" is not in the Dictionary of Psychology. Please report to APA if you believe this is an error.