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local enhancement

a form of social learning in which one or more individuals engaging in some behavior with an object in a particular location draw the attention of another to that location, which facilitates the acquisition of similar behavior by that observer. The attraction of attention to a particular place in the environment, not any specific social interactions among the demonstrators and observer, is what leads to learning. For example, ducks in a pen may ignore an escape hole unless they are near another duck who escapes through the hole, thus drawing their attention to it.

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Psychology term of the day

December 20th 2024

anxiety scale

anxiety scale

any of numerous assessment instruments designed to measure the severity of anxiety symptoms. An important example is the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale. Such scales usually take the form of self-report tests but can also be based on clinician ratings or actual performance.