lynching

n. an instance of a group or mob of vigilantes killing a person, especially by hanging. The lynch mob often justifies its actions by claiming that the victim is guilty of some crime and the group is administering an appropriate punishment. Most lynchings in the United States were racially motivated acts of violence perpetrated by White Americans against African Americans. The first documented U.S. lynching occurred in 1882; by 1950, lynch mobs had killed more than 3,000 people. —lynch vb.

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Psychology term of the day

February 24th 2025

simple structure

in exploratory factor analysis, a set of criteria for determining the adequacy of a factor rotation solution. These criteria require that each factor show a pattern of high factor loadings on certain variables and near-zero loadings on others and that each variable load on only one factor. This minimizes the complexity of the factor solution, allows each variable to be most strongly identified with a specific factor, and increases interpretability.