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nonnormative

adj. not conforming to not or reflecting an established norm deviating from a specific standard of comparison for a person or group of people, particularly a standard determined by cultural ideals of how things ought to be. This general term is used in a variety of contexts, referring, for example, to socially deviant or otherwise distinct behavior, ordinary life events happening at unusual times (e.g., a 78-year-old man earning his bachelor’s degree), or statistical results that do not reflect the standard of a measured group (i.e., values well above or below the mean or other measure of central tendency). Compare normative.

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Psychology term of the day

May 9th 2024

equity theory

equity theory

a theory of justice regarding what individuals are likely to view as a fair return from activities involving themselves and a number of other people. The theory posits that people compare the ratio of the outcome of the activity—that is, the benefits they receive from it (e.g., pay, fringe benefits, intrinsic gratifications, recognition)—to their inputs (e.g., effort, seniority, skills, social status) with the outcome-to-input ratios of those engaged in a comparable activity. Outcomes are equitable only when people receive benefits that are proportional to their inputs. See external inequity; internal inequity; overpayment inequity; underpayment inequity.