organizational effect

a long-term effect of hormonal action typically occurring in fetal development or the early postnatal period that leads to permanent changes in behavior and neural functioning. For example, the presence of testosterone in young male rats leads to long-term male-typical behavior, and female rats can be masculinized by neonatal exposure to testosterone. Compare activational effect.

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Psychology term of the day

May 5th 2024

choice reaction time

the total time that elapses between the presentation of a stimulus and the occurrence of a response in a task that requires a participant to make one of several different responses depending on which one of several different stimuli is presented. The time actually required to decide on a response can be calculated using Donders’s method. Also called complex reaction time; compound reaction time. Compare simple reaction time.