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radial maze

a type of maze that has a central starting point with several arms (typically six to eight) extending from the center. A nonhuman animal might be required to learn to find food only in particular arms or to search systematically through each arm without entering the same arm twice. Radial mazes have been used extensively to study spatial memory and learning. See also sunburst maze.

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Psychology term of the day

October 9th 2024

behavior coding

behavior coding

a method of recording observations in which defined labels are used by specially trained individuals to denote specific qualities and characteristics of behaviors as they are witnessed. For example, a developmental researcher might use the following coding scheme for infant vocalizations: (a) vowels; (b) syllables (i.e., consonant–vowel transitions); (c) babbling (a sequence of repeated syllables); and (d) other (e.g., crying, laughing, vegetative sounds such as cooing). Behavior coding systems typically are specific to a given study and the behaviors under investigation.