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rank-order statistic test

any nonparametric test that allows researchers to evaluate hypotheses related to group differences or associations between ranked variables. Such tests make use of a rank correlation coefficient, such as the Spearman correlation coefficient or Kendall’s tau.

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Psychology term of the day

March 16th 2025

symptom specificity

symptom specificity

a hypothesis stating that people with psychosomatic disorders display abnormal responses to stress in particular physiological systems. According to this hypothesis, a person’s complaints will center around a particular organ (e.g., the heart) and set of related symptoms (e.g., cardiovascular symptoms) rather than involving a variety of complaints about different organs or systems.