reproductive success

the degree to which an individual is successful in producing progeny that in turn are able to produce progeny of their own. Individuals vary in their success in finding mates and reproducing successfully. Natural selection is based on this differential reproductive success. The genetic and behavioral traits that lead to greatest reproductive success survive in a population over generations, whereas traits producing low reproductive success eventually become extinct. See also inclusive fitness.

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Psychology term of the day

January 19th 2025

imageless thought

thinking that occurs without the aid of images or sensory content. The Würzburg school upheld the existence of imageless thought on the basis of introspective reports, such as experimental participants’ stated ability to name a piece of fruit without picturing it. Edward Bradford Titchener and others in the structural school opposed this view (see structuralism). See Bewusstseinslage.