savant

n. a person with an intellectual disability or an autism spectrum disorder (autistic savant) who demonstrates exceptional, usually isolated, cognitive abilities, such as rapid calculation, identifying the day of the week for any given date, or musical talent. The term idiot savant initially was used to denote such a person but has been discarded as pejorative.

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Psychology term of the day

November 27th 2024

weight regulation

a process, governed by a complex array of neural mechanisms and structures (including the hypothalamus), in which the brain seeks an optimum balance between an organism’s food intake and energy expenditure after a certain body weight is achieved. A number of other factors, such as environmental stimuli, may influence the process as well.