self-terminating search

any search process in which the search is ended as soon as a given target is detected. This may be a search for target items in memory, a visual search, or any problem-solving exercise that involves finding the correct solution among a number of alternatives. Compare exhaustive search.

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Psychology term of the day

February 25th 2025

psychometric model

any theoretical and statistical framework describing how respondents generate their answers to items on a scale or instrument and explaining associated sources of error, which in turn provides a means to determine the reliability of test scores across different testing situations. There are three major approaches: classical test theory, generalizability theory, and item response theory.