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sex differences

1. the differences in physical features between males and females. These include differences in brain structures as well as differences in primary and secondary sex characteristics.

2. the differences between males and females in the way they behave and think, with such differences often viewed as driven by actual biological disparity (nature) rather than by differing environmental factors (nurture). See also gender differences. Compare sex role.

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Psychology term of the day

May 4th 2024

anxiety sensitivity

anxiety sensitivity

fear of sensations associated with anxiety because of the belief that they will have harmful consequences. For example, an individual with high anxiety sensitivity is likely to regard feeling lightheaded as a sign of impending illness or fainting, whereas an individual with low anxiety sensitivity would tend to regard this sensation as simply unpleasant. Research indicates that anxiety sensitivity is a traitlike risk factor that has been linked to the development of panic attacks and panic disorder. [defined in 1985 by U.S. clinical psychologists Steven Reiss and Richard J. McNally]