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situational attribution

the ascription of one’s own or another’s behavior, an event, or an outcome to causes outside the person concerned, such as luck, pressure from other people, or external circumstances. Also called environmental attribution; external attribution. Compare dispositional attribution.

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Psychology term of the day

January 22nd 2025

diffraction

diffraction

n. the bending or scattering of waves as they pass through an aperture or around the edge of a barrier. Diffraction most often refers to this phenomenon in light waves, but it may occur with waves of any type, including sound waves, radio waves, water waves, and so forth.