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social deficit

inability, unwillingness, or poor judgment in the performance of social activities commensurate with chronological age, intelligence, or physical condition. Such a deficit is presumed to reduce a person’s ability to obtain social support and is therefore a target of treatment, especially in behavior therapy and with severely disturbed individuals.

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Psychology term of the day

January 13th 2025

discontinuity hypothesis

discontinuity hypothesis

in Gestalt psychology, the viewpoint that emphasizes the role of sudden insight and perceptual reorganization in successful discrimination learning and problem solving. According to this view, a correct answer is only recognized when its relation to the issue as a whole is discovered. Also called discontinuity theory. Compare continuity hypothesis. See also aha experience; all-or-none learning; eureka task.