social referencing

evaluating one’s own modes of thinking, expression, or behavior by comparing them with those of other people so as to understand how to react in a particular situation and to adapt one’s actions and reactions in ways that are perceived to be appropriate. This ability has been demonstrated to emerge at a very early age: Young infants use caregivers’ emotional expressions to guide their behavior in novel, ambiguous situations. See social comparison theory.

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Psychology term of the day

May 9th 2024

slow-wave sleep

deep sleep that is characterized by increasing percentages of particular types of delta waves on the electroencephalogram, corresponding to Stages 3 and 4 of NREM sleep. See also sleep stages.