staircase method

a variation of the method of limits in which stimuli are presented in ascending and descending order. When the observer’s response changes, the direction of the stimulus sequence is reversed. This method is efficient because it does not present stimuli that are well above or below threshold.

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Psychology term of the day

January 13th 2025

genetic psychology

the study of the development of mental functions in children and their transformation across the lifespan. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the term was preferred over the synonymous developmental psychology.