tail flick test

a procedure used to measure pain sensitivity in nonhuman animals (usually rodents). An intense beam of light is focused on a specific spot on the animal’s tail. After a period, the animal abruptly moves its tail to avoid the beam of light. The time that elapses before this tail flick is used as an index of pain sensitivity; analgesic drugs (e.g., morphine) increase the response reaction time.

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Psychology term of the day

November 24th 2024

representation

n. that which stands for or signifies something else. For example, in cognitive psychology the term denotes a mental representation, whereas in psychoanalytic theory it refers to an introject (see introjection) of a significant figure or to a symbol for a repressed impulse. —represent vb. —representational adj. —representative adj.