terminal decline

a rapid deterioration in cognitive abilities immediately before death. The cognitive abilities that appear to be most prone to terminal decline are those least affected by normal aging (see hold functions). Also called terminal drop.

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Psychology term of the day

November 28th 2024

fatigue effect

a decline in performance on a prolonged or demanding research task that is generally attributed to the participant becoming tired or bored with the task. The fatigue effect is an important consideration when administering a lengthy survey or test in which participants’ performance may worsen simply due to the challenges of an extended task.