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territorial dominance

1. in animal behavior, the ability of resident animals to protect a defined space (their territory) as well as to drive out intruders that may be larger and stronger. Residents typically have a competitive advantage over intruders that they would not have in a neutral environment. See territoriality.

2. the tendency of people to dominate interpersonal interactions to a greater extent when in their own homes or offices.

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Psychology term of the day

January 15th 2025

prescriptive grammar

prescriptive grammar

an approach to grammar in which a series of rules is used to distinguish proper from improper usage and a standard version of the language is identified and promoted (see standard language). It is often contrasted with descriptive grammar, in which the goal is to provide an accurate account of language use without specification as to correctness. Prescriptive grammarians seek to correct nonstandard forms, such as I can’t get no satisfaction, whereas descriptive grammarians seek to characterize the rule system that produces such utterances.