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theoretical probability

the mathematical likelihood of a particular event occurring, as determined by dividing the number of positive outcomes by the total number of possible outcomes. For example, when flipping a coin, the theoretical probability that a tail will occur is 1 divided by 2 (the number of possible outcomes), giving a probability of .5 or 50%.

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Psychology term of the day

March 16th 2025

symptom specificity

symptom specificity

a hypothesis stating that people with psychosomatic disorders display abnormal responses to stress in particular physiological systems. According to this hypothesis, a person’s complaints will center around a particular organ (e.g., the heart) and set of related symptoms (e.g., cardiovascular symptoms) rather than involving a variety of complaints about different organs or systems.