toilet training

the process of teaching a child to control the emptying of the bowel and bladder by learned inhibition of natural reflexes and to excrete in the appropriate place and manner. Although defecation and urination involve functions of the autonomic nervous system, toilet training conditions the individual to override the reflex action with voluntary nerve control. See defecation reflex; micturition reflex. See also encopresis; enuresis.

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Psychology term of the day

September 8th 2024

reproducibility

n. the extent to which a study produces the same findings when it is conducted by a different independent researcher. A given research finding is thought to be stronger when it can be both repeated and reproduced. See repeatability; replication.