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

October 5th 2024

lifetime risk

the odds that one will be diagnosed with a disease or condition during one’s lifetime (usually stated in terms of 70 to 85 years). It is often important for individuals undergoing genetic counseling to differentiate lifetime risk from the risk of being diagnosed with the disease in the next 5 or 10 years.