unilateral descent

in anthropology, a system of descent or inheritance in which descent is traced through the male line only (patriarchy) or through the female line only (matriarchy). Also called unilineal descent. Compare bilateral descent. See also descent group.

Browse dictionary by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Psychology term of the day

November 18th 2024

predictive validity

evidence that a test score or other measurement correlates with a variable that can only be assessed at some point after the test has been administered or the measurement made. For example, the predictive validity of a test designed to predict the onset of a disease would be strong if high test scores were associated with individuals who later developed that disease. It is one of three types of criterion validity. Also called predictive criterion-related validity; prospective validity. See also concurrent validity; retrospective validity.