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voice–stress analyzer

an instrument that detects minute alterations in the voice, undetectable to the human ear, that presumably occur when a person is under stress. It is sometimes used as a lie detector, although its reliability and validity are controversial, and the results are not accepted as evidence in many U.S. courts of law.

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Psychology term of the day

January 15th 2025

overcontrolled

overcontrolled

adj. denoting behavior that is inhibited and constrained, often driven by shyness or fear of rejection. The word is typically used to describe the behavior of children thought to be at risk for depression, but it may also refer to similar behavior in adults.