nativism

1. the doctrine that the mind has certain innate structures and that experience plays a limited role in the creation of knowledge. See also innate ideas; nativistic theory. Compare constructivism; empiricism.

2. the doctrine that mental and behavioral traits are largely determined by hereditary, rather than environmental, factors. See nature–nurture.

3. the theory that individuals are born with all perceptual capabilities intact, although some capabilities may depend on the biological maturation of perceptual systems to reach adult levels. —nativist adj., n. —nativistic adj.

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Psychology term of the day

April 26th 2024

general paresis

dementia associated with advanced neurosyphilitic infection of the brain (see neurosyphilis), a condition that is now extremely rare because syphilis is usually diagnosed and treated in its early stages. The first symptoms of general paresis appear 5 to 30 years after the primary infection. Psychological signs are irritability, confusion, fatigue, and forgetfulness, followed by headaches, confabulation, and deterioration in behavior and judgment. If untreated with antibiotics, physical signs gradually develop, including Argyll Robertson pupils, sagging facial muscles, vacant expression, slurred speech, poor handwriting, and locomotor ataxia, followed by inability to dress, paralysis, convulsions, loss of bladder and bowel control, and gradual deterioration to a vegetative state. General paresis was formerly known as general paralysis of the insane, dementia paralytica, paralytic dementia, and paretic psychosis. Also called general paralysis.