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superordinate goal

1. a goal that takes precedence over one or more other, more conditional goals.

2. a goal that can be attained only if the members of two or more groups work together by pooling their skills, efforts, and resources. In the Robbers Cave experiment studying intergroup conflict reduction, superordinate goals were introduced by creating emergencies and problems that could be resolved only through the joint efforts of both groups.

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Psychology term of the day

March 28th 2024

trait anxiety

trait anxiety

proneness to experience anxiety. People with high trait anxiety tend to view the world as more dangerous or threatening than those with low trait anxiety and to respond with state anxiety to situations that would not elicit this response in people with low trait anxiety. [defined in 1972 and 1983 by Charles D. Spielberger]