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trial

n.

1. in testing, conditioning, or other experimentation, a single performance of a given task (e.g., one run through a maze) or a single presentation of a stimulus (e.g., one viewing of an ordered list of three-letter words).

2. see clinical trial; treatment trial.

3. in parapsychology research, any single attempt by a participant to identify a target by clairvoyance or telepathy or to influence a target by psychokinesis. In experiments using Zener cards, each turn of a card is therefore a separate trial.

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Psychology term of the day

April 26th 2024

longitudinal stability

longitudinal stability

the degree to which an individual’s possession or expression of a psychological characteristic is consistent over a period, as compared with other people.