Individuals classified initially as abnormal who eventually turn out to be normal. In contrast, those categorized initially as abnormal who are abnormal on re-examination are true positives. See Developmental screening, Efficacy, False negative, Indices of efficacy
Category Archives: Uncategorized
False belief test
A standard test of being able to take into account that other people can have different beliefs to one’s own. Typically, a child of 4 years-old can pass a false belief test. There are beliefs that do not correspond to the actual state of affairs in the real world. For example, if John puts a …
Failure to thrive
A description applied to children whose current weight or rate of weight gain is significantly below that of other children of similar age and sex (typically weight for age below the fifth percentile or which crosses two main percentile lines on a standard growth curve). A relatively common condition, particularly in the first six months, …
Fallopian tubes
The bilaterally paired slender tubes, 3-4 inches in length (see first figure below), that allow for the egg to travel from the paired ovaries to the uterus during the menstrual cycle by means of muscular and wave-like ciliary action, with cilia covering the epithelium that lines the tubes. While fertilisation normally takes place in the …
Factor analysis
A set of mathematical and statistical techniques for the analysis of a set of observed or manifest variables (M) in terms of a smaller set of unobserved or latent variables (K<M). Charles E. Spearman (1863-1945) is generally acknowledged with devising the technique as a consequence of discovering positive correlations among seemingly unrelated scores derived from …
Factor loadings
A set of coefficients indicating the linear regression of a set of observed or manifest variables (M) onto a smaller set of underlying latent variables (K<M). See Confirmatory factor analysis, Construct equivalence, Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), Factor analysis
Facial expressions
Movement of facial muscles, often in response to physiologically arousing or emotionally laden events. Particular configurations of movements can be reliably labeled (e.g., ‘fear’, ‘happy’), universally recognized, and serve as an important vehicle for communicating emotion to other people. Facial expressions (or rather movements) begins early in prenatal life given that the innervation of well-formed …
Face processing
The ability to recognise faces through a sophisticated recognition and memory system involving both neural and cognitive operations. See Configural processing, CONLERN, CONSPEC, Event-related potentials (ERPs), Face recognition, N170, P400, Prosopagnosia, Superior temporal polysensory (STS) area, TE cortex
Face recognition
Recognition (conscious or unconscious) of faces. In adults, two sources of evidence suggest face recognition ability have genetic/hereditary components: fMRI activation patterns stemming from the ventral visual system have greater concordance for monozygotic relative to dizygotic twins, and an inability to recognize faces tends to run in families without any member having prosopagnosia. Much research …
Eyewitness testimony
First-hand accounts of events given by witnesses in the court that require, for example, description of a robbery. It includes identification of perpetrators, details of the crime etc., Research has revealed that eyewitness testimony can be affected by psychological factors: anxiety/stress, reconstructive memory, and leading questions. See Context (interview)