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Abuse 1. n. interactions in which one person behaves in a cruel, violent, demeaning, or invasive manner toward another person or an animal. The …

Absurdities Test a type of test in which participants identify incongruities in a picture, story, or other written material. Absurdity tasks are …

Abstraction n.1. the formation of general ideas or concepts by extracting similarities from particular instances. The precise cognitive processes by which this occurs …

Abstract Word in linguistics, a word denoting a concept or idea not readily perceptible to the senses, such as curiosity or metaphor. Compare concrete word.

Abstract Representation in cognitive theory, a mental representation of a stimulus in an abstract or essential form that is not tied to any one …

Abstract Intelligence the intellectual ability to think in terms of abstract concepts. Also called abstract ability. See abstract thinking. Compare concrete intelligence.

Abstract Conceptualization the process of forming abstract concepts, which may be general and apply to numerous particular instances (e.g., dog, fish) or wholly intangible …

Abstinence n. the act of refraining from the use of something, particularly alcohol or drugs, or from participation in sexual or other activity. …

Absorption n.1. an extreme involvement or preoccupation with one object, idea, or pursuit, with inattention to other aspects of the environment. Compare sustained attention. …

Absolute Pitch the ability to identify the pitch of a sound accurately without the use of a reference pitch. Also called perfect pitch. …