Glossary D

Glossary D

Double-blind testing is a term used in Forensic psychology that refers to a lineup administration in which neither the police officer nor the witness knows which lineup member is the suspect.

Double-deficit hypothesis poses that reading disorders can be traced to deficits in phonological processing and/or naming speed. The presence of both a deficit in phonological processing and slow naming speed is predictive of the most severe reading problem. Double-deficit hypothesis likewise refers to the theory of Dyslexia which suggests that dyslexic children have biological deficits in two (2) areas: phonological processing (interpreting sounds) and in naming speed (for example, identifying letters such as b versus d, or w versus m).

Double-standard thinking refers to the tendency to consider the actions and attributes of one’s own group as positive, fair, and appropriate, but to consider these very same behaviors or displays to be negative, unfair, and inappropriate when the outgroup performs them.

Doubt is defined as a sense of uncertainty about one's abilities and one's worth.

Doula refers to person familiar with childbirth who provides emotional and physical support throughout labor and delivery

Down syndrome refers to the type of mental retardation caused by a chromosomal aberration (chromosome 21) and involving characteristic physical appearance. Down Syndrome is also known as Trisomy 21.

Downward communication is a term used in industrial and organizational psychology that refers to a communication within an organization in which the direction of communication is from management to employees.

Downward comparison means comparing oneself with a comparing oneself to people who are worse off, people who ranks lower than oneself on some dimension. (see Downward social comparison)