Glossary D
Glossary D
Debriefing refers to a procedure conducted at the end of an experiment in which the researcher provides human participants with as much information about the study as possible, making sure no participant leaves feeling confused, upset, or embarrassed.
Décalage in the psychology context refers to the phenomenon where developmental milestones and achievements occur at different ages or stages for different individuals. It highlights the variability in the timing of cognitive, emotional, and social development among people, emphasizing that not all individuals reach the same milestones at the same time. Décalage underscores the importance of recognizing and accommodating these variations in developmental trajectories.
Decay refers to a hypothesized process of forgetting in which material is thought to erode, break apart, or otherwise disintegrate or fade. Decay occurs when simply the passage of time causes an individual to forget. In the study of sensation and perception, Decay is defined as the decrease in the sound signal that occurs at the end of a tone.
Deutsch: Zerfallstheorie / Español: Teoría de la decadencia / Português: Teoria da decadência / Français: Théorie de la décomposition / Italiano: Teoria del decadimento /
Decay theory refers to a theory that asserts that information is forgotten because of the gradual disappearance, rather than displacement, of the memory trace. Decay theory is an explanation for loss of information in short-term memory based on the notion that the physiological effects of stimulation fade. Decay theory is similar to Fading in connection with forgetting in long-term memory. (see Fading.)