| reinforcement | 1. <neurology> An increase of force or strength; denoting specifically the increased sharpness of the patellar reflex when the patient at the same time closes the fist tightly or pulls against the flexed fingers or contracts some other set of muscles. See: Jendrassik's manoeuvre. 2. <dentistry> A structural addition or inclusion used to give additional strength in function; e.g., bars in plastic denture base. 3. <psychology> In conditioning, the totality of the process in which the conditioned stimulus is followed by presentation of the unconditioned stimulus which, itself, elicits the response to be conditioned. See: reinforcer, schedules of reinforcement, classical conditioning, operant conditioning. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| reinforcement schedule | <psychology> A schedule prescribing when the subject is to be reinforced or rewarded in terms of temporal interval in psychological experiments. The schedule may be continuous or intermittent. (12 Dec 1998) |
| reinforcement, verbal | Use of word stimulus to strengthen a response during learning. (12 Dec 1998) |
| primary reinforcement | Satisfaction of physiological needs or drives, such as that supplied by food or sleep. (05 Mar 2000) |
| secondary reinforcement | Reinforcement through something which, while it does not satisfy the need directly, has been associated with direct satisfaction of the need, such as the effect on behaviour of a food or beer commercial on television. (05 Mar 2000) |
| social reinforcement | <psychology> The strengthening of a response with a social reward such as a nod of approval, a parent's love or attention. (12 Dec 1998) |
| peritoneal dialysis, continuous ambulatory | Portable peritoneal dialysis using the continuous (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) presence of peritoneal dialysis solution in the peritoneal cavity except for periods of drainage and instillation of fresh solution. (12 Dec 1998) |
| mixed discrete-continuous random variable | <statistics> A random variable that may assume some values with probabilities and others with probability densities. For example, in a 35-year-old man with familial polyposis of the colon, the distribution of time until malignant disease occurs consists of a probability that he already has cancer (which would be assigned the waiting time 0), a probability density of developing it in the future and a probability that he will die of some other cause before he develops cancer. (05 Mar 2000) |
| motion therapy, continuous passive | Movement of a body part initiated and maintained by a mechanical or electrical device to restore normal range of motion to joints, muscles, or tendons after surgery, prosthesis implantation, contracture flexion, or long immobilization. (12 Dec 1998) |
| continuous | Not interrupted, having no interruption. Origin: L. Continuus (18 Nov 1997) |
| continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis | Method of peritoneal dialysis performed in ambulatory patients with influx and efflux of dialysate during normal activities. (05 Mar 2000) |
| continuous bar retainer | A metal bar, usually resting on lingual surfaces of teeth, to aid in their stabilization and to act as indirect retainer's. Synonym: continuous clasp. (05 Mar 2000) |
| continuous beam | In dentistry, a beam that continues over three or more supports, those supports not at the beam ends being equally free supports. (05 Mar 2000) |
| continuous capillary | A capillary in which small vesicles (caveolae) are numerous and pores are absent. (05 Mar 2000) |
| continuous clasp | A metal bar, usually resting on lingual surfaces of teeth, to aid in their stabilization and to act as indirect retainer's. Synonym: continuous clasp. (05 Mar 2000) |