| cognitive dissonance theory | <psychology> A theory of attitude formation and behaviour describing a motivational state that exists when an individual's cognitive elements (attitudes, perceived behaviours, etc.) are inconsistent with each other, such as the espousal of the Ten Commandments concurrent with the belief that it is all right to cheat on one's taxes; a test which indicates that persons try to achieve consistency (consonance) and avoid dissonance which, when it arises, may be coped with by changing one's attitudes, rationalizing, selective perception, and other means. See: balance theory, consistency principle. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| Cohnheim's theory | That neoplasms originate from various cell rests, i.e., embryonal cells thought to persist in various sites after the development of the foetal organs and tissues. Synonym: emigration theory. (05 Mar 2000) |
| collision theory | <chemistry> A mathematical description of the number of collisions between molecules in a sample of matter per unit time, useful for predicting rates of reaction. (09 Oct 1997) |
| monophyletic theory | In haematology, the theory that all the blood cells are derived from one common stem cell or histioblast. Synonym: monophyletic theory. Origin: mono-+ G. Phyle, tribe (05 Mar 2000) |
| colloid theory of narcosis | That coagulation or flocculation of protein causes dehydration and reduction of metabolism. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Weismann germ plasm theory | <genetics> The theory that organisms maintain genetic continuity from organism to offspring through the germ line cells (germ plasm) and that the other (somatic) cells play no part in the transmission of heritable factors. (18 Nov 1997) |
| pithecoid theory | The theory of human's descent with the ape from a common ancestor. See: darwinian theory. (05 Mar 2000) |
| place theory | A theory of pitch perception which states that the perception of the pitch of a sound depends upon the level or region of the basilar membrane of the cochlea which is set into vibration by the sound waves. See: resonance theory of hearing. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Planck's theory | The theory that the radiation and absorption of energy take place in definite quantities called quanta (e) which vary in size and are defined by the equation e=hv in which h is planck's constant and v is the frequency of the radiation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Wollaston's theory | A theory that the semidecussation of the optic nerves at the chiasm is proved by the homonymous hemianopia seen in brain lesions. (05 Mar 2000) |
| polyphyletic theory | In haematology, the theory that blood cells are derived from several different stem cells, depending on the particular cell type. Synonym: polyphyletic theory. Origin: poly-+ G. Phyle, tribe (05 Mar 2000) |
| myoelastic theory | A theory stating that sound of the human voice is produced by vibrations of the vocal cords resulting from folding upward due to air pressure below, and subsequent movement downward due to elastic tension of cords. (05 Mar 2000) |
| myogenic theory | That cardiac movements are due mainly to stimuli originating in the heart muscle itself and that the heart does not act solely in response to nerve stimulation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Haeckel's gastrea theory | That the two-layered gastrula is the ancestral form of all multicellular animals. Synonym: gastrea theory. (05 Mar 2000) |
| haematogenous theory of endometriosis | That endometrial tissue is carried, like metastases of a malignant tumour, through the blood stream. (05 Mar 2000) |