Glossary A

Accommodation refers to Piaget's development theory which is the process by which existing schemas are modified and new schemas are created to incorporate new objects, events, experiences, or information.

Accomodations means readjustments of goals and aspirations as a way to lessen or neutralize the effects of negative self -evaluations in key domains.

Accomplice refers to a person who helps another person commit a crime.

Accountability means the increased emphasis by health care organizations and others to have clinicians show that what they are doing is working.

Accreditation refers to a designation bestowed by the American Psychological Association on psychological training programs that meet acceptable training standards.

Accretion refers to a cue that provides information about the relative depth of two (2) surfaces. It occurs when the farther object is uncovered by the nearer object due to sideways movement of an observer relative to the objects.

Acculturation refers to the process by which members of minority groups come to identify with and feel part of the mainstream culture or it refers to the modification of a person's or a group's culture through the influence of the culture of another group.

Acculturation stress refers to the anxiety or uneasiness that new residents may feel upon attemtpting to assimilate a new culture and its traditions. It is the stress caused by the many changes and adaptations required when a person moves to a foreign culture.