 Psychology Glossary and definitions. ("W")
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Wavelength: The way we measure sound waves, audio waves, and other types of waves is by their length and their height (amplitude). The length of a wave (or wavelength) refers to the distance between the peak of one wave and the peak of the next wave. When the wave reaches its highest point, we use that as the first measure. Then the wave usually goes down to a low point before it begins to go back up, all the way to a high point again. This second point is the next measure. We then simply use the distance between these points to identify the length of the wave. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS): Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) is an intelligence test that is used quite commonly, and it measures the verbal and nonverbal abilities of adults. The test has been revised in recent years and is now called the WAIS-R. When using this test, the person scoring it or evaluating it would look to see if there are differences between the verbal and nonverbal sections. A big difference could mean that there is some kind of problem (such as a learning problem). There is also a similar test for children that also has two sections, but the items are designed to be age specific (at least in the sense of being designed for children as opposed to adults). Wernicke's Area: Wernicke's Area is an area of the brain that is very important in the development of language. The area is located on the left side of the brain, specifically on the left temporal lobe. Damage to this area can result in problems with language development and even an inability to develop language skills. Withdrawal: When an organism (does not have to be a human; can be another type of animal) becomes addicted to a substance, and then they are prevented from having that substance for an extended period of time, they go through a period of withdrawal. This period of withdrawal involves feelings of discomfort and distress. For example, a person addicted to cocaine may experience long periods of nausea, vomiting, cold sweats, headaches, mood swings, and other very uncomfortable feelings. Both physiological and psychological aspects are involved in withdrawal. Word Salad (verbal salad): Word Salad describes a very jumbled manner of speaking in which words are put together even though they don't form meaningful sentences. For example, a sentence such as "market dog blue asphalt" -- these words all have meaning but not when put together in this fashion. Schozophrenics often display this type of speach.
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