social adaptation

adaptation [ad″ap-ta´shun]

1. a dynamic, ongoing, life-sustaining process by which living organisms adjust to environmental changes.

2. adjustment of the pupil to light.

biological adaptation the adaptation of living things to environmental factors for the ultimate purpose of survival, reproduction, and an optimal level of functioning.

color adaptation

1. changes in visual perception of color with prolonged stimulation.

2. adjustment of vision to degree of brightness or color tone of illumination.

dark adaptation adaptation of the eye to vision in the dark or in reduced illumination.

light adaptation adaptation of the eye to vision in the sunlight or in bright illumination (photopia), with reduction in the concentration of the photosensitive pigments of the eye.

physiological adaptation the ongoing process by which internal body functions are regulated and adjusted to maintain homeostasis in the internal environment.

psychological adaptation the ongoing process, anchored in the emotions and intellect, by which humans sustain a balance in their mental and emotional states of being and in their interactions with their social and cultural environments.

social adaptation adjustment and adaptation of humans to other individuals and community groups working together for a common purpose.

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social adaptation

Psychiatry The ability to live and express oneself according to social restrictions and cultural demands