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A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards summarizing key theorists, stages, and concepts in human development, behaviorism, Gestalt psychology, and instructional theory.
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Robert Havighurst
Proposed that individuals encounter specific developmental tasks at each stage of life.
Concrete Operational Stage
Piagetian phase (ages 7–11) in which children develop logical thought about concrete objects and events.
Formal Operational Stage
Piaget’s stage (beginning ~11 years) characterized by the emergence of abstract, hypothetical thinking.
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
Vygotsky’s range of tasks a learner can accomplish with guidance from a more knowledgeable other.
Ecological Systems Theory
Bronfenbrenner’s model describing nested environmental layers (micro- to macrosystem) influencing development.
Conventional Moral Level
Kohlberg’s stage where individuals follow rules and laws to maintain social order.
Post-conventional Moral Level
Kohlberg’s highest level in which moral reasoning is based on universal ethical principles and justice.
Language Acquisition Device (LAD)
Chomsky’s innate neural mechanism enabling children to naturally learn language.
Metacognition
Flavell’s term for thinking about one’s own thinking and regulating learning strategies.
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
Theory proposing eight distinct kinds of human intelligence (e.g., linguistic, logical-mathematical, etc.).
Naturalistic Intelligence
Gardner’s intelligence type involving sensitivity to nature, plants, and animals.
Authoritative Parenting Style
Baumrind’s warm, responsive style that sets clear rules and expectations.
Authoritarian Parenting Style
Baumrind’s strict, low-warmth approach featuring high demands and little responsiveness.
Active Discovery Learning
Piaget’s idea that children learn best through hands-on exploration and experimentation.
Social Learning (Vygotsky)
View that cognitive growth occurs primarily through interaction with others.
Classical Conditioning
Learning process (Pavlov) where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an automatic response.
Operant Conditioning
Skinner’s learning theory in which behavior is shaped by reinforcement or punishment.
Law of Effect
Thorndike’s principle stating behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes are likely to be repeated.
Little Albert Experiment
Watson’s study demonstrating fear conditioning in an infant using a rat and loud noise.
Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
Previously neutral input that elicits a learned response after association with an unconditioned stimulus.
Unconditioned Response (UR)
Automatic, unlearned reaction produced by an unconditioned stimulus.
Behaviorism
Psychological approach focusing on observable behaviors learned through association and reinforcement.
Classroom Behavior Management
Educational application of operant conditioning techniques to increase desired student behaviors.
Observable Behavior
Behaviors that can be seen and measured; primary focus of behaviorist research.
Pavlov’s Dog Experiment
Study where a bell (CS) paired with food (US) triggered salivation (CR) in dogs.
Trial-and-Error Learning
Thorndike’s method where repeated attempts lead to problem solution, reinforcing successful responses.
Behavior Shaping
Skinner’s procedure of reinforcing successive approximations toward a target behavior.
Gestalt Psychology
School emphasizing that learning involves perceiving patterns and wholes rather than isolated parts.
Insight Learning
Sudden realization of a problem’s solution, often called the “Aha! moment.”
Perception and Patterns
Gestalt focus on how individuals organize sensory information into meaningful configurations.
Meaningful Wholes
Gestalt notion that the whole is different from the sum of its parts.
Wolfgang Köhler
Gestalt psychologist known for chimp studies illustrating insight learning.
Wertheimer, Koffka, & Köhler
Founders who established the core principles of Gestalt theory.
Gestalt Problem-Solving
Approach highlighting reorganization of perception to reach solutions.
Sudden Learning
Characteristic of Gestalt insight where comprehension appears abruptly rather than gradually.
Instructional Design (Gagné)
Systematic planning of teaching based on Gagné’s conditions of learning.
Nine Events of Instruction
Gagné’s sequence (gain attention, inform objectives, etc.) intended to facilitate effective learning.
Prior Knowledge
Ausubel’s concept that existing cognitive structures are crucial for new learning.
Meaningful Learning
Ausubel’s idea that new information is understood by linking it to relevant prior knowledge.
Subsumption Theory
Ausubel’s explanation of how new concepts are incorporated into existing cognitive frameworks.
Creativity (Torrance)
Capacity to generate original, useful ideas; central focus of Torrance’s research.
Divergent Thinking
Process of producing multiple, varied solutions; key in creative performance.
Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking
Assessments developed to measure creative potential in individuals.
Brainstorming
Group technique encouraged by Torrance to stimulate idea generation without criticism.