Prof Ed- Cluster C

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key psychological, educational, and philosophical terms from the lecture notes.

Assimilation

Integrating new information into existing mental schemes.

Accommodation

Adjusting or creating mental schemes to fit new experiences.

Interaction

Engaging with the environment, leading to assimilation or accommodation.

Recognition

Ability to identify something as familiar.

Conservation

Understanding that quantity remains constant despite changes in shape or appearance.

Motivation

Internal force that stimulates action toward a goal.

Reversibility

Ability to mentally reverse an action and return to the original state.

Learning

Relatively permanent change in behavior resulting from experience or practice.

Response

A reaction to a stimulus, not necessarily lasting.

Change

A general alteration, not specific to learned behavior.

Development

Growth and maturation, often biologically driven and broader than behavior alone.

Internalization

Deep acceptance of beliefs or values so they become part of one’s own thinking.

Integration

Bringing separate parts together into a unified whole.

Acquisition

Act of gaining or learning knowledge, skills, or language.

Socialization

Process of adopting the values, norms, and behaviors of a society or group.

Operant Conditioning

Skinnerian learning via reinforcement and punishment to modify behavior.

Reinforcement

Any consequence (positive or negative) that increases the likelihood of a behavior.

Punishment

Any consequence (positive or negative) that decreases the likelihood of a behavior.

Transfer of Learning

Applying previously learned knowledge or skills to a new situation.

Feedback Principle

Providing information about performance to guide improvement.

Discipline

Methods used to control or manage behavior, not specifically learning via reinforcement.

Voluntary Accreditation

Meeting standards higher than the minimum required for state recognition.

Nyctophobia

Fear of darkness.

Xenophobia

Fear of strangers.

Acrophobia

Fear of heights.

Astigmatism

Clear vision in one dimension but blurred in another due to corneal shape.

Myopia

Nearsightedness; difficulty seeing distant objects clearly.

Hyperopia

Farsightedness; difficulty focusing on near objects.

Presbyopia

Age-related loss of near-focus ability, typically after age 40.

Sigmund Freud

Father of Psychoanalysis; emphasized unconscious mind, id-ego-superego, psychosexual stages.

Id

Freud’s primitive, instinctual component of personality.

Ego

Freud’s rational component mediating between id, superego, and reality.

Superego

Freud’s moral conscience internalized from parents and society.

Psychosexual Development

Freud’s stages (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital) shaping personality.

John Locke

Father of Empiricism; proposed knowledge comes from experience (tabula rasa).

Tabula Rasa

Locke’s concept of the mind as a blank slate at birth.

Empiricism

Philosophical view that knowledge originates in sensory experience.

David Hume

Skeptical empiricist highlighting limits of reason and concept of causality.

Causality (Hume)

Idea that cause-and-effect is inferred from habit, not directly observed.

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

Rationalist philosopher; proposed Monadology, co-developed calculus, espoused optimism.

Monadology

Leibniz’s theory that reality is composed of simple, indivisible substances called monads.

Optimism (Leibniz)

Belief that we live in the best of all possible worlds.

Learning Plateau

Temporary slowdown or halt in progress despite continued effort.

Regression

Return to earlier behaviors when faced with stress or anxiety.

Depression

Persistent sadness, loss of interest, physical/emotional exhaustion.

Development Crisis

Critical turning point where a psychological challenge (e.g., identity vs. role confusion) must be resolved.

Continuous Variable

Quantities measurable along a continuum (e.g., height, temperature).

Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

Score representing cognitive ability, relatively stable after childhood.

Positive Transfer

Prior learning helps performance on a new task.

Negative Transfer

Previous learning interferes with new learning.

Zero Transfer

Prior learning has no effect on new learning.

Herbert Spencer

Philosopher who asserted education is for complete living—full, well-rounded life.

John Dewey

Progressive educator; wrote “The School and the Society.”

Sic et Non

Peter Abelard’s work juxtaposing contradictory theological authorities.

The Republic

Plato’s dialogue outlining justice and the ideal state.

Emile

Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s treatise on natural education.

Gang Age

Stage (9–12 yrs) when peer groups form into informal ‘gangs.’

Open Education Movement

Approach influenced by Neill, Piaget, Kohl, Kozol, Bruner, Silberman; emphasizes student freedom and discovery learning.

Learning Disabilities

Disorders where children of average or above intelligence struggle due to atypical brain processes.

Dyslexia

Reading disorder characterized by difficulty decoding words.

Dysgraphia

Writing disorder involving impaired handwriting or composition.

Dyscalculia

Math-specific learning disability affecting numerical understanding.

Mild Intellectual Disability

Below-average intelligence yet educable to a certain academic level.

Speech Aphasia

Language impairment due to parietal lobe dysfunction in the left hemisphere.

Primary Reading Problems

Reading difficulties stemming from brain-based processing issues (e.g., dyslexia).

Secondary Reading Problems

Reading difficulties caused by environmental or emotional factors.

Learning Environment

Context in which learning occurs; primarily shaped by the teacher.

William Glasser

Advocated classroom meetings for problem solving and curriculum discussion.

Frederick H. Jones

Author of “Tools for Teaching”; promoted practical classroom management strategies.