Understanding Individual Differences and Labels in Education

A collection of vocabulary terms and definitions related to individual differences and labels in educational psychology.

Individual Differences

Variations among individuals in their capabilities, intelligence, prior knowledge, motivation, and challenges faced in learning.

Self-fulfilling Prophecies

Expectations that positively or negatively influence a person's behavior; can occur through labeling.

Person-First Language

An approach to language that emphasizes the individual before the disability; for example, saying 'a student with dyslexia' instead of 'a dyslexic student'.

Crystallized Intelligence

The ability to use learned knowledge and experience to solve problems.

Fluid Intelligence

The ability to think abstractly and solve novel problems, independent of any knowledge from the past.

IQ (Intelligence Quotient)

A measure of intelligence derived from standardized tests, intended to have an average score of 100.

The Flynn Effect

The observed phenomenon that the average IQ scores of a population increase over time due to various factors.

Learning Styles Theory

The hypothesis that individuals have preferred ways of learning that affect their educational outcomes.

Meshing Hypothesis

The idea that students learn best when taught in their preferred learning modality.

Disability

The inability to perform certain tasks due to a physical or mental condition.

Handicap

A disadvantage imposed by a specific situation that restricts an individual's performance.

Intelligence Testing

The process of measuring a person's intellectual capabilities through standardized assessments.

Self-control

The ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in the face of temptations.

Motivation

The internal process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors.