Educational Psychology Exam 2

What is the second major period of brain plasticity after early childhood?

Adolescence is the second critical period of increased brain plasticity.

How does learning environment impact adolescent brain development?

it strengthens neural networks through complex tasks, enhancing cognitive, emotional and memory skills

How does brain plasticity change during adolescence?

Adolescence is a second period of increased brain plasticity, allowing for growth in thinking, emotion regulation, and memory skills.

How does the limbic system affect adolescent behavior?

The limbic system develops early and drives emotional responses like fight or flight, making teens more reactive and reward-seeking.

How does the timing of pubertal onset affect adolescents differently?

girls who experience puberty early often face increased social pressure and may be more likely to engage in risk behaviors earlier; boys who mature early may gain social advantages but both genders can experience emotional and behavioral challenges if development is out of sync with peers

What is the role of the prefrontal cortex in adolescence?

The prefrontal cortex develops last and is responsible for self-control, planning, and decision-making, which are still maturing in teens.

How does puberty influence adolescent learning and behavior?

Puberty introduces rapid physical, hormonal, and emotional changes, which can affect mood, focus, and social behavior.

Why is peer approval important during adolescence?

The need to belong and gain peer approval peaks in adolescence, strongly influencing academic and social behavior.

How does sleep change during adolescence?

Melatonin is produced later at night, making teens naturally fall asleep and wake up later, which can affect attention in school

Why are adolescents more prone to risk-taking behavior?

The emotional brain (limbic system) develops faster than the reasoning brain (prefrontal cortex), leading to more impulsive decisions.

Which part of the brain is the last to develop and what does it control?

The prefrontal cortex; it regulates decision-making, self-control, and abstract thinking.

What functions are associated with the limbic system?

Emotion-driven behaviors like fight, flight, food, and reproduction.

Why are adolescents at greater risk for issues like substance abuse or mental health problems?

Due to physical, emotional, and cognitive changes during puberty.

What peaks during adolescence and strongly influences academic behavior?

the need for peer approval and belonging

What is expectancy socialization?

a process where peer expectations shape a student'a behavior through internalized cues.

What is social support?

sense of belonging at school

What is emotional support?

validation, encouragement and safety

How do peers influence academic modeling?

observing peer behaviors can change one's own behavior

What is peer socialization?

peer socialization is the process by which adolescents learn and conform to the values behaviors and norms of their peer group.

What are the three mechanisms of peer socialization influence?

information exchange (sharing knowledge or ideas); modeling (observing and imitating peer behavior); expectancy socialization (behaving based on what teens think their peers expect of them

What role do peers play in adolescent risk taking behavior?

peers increase risk taking by providing social cues, reinforcement and pressure that influence behavior, especially when adolescents seek approval or social status

What is stage-environment fit theory?

theory that suggests students are most successful when their school environment aligns with their developmental needs.

How can teachers support adolescents' developmental needs?

by promoting autonomy, encouraging peer connection, supporting identity development and creating a safe, engaging and responsive learning environment

What are the three stages in the memory model?

sensory memory, working memory and long term memory

What is the capacity and duration of sensory memory?

unlimited capacity and short duration

What is the biggest danger to working memory?

interference

What are retrieval cues and how do they help memory?

retrieval cues are triggers like practice quizzes, motions, smells or visuals that help activate stored information in long term memory. make it easier to recall information and support memory consolidation

What is meaningful learning?

connecting new knowledge to prior knowledge to understand both facts and their meaning

What is rote learning?

rote learning is memorizing without understanding the meaning

What are three strategies that promote meaningful learning?

elaboration, organization and visual imagery

What helps move info from working memory to long term memory?

strategies like summarizing, reviewing, organizing and using visuals

What are the three processes of memory formation?

encoding, consolidation, retrieval

Name three reasons why we forget.

decay, interference, retrieval failure

Describe how information moves through the three stage model of memory.

sensory memory hold incoming sensory information; working memory processes info we pay attention to and rehearse; long term memory store information permanently for later retrieval

What are three teachers strategies that support long term memory consolidation in students?

focus attention, reduce cognitive load and encourage review and rehearsal

How does retrieval support memory?

it strengthens memory consolidation and reinforces the learning process

What is observational learning?

learning by watching others (live or symbolic)

What is self-efficacy?

belief in one's ability to succeed in specific tasks

What are the sources of self - efficacy?

enactive mastery, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, physiological state

What is an example of enactive experience in self efficacy?

a student who has previously done well on math tests believes they can succeed on the next one too

What is an example of vicarious experience in self efficacy?

A student watches a classmate succeed in a difficult presentation and believes they can do the same.

What is an example of verbal persuasion in self efficiacy?

A teacher says, "I know you can master this — you've improved a lot," which boosts the student's confidence.

What is an example of physiological state in self efficiacy?

a student feel calm and focused during a test, which boosts their belief in their test-taking ability.

How does self-efficacy influence choice of activities?

Students with high self-efficacy are more likely to choose challenging tasks and explore new opportunities.

How does self-efficacy affect effort and persistence?

High self-efficacy leads to greater effort and persistence even when tasks are difficult.

How does self-efficacy impact emotional reactions?

Students with strong self-efficacy often feel excited or motivated by challenges rather than anxious or fearful.

What is self-regulation?

ability to control ones behavior, emotions and learning by setting goals, monitoring progress and adjusting actions

What is self- regulated learning?

when learners actively manage their academic goals and strategies, taking responsibility for their own learning process.

What are three subprocesses of self-regulated learning?

self observation, self judgment and self reaction

What are the three subprocesses of self regulation?

planning, monitoring, evaluating

What is metacognition and why is it important?

thinking about thinking; it promotes meaningful learning and transfer

What is transfer in learning?

applying knowledge from one context to another

What is positive transfer?

when learning in one area helps learning in another

When is positive transfer more likely?

when learning situations are similar, the material is practiced in different ways and it is connected to what students already know

What is negative transfer?

when prior learning interferes with new learning

What is proactive interference?

old information interferes with new information

What is retroactive interference?

new information interferes with old information

How can teachers promote transfer in instruction?

By using examples, giving practice in different ways, teaching thinking strategies, and helping students connect new learning to what they already know.

What is intrinsic motivation?

motivation comes from within or the task itself

What is extrinsic motivation?

motivation driven by external rewards like grades or praise

What does expectancy theory evaluate?

"Can I do this" and "Do I want to do this"

How do students develop expectations?

Through past experiences, feedback, task difficulty, and social influences like teachers and peers.

What are the four types of values in expectancy-value theory?

utility, attainment, interest and cost

How does motivation change with different levels of expectancy and value?

Students are most motivated when they believe they can do the task and think it's important or useful.If either is low, motivation goes down.

What are mastery goals?

focus on improving and learning

What behaviors are mastery - orientated students likely to show?

deep learning strategies, seek help when needed and show persistence and positive attitude

What are performance goals?

focus on demonstrating ability or outperforming

What is performance orientation?

focus on showing ability, getting good grades or outperforming others

What are attributions and where do they come from?

Attributions are explanations for success or failure, based on students' beliefs and experiences.

What are the two dimensions of Weiner's model?

locus of causality and stability

What is an example of internal and stable attribution?

ability = "I am good at math"

What is an example of external and unstable attribution?

Luck = "I guessed well on that test"

What is the impact of attributing failure to external and unstable causes?

can protect since the student believes they can try again and do better next time.

What does self determination theory emphasize?

the need for competence, autonomy, and relatedness to foster intrinsic motivation

What does T.E.C.C. stand for and what are examples of each?

T - task (give meaningful, challenging tasks with real world purpose)

E- evaluation (focus on effort and improvement not just grades)

C- control (offer student choice and autonomy in learning)

C- classroom climate (create safe, respectful environment where mistakes are part of learning)

In relation to achievement goal structure, what does T.A.R.G.E.T. stand for?

T- TASK (making learning task meaningful and engaging)

A- AUTHORITY (give students choices and a voice in learning)

R- RECOGNITION (reward effort and progress, not just outcomes)

G- GROUPING (use cooperative and flexible groupings)

E- EVALUATION (assess based on clear criteria not comparison

T - TIME (allow enough time for learning without pressure)

What is an IEP

an individualized education plan tailored to meet a students unique needs through a collaborative team effort

What are the six pillars of IDEA?

Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), Appropriate evaluation, IEP, Parent/teacher participation, procedural safeguards

What is the least restrictive environment?

a setting that allows students with disabilities to be educated alongside peers to the greatest extent possible

What is the difference between an accommodation and a modification?

accommodation changes how a student learns and modification changes what a student is expected to learn

What are the three key social cognitive theoires?

observational learning, self efficacy, self regulation

What is the model of reciprocal causation?

its a model where behavior, personal factors (belief or attitude) and the environment interact and influence each other

How do social cognitive theories influence student learning?

They explain how the environment, self-beliefs, and observed behavior shape a student's motivation, learning strategies, and academic choices.

What are live and symbolic models in observational learning?

live model: a real person observed in person

symbolic a person observed via media or stories (books, vidoes)

What was the main takeaway from the Bobo Doll Study?

children who watched an adult model aggressive behavior were more likely to imitate that behavior, showing that people learn through observation even without direct reinforcement

What are the four phases of observational learning?

attention, retention, production, motivation

What are vicarious motivators?

They are changes in behavior due to observing others being rewarded or punished, rather than experiencing it directly.

What is an example of a vicarious motivator?

A student sees their classmate get extra credit for turning in homework early, so they are motivated to do the same next time — even though they weren't directly rewarded or told to do so

What is vicarious reinforcement?

Observing someone being rewarded for a behavior increases the likelihood you'll do it too.

What is an example of vicarious reinforcement?

A student sees a peer praised for speaking up in class → they're more likely to participate next time.

What is vicarious punishment?

Observing someone being punished for a behavior makes you less likely to do it.

What is an example of vicarious punishment?

A student sees another get detention for talking back → they avoid arguing with the teacher.

What is the difference between an IEP and 504?

a legal plan under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act that provides accommodations for students with disabilities so they can access the general education curriculum. it does not include special education services but helps remove barriers to learning