PSY406 Glossary

 ABILITY GROUPING

A method of creating groups of students who are similar in achievement or ability level.

 ACADEMIC INTRINSIC MOTIVATION

Motivation to learn characterized by curiosity, persistence, a desire to engage in challenging and novel tasks, and a focus on mastery of knowledge and skills.

 ACADEMIC LEARNING TIME

Time students spend engaged in meaningful, appropriate tasks.

 ACCELERATION

A method recommended for gifted students in which they move quickly through grades or receive instruction above grade level in one or two subjects.

 ACCOMMODATION

It involves modifying one's existing knowledge or creating new concepts when new information cannot fit into one's existing thinking.

 ADOLESCENT EGOCENTRISM

Difficulty differentiating between one's own thoughts and the thoughts of others.

 ALGORITHM

A prescribed sequence of steps that, if selected and followed correctly, guarantees a correct solution.

 ASSIMILATION

A process of adaptation that involves fitting new information or experiences into one's existing way of thinking.

 ATTENTION · PSY406 · Glossary

The focusing of mental processes on particular environmental stimuli. Attention is defined as a cluster of integrated events and processes that determine which stimuli receive further processing.

 ATTENTION-DEFICIT / HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)

A neurological condition that impairs self-regulation, leading to problems maintaining attention, inhibiting impulsive or inappropriate responses, executive control over planning, monitoring progress, and selection of strategies in working memory.

 AUTHORITARIAN PARENTING

High level of control in which rules are enforced, yet emotional connectedness is lacking.

 AUTOMATICITY

The ability to respond accurately, quickly, and using few cognitive resources such as attention and strategies while performing a mental or physical skill.

 AUTONOMY

A component of self-determination theory referring to a feeling of having choice and control over one's actions.

 BABBLING

Repetitive consonant-vowel combinations produced by infants, such as dadadada.

 BETWEEN-CLASS ABILITY GROUPING

A practice typical in high school that involves using test scores or past performance to place students into curriculum tracks in which all their classes are with students of similar abilities.

 BLOOM'S TAXONOMY

A categorization of six learning objectives which includes lower-level objectives (remember, understand, apply) and higher-level objectives (analyze, evaluate, create).

 CENTRAL EXECUTIVE

The part of working memory that is responsible for monitoring and directing attention and other mental resources.

 CENTRAL TENDENCY

A score that is typical or representative of the entire group.

 CEREBRAL CORTEX

Extensive outer layer of gray matter of the two cerebral hemispheres, largely responsible for higher brain functions, including sensation, voluntary muscle movement, thought, reasoning, and memory.

 CLASS MEETINGS

A format for participatory classroom management in which teachers and students make joint decisions about class rules and consequences, room arrangement, and preferred activities.

 COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT (CBM)

Technique that teaches students to regulate their own behavior using a series of instructions that they memorize, internalize, and apply to different school tasks.

 COMPETENCY BELIEF

Belief that one has the ability to perform a task or succeed at an activity.

 CONCEPTUAL KNOWLEDGE

A form of mental representation that reflects an understanding of declarative or procedural knowledge.

 CONTINGENCY MANAGEMENT

An approach to behavior modification involving the use of consequences that are tied to specific behaviors.

 CONTROL

Behavioral aspect of parenting in which parents provide limits and discipline.

 CONVERGENT THINKING

Reaching one conclusion or right answer

 COOPERATIVE LEARNING

A method of grouping students together to work collaboratively characterized by five elements positive interdependence, individual and group accountability, interpersonal skills, face-to-face interaction, and group processing.

 CORRELATIONAL DESIGNS

Research design that attempts to make connections between two variables

 CREATIVE ABILITIES

The ability to generate novel ideas and take risks in pursuing implementation of ideas.

 CREATIVITY

A variety of traits, skills, and capacities that lead an individual to think divergently and generate novel ideas or products.

 DAILY LESSON PLANS

Instruction plan for one day that may have various formats depending on grade level and subject area and include many components such as objectives, materials needed, and assessments.