Gestalt psychology is founded on the assertion that man envisions patterns in a manner that informs their perceptions of reality. This school of thought holds that people perceive pieces of visual information, such as symbols and shapes, in accordance with their configuration, pattern, or organization. Essentially, the whole pattern is more descriptive than the sum …
Man is generally a believing animal. So, beliefs are integral to the existence of humans either as individuals or in the communities or societies to which they belong. Beliefs are often construed to be religious because religion is essentially based on some particular set of beliefs in its entirety. However, it is good to remember …
In basic mathematics and many science branches, we use postulates to advance our arguments or logic positions. Also known as axioms or premises, postulates are statements or positions that are taken to be true. Usually, postulates are things that are generally accepted and do not need proof. In other words, they are self-evident. If we …
QUICK DEFINITION The fixed interval reinforcement schedule is a behaviorist concept in which reinforcement is provided after a consistent time interval, promoting behavior shortly before the anticipated reinforcement time, regardless of the behavior’s frequency. EXPLANATION: Have you ever completed your homework or studied hard because your parent promised you a gift? They were trying to …
QUICK DEFINITION: In psychology, accommodation refers to the adjustment of existing mental schemas or concepts to incorporate new information or experiences, fostering cognitive growth and adaptation to better fit the changing environment or knowledge. EXPLANATION: How do we learn or make sense of the complex world around us? Jean Piaget suggested that this happens through …
Have you ever composed a sentence using the first letters of names in a list? Such sentences are called mnemonics. They help us to memorize new concepts and keep them in our long-term memory. The process of creating a way that helps you memorize information and retain it in your long-term memory is called elaborative …
How do we perceive depth in a 3D world that is sensed through 2D visual senses? For any visual perception to take place, our brains need input information. This is obtained when light enters our eyes carrying information about the world around us. The light is focused on the retina (back of the eye) which …
Learning is all around us. It’s a prerequisite for survival in a tough environment, whether you are a human or an animal. Associative learning is a kind of learning that subjects undergo in their environment. It’s where subjects make associations or links between two things that were not associated with each other before. To do …
QUICK DEFINITION: Shaping in psychology is a behavioral technique involving the rewarding of successive approximations toward a desired behavior. It involves reinforcing behaviors that progressively resemble the target behavior to achieve desired outcomes. EXPLANATION: Have you ever wondered how animals such as bears learn feats like riding a bicycle? The answer lies in shaping. Shaping …
Persuasion is as old as human existence. It seeks to influence people’s attitudes and produce a particular target response. As a result, the process of persuasion has intrigued many people as to how it works. Politicians pay close attention as do companies wanting to market their goods to you. And preachers don’t want to get …