Core psychology terms and theories tested on the CLEP Introductory Psychology exam. Front: the term or theory. Back: a plain-language definition.
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- Operant conditioning
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Learning in which behavior is strengthened or weakened by the consequences that follow it, such as rewards or punishments.- Classical conditioning
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Learning that occurs when a neutral stimulus is paired repeatedly with an unconditioned stimulus, causing the neutral stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.- Reinforcement
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A consequence that increases the likelihood that a behavior will be repeated in the future.- Punishment
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A consequence that decreases the likelihood that a behavior will be repeated in the future.- Extinction
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The weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response when the reinforcement or pairing is no longer provided.- Neurotransmitter
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A chemical messenger released by one neuron that crosses the synapse and affects the activity of another neuron.- Synapse
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The tiny gap between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrite of another neuron, where neural communication occurs.- Action potential
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A rapid change in the electrical potential across a neuron membrane, allowing the neuron to transmit signals over long distances.- Hemispheric lateralization
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The specialization of different functions in the left and right cerebral hemispheres, such as language typically being left-dominant.- Encoding
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The process of converting sensory information into a form that can be stored and retrieved from memory.- Storage
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The process of maintaining information in memory over time after it has been encoded.- Retrieval
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The process of accessing and recalling information that has been stored in memory.- Working memory
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A limited-capacity memory system that temporarily holds and manipulates information currently being used, lasting seconds to minutes.- Long-term memory
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A memory system with essentially unlimited capacity that can store information for years or even a lifetime.- Semantic memory
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Memory for facts, concepts, and the meanings of words, independent of the context in which the information was learned.
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