CLEP 2026-2027
Psychology Exam
2026
Master Exam Prep Bundle
(Verified Questions & Answers)
A+ Grade Guaranteed
,A pattern of thought or behavior that organizes categories Schemas
of information and the relationships among them.
A theory predicting how and when we detect the presence Signal Detection Theory
of a faint stimulus ("signal") amid background stimulation
("noise"). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold
and detection depends partly on a person's experience,
expectations, motivation, and level of fatigue.
A neurologically based condition in which a person Synesthesia
experiences "crossed" responses to stimuli. It occurs when
stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway (e.g.,
hearing) leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a
second sensory or cognitive pathway (e.g., vision).
A measure of how rapidly a wave oscillates. The higher Wave Frequency
this value, the greater the amount of energy in the wave.
Depicts the intensity or force with which air strikes the ear Wave Amplitude
(loudness)
Also known as pure light and are made up of waves of all Monochromatic Light
one color
Adapting or revising one's current understandings Accommodation
(schemas) to incorporate new information.
A form of psychological treatment in which the patient is Aversion Therapy
exposed to a stimulus while simultaneously being
subjected to some form of discomfort.
e.g. applying an electric shock to a patient each time they
attempt to drink alcohol
The most basic and fundamental type of learning Conditioning
Training of an organism to withdraw from an unpleasant Avoidance conditioning
stimulus before it starts
A type of learning in which one learns to link two or more Classical Conditioning
stimuli and anticipate events
e.g. Ivan Pavlov's dogs that salivate at the sound of a bell
In this example, salivating is a NORMAL (classical)
response to food.
*A response not normally associated with a given stimulus. Conditioned Response
*In Pavlov's experiment, the dogs started salivating even if
there was no food. Dogs do not normally salivate when a
bell rings unless they knew from before that when a bell
rings, food comes.
Ordinarily a neutral stimulus paired with a unconditioned Conditioned Stimulus
stimulus to achieve a desired result and eventually
produces the desired response in an organism when
presented alone; in Pavlov's experiment, the bell
2026
,A strategy that seeks to change behavior by modifying its Contingency Management
consequences.
Occurs when reinforcement is delivered after every single Continuous Reinforcement (CRF) Schedule
target behaviour
The ability to perceive and respond to differences among Discrimination (Psychology)
stimuli
When an aversive stimulus is presented, an animal Escape Conditioning
responds by leaving the stimulus situation.
The first of the four stages Piaget uses to define cognitive Sensorimotor Stage
development. Piaget designated the first two years of an
infants life. During this period, infants are busy discovering
relationships between their bodies and the environment.
In Piaget's theory, the stage (from about 2 to 6 or 7 years Preoperational Stage
of age) during which a child learns to use language but
does not yet comprehend the mental operations of
concrete logic
in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development Concrete Operational Stage
(from about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age) during which
children gain the mental operations that enable them to
think logically about concrete events
Piaget's fourth and final stage of cognitive development Formal Operations Stage
(ages 11 or 12 and beyond), which is characterized by the
ability to apply logical thinking to abstract problems and
hypothetical situations
The tendency to respond in the same way to different but Generalization
similar stimuli. For example, a dog conditioned to salivate
to a tone of a particular pitch and loudness will also
salivate with considerable regularity in response to tones
of higher and lower pitch.
Process of conditioning a test subject Habituation
The tendency of an animal to revert to instinctive behaviors Instinctive Drift
that interfere with a conditioned response.
Learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an Latent Learning
incentive to demonstrate it. For example, a child might
learn how to complete a math problem in class, but this
learning is not immediately obvious. Only when the child is
offered some form of reinforcement for completing the
problem does this learning reveal itself.
Escape from a painful situation is impossible because the Learned Helplessness
subject has learned from a previous and similar situation
2026
, The ability to become increasingly more effective in solving Learning Set
problems as more problems are solved.
A therapeutic technique in which the client learns Modeling
appropriate behavior through imitation of someone else.
Any event whose reduction or termination (taken away) Negative Reinforcer
increases the likelihood that ongoing behavior will recur.
*A child cleans her room to avoid her parents nagging
*Seat belt buzzer stops when the seat belt is fastened
Behavior that maintains or increases in frequency when Operant
reinforced and decreases when punished or not
reinforced.
*Coined by B.F. Skinner
One's organized mental representations of the world Schemas
A stimulus that increases the future probability of a Positive Reinforcer
response upon which its presentation is contingent.
An innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies Primary Reinforcer
a biological need. (Natural, unlearned, and rooted in
biology)
*Food, thirst, and shelter
A stimulus change that decreases the future frequency of Punisher
behavior that immediately precedes it.
A simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory Reflex
stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response.
Neural Stimuli that increases the rate of a response due to Secondary Reinforcer
association with other reinforcers. Has an aquired reward
or punishment value.
*"A" on a report card or a pat on the back. Money, praise,
attention, approval, affection, and grades are all examples.
An operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers Shaping
guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of
the desired behavior.
Stimulus that produces a response even without Unconditioned Stimulus
conditioning
*Dogs automatically salivate in response to food
A methodical, logical rule or procedure that GUARANTEES Algorithm
solving a particular problem.
The recall one experiences through the process of Category clustering
grouping words together into categories even if they are
presented in a random order--done through conceptual
processes.
2026
Psychology Exam
2026
Master Exam Prep Bundle
(Verified Questions & Answers)
A+ Grade Guaranteed
,A pattern of thought or behavior that organizes categories Schemas
of information and the relationships among them.
A theory predicting how and when we detect the presence Signal Detection Theory
of a faint stimulus ("signal") amid background stimulation
("noise"). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold
and detection depends partly on a person's experience,
expectations, motivation, and level of fatigue.
A neurologically based condition in which a person Synesthesia
experiences "crossed" responses to stimuli. It occurs when
stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway (e.g.,
hearing) leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a
second sensory or cognitive pathway (e.g., vision).
A measure of how rapidly a wave oscillates. The higher Wave Frequency
this value, the greater the amount of energy in the wave.
Depicts the intensity or force with which air strikes the ear Wave Amplitude
(loudness)
Also known as pure light and are made up of waves of all Monochromatic Light
one color
Adapting or revising one's current understandings Accommodation
(schemas) to incorporate new information.
A form of psychological treatment in which the patient is Aversion Therapy
exposed to a stimulus while simultaneously being
subjected to some form of discomfort.
e.g. applying an electric shock to a patient each time they
attempt to drink alcohol
The most basic and fundamental type of learning Conditioning
Training of an organism to withdraw from an unpleasant Avoidance conditioning
stimulus before it starts
A type of learning in which one learns to link two or more Classical Conditioning
stimuli and anticipate events
e.g. Ivan Pavlov's dogs that salivate at the sound of a bell
In this example, salivating is a NORMAL (classical)
response to food.
*A response not normally associated with a given stimulus. Conditioned Response
*In Pavlov's experiment, the dogs started salivating even if
there was no food. Dogs do not normally salivate when a
bell rings unless they knew from before that when a bell
rings, food comes.
Ordinarily a neutral stimulus paired with a unconditioned Conditioned Stimulus
stimulus to achieve a desired result and eventually
produces the desired response in an organism when
presented alone; in Pavlov's experiment, the bell
2026
,A strategy that seeks to change behavior by modifying its Contingency Management
consequences.
Occurs when reinforcement is delivered after every single Continuous Reinforcement (CRF) Schedule
target behaviour
The ability to perceive and respond to differences among Discrimination (Psychology)
stimuli
When an aversive stimulus is presented, an animal Escape Conditioning
responds by leaving the stimulus situation.
The first of the four stages Piaget uses to define cognitive Sensorimotor Stage
development. Piaget designated the first two years of an
infants life. During this period, infants are busy discovering
relationships between their bodies and the environment.
In Piaget's theory, the stage (from about 2 to 6 or 7 years Preoperational Stage
of age) during which a child learns to use language but
does not yet comprehend the mental operations of
concrete logic
in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development Concrete Operational Stage
(from about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age) during which
children gain the mental operations that enable them to
think logically about concrete events
Piaget's fourth and final stage of cognitive development Formal Operations Stage
(ages 11 or 12 and beyond), which is characterized by the
ability to apply logical thinking to abstract problems and
hypothetical situations
The tendency to respond in the same way to different but Generalization
similar stimuli. For example, a dog conditioned to salivate
to a tone of a particular pitch and loudness will also
salivate with considerable regularity in response to tones
of higher and lower pitch.
Process of conditioning a test subject Habituation
The tendency of an animal to revert to instinctive behaviors Instinctive Drift
that interfere with a conditioned response.
Learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an Latent Learning
incentive to demonstrate it. For example, a child might
learn how to complete a math problem in class, but this
learning is not immediately obvious. Only when the child is
offered some form of reinforcement for completing the
problem does this learning reveal itself.
Escape from a painful situation is impossible because the Learned Helplessness
subject has learned from a previous and similar situation
2026
, The ability to become increasingly more effective in solving Learning Set
problems as more problems are solved.
A therapeutic technique in which the client learns Modeling
appropriate behavior through imitation of someone else.
Any event whose reduction or termination (taken away) Negative Reinforcer
increases the likelihood that ongoing behavior will recur.
*A child cleans her room to avoid her parents nagging
*Seat belt buzzer stops when the seat belt is fastened
Behavior that maintains or increases in frequency when Operant
reinforced and decreases when punished or not
reinforced.
*Coined by B.F. Skinner
One's organized mental representations of the world Schemas
A stimulus that increases the future probability of a Positive Reinforcer
response upon which its presentation is contingent.
An innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies Primary Reinforcer
a biological need. (Natural, unlearned, and rooted in
biology)
*Food, thirst, and shelter
A stimulus change that decreases the future frequency of Punisher
behavior that immediately precedes it.
A simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory Reflex
stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response.
Neural Stimuli that increases the rate of a response due to Secondary Reinforcer
association with other reinforcers. Has an aquired reward
or punishment value.
*"A" on a report card or a pat on the back. Money, praise,
attention, approval, affection, and grades are all examples.
An operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers Shaping
guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of
the desired behavior.
Stimulus that produces a response even without Unconditioned Stimulus
conditioning
*Dogs automatically salivate in response to food
A methodical, logical rule or procedure that GUARANTEES Algorithm
solving a particular problem.
The recall one experiences through the process of Category clustering
grouping words together into categories even if they are
presented in a random order--done through conceptual
processes.
2026
