Glossary A

Glossary A

Acquisition refers to the process by which people notice and pay attention to information in the environment; because people cannot perceive everything that is happening around them, they acquire only a subset of the information available in the environment.

Acquisition (Learning ) is the time during which a CR first appears and increases in frequency in Operant conditioning. It is also, that part of operant conditioning in which an operant response is followed by a reinforcer, thereby increasing the rate with which the response occurs.

Acquisitiveness refers to the quality of being.

Acrolein is a yellowish or colorless, pungent liquid produced as a by-product of tobacco smoke; one of the aldehydes.

Acromegaly refers to a condition caused by hypersecretion of growth hormone from the pituitary gland that is characterized by enlargement of the extremities, such as the jaw, nose, and fingers.

An acronym is a word formed from the initial letters or groups of letters of a name or phrase. Acronyms are often used in psychology to refer to different therapies, theories, or assessments.

Acrophobia refers to an abnormally excessive and persistent Fear of heights.

Across-fiber pattern principle refers to the notion that each receptor responds to a wide range of stimuli and contributes to the perception of every stimulus in its system.