behavior sampling

a data collection method in which the behaviors of one or more individuals are observed and recorded during a designated period of time. Observations can be made in either a natural or a research setting, and they may be conducted over multiple time periods with or without the awareness of the individual being observed.

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Psychology term of the day

January 13th 2025

discontinuity hypothesis

in Gestalt psychology, the viewpoint that emphasizes the role of sudden insight and perceptual reorganization in successful discrimination learning and problem solving. According to this view, a correct answer is only recognized when its relation to the issue as a whole is discovered. Also called discontinuity theory. Compare continuity hypothesis. See also aha experience; all-or-none learning; eureka task.