The major thing I have learned after asking this question and reading the constructive and helpful responses is that now there is not only a science of what individual components do and how they perform when connected together in groups, but also there is science in how they are connected together.
Many years ago things were massive and soldered together with big blobs of solder. You took connection for granted. But now things are smaller and more sensitive to things like voltage and current and heat. You can still solder, and this is preferred for long lasting and reliable final versions, but spring clip and IDC connectors have made things a lot easier for experimenting and in situations where components need to be swapped out on a regular basis.
A Google search on "electronics ribbon cable three pin female connector" took me pretty quickly to a bunch of resources related to what I am looking for.
Thanks guys, you helped me realize the importance of the "connector" as opposed to what is being connected.