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MCAT Behavioral Sciences Review > 4 Cognition, Consciousness, and Language > Flashcards

4 Cognition, Consciousness, and Language Flashcards

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MCAT flashcards
1
Q

cognition

A

how our brains process and react to incredible information overload from the world

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2
Q

Information Processing Model

A
  1. Thinking requires sensation, encoding, and storage of stimuli.
  2. Stimuli must be analyzed by the brain (rather than responded to automatically) to be useful in decision-making.
  3. Decisions made in one situation can be extrapolated/adjusted to help solve new problems (situational modification).
  4. Problem-solving is dependent not only on the person’s cognitive level, but also on the context/complexity of the problem.
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3
Q

cognitive development

A

development of one’s ability to think and solve problems across the lifespan

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4
Q

Piaget

A

stages of cognitive development

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5
Q

schema

A

concept, behavior, sequence of events

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6
Q

adaptation

A

new information processed

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7
Q

assimilation

A

classifying new info into existing schemata

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8
Q

accommodation

A

existing schemata modified to encompass new info

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9
Q

stages of cognitive development:

1. sensorimotor stage

A

birth - 2 years

child learns to manipulate environment in order to meet physical needs

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10
Q

primary circular reactions

A

repetition of body movement, originally occurred by chance

ex. sucking thumb (soothing)

sensorimotor stage

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11
Q

secondary circular reactions

A

manipulation focused on something outside body

ex. throwing toys from high chair (response from environment)

sensorimotor stage

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12
Q

object permanence

A

understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of view

sensorimotor stage

milestone that ends stage

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13
Q

stages of cognitive development:

2. preoperational stage

A

2 to 7 years

symbolic thinking: ability to pretend, play make-believe, have an imagination

egocentrism: inability to understand what another person may think/feel
centration: tendency to focus on only one aspect of a phenomenon, inability to understand concept of conservation

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14
Q

stages of cognitive development:

3. concrete operational stage

A

7 to 11 years

undestand conservation
consider perspectives of others
engage in logical thought while working with concrete objects/information directly available

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15
Q

stages of cognitive development:

4. formal operational stage

A

> 11 years

ability to think logically about abstract ideas

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16
Q

Vygotsky

A

engine driving cognitive development = child’s internalization of his/her own culture

  • interpersonal/societal rules
  • symbols
  • language
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17
Q

late adulthood

fluid intelligence

A

problem-solving skills

peak in early adulthood

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18
Q

late adulthood

crystallized intelligence

A

use of learned skills/knowledge

peak in middle adulthood

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19
Q

mental set

A

tendency to approach similar problems in the same way

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20
Q

functional fixedness

A

inability to consider how to use an object in nontraditional manner

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21
Q

trial-and-error

A

various solutions tried until one works

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22
Q

algorithms

A

formula/procedure for solving a certain type of problem

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23
Q

deductive reasoning (top-down)

A

starts from general set of rules; draws conclusions from the information given

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24
Q

inductive reasoning (bottom-up)

A

create a theory via generalizations

specific instances –> generalizations

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25
Q

heuristics

A

simplified principles used to make decisions

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26
Q

availability heuristic

A

how easily similar situations can be imagined

decide how likely something is

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27
Q

representativeness heuristic

A

categorizing items on the basis of whether they fit the prototypical, stereotypical, or representative image of the category

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28
Q

disconfirmation principle

A

when a potential solution fails during testing, it should be discarded

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29
Q

confirmation bias

A

tendency to focus on information that fits beliefs/reject that which does not
attributes to overconfidence, belief perserverance

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30
Q

intuition

A

ability to act on perceptions that may not be supported by available evidence
recognition-primed decision model

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31
Q

emotion

A

subjective experience of a person in a certain situation

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32
Q

Gardner

A

Theory of Multiple Intelligences

  1. linguistic
  2. logical-mathematical
  3. musical
  4. visual-spatial
  5. bodily-kinesthetic
  6. interpersonal
  7. intrapersonal
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33
Q

intelligence quotient (IQ)

A

Stanford-Binet IQ test

(mental age / chronological age) x 100

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34
Q

reticular formation (in brainstem)

A

keeps prefrontal cortex

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35
Q

alertness maintained by neurological circuits in ________ cortex

A

prefrontal

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36
Q

electroencephalography (EEG)

A

records brain wave activity

average of electrical patterns within different portions of brain

37
Q

beta waves

A

high frequency
occur when alert/attending to a task that requires concentration
neurons randomly firing

38
Q

alpha waves

A

awake, but relaxing with eyes closed

slower, more synchronized

39
Q

theta waves

A

Stage 1 –> as soon as you doze off
irregular, slower frequencies, higher voltages

Stage 2 –> more deep sleep
with sleep spindles and K complexes

40
Q

delta waves

A

Stage 3 and 4 –> deep sleep
slow-wave sleep (SWS)

EGG activity slows –> only few waves/second
low-frequency, high voltage
cognitive recovery; memory consolidation (declarative)
increased growth hormone release

41
Q

REM sleep

“paradoxical sleep”

A

between cycles of non-REM
arousal like wakefulness
muscles paralyzed

  • dreams
  • memory consolidation (procedural)
42
Q

sleep cycle

A

50 min in children
90 min in adults

makeup changes through night
(early = SWS –> wakeful –> later = REM)

43
Q

disruptions in sleep cycle

A 
decreased:
cognitive development
memory
mood
problem solving
motor skills
44
Q

Circadian rhythms

A

24-hour cycle
somewhat affected by external cues (ex. light)
biochemical signals

45
Q

pineal gland

partially attributed to sleepiness

A

melatonin

46
Q

adrenal cortex

wakefulness

A

cortisol

47
Q

dreaming

A

75% during REM
(longer, more vivid)

not fully understood

48
Q

activation-synthesis theory

A

widespread, random activation of neural circuitry
mimic incoming sensory information & stored process
cortex stitches unrelated info together
bizarre, but somewhat familiar

49
Q

problem-solving dream theory

A

a way to solve problems while sleeping

different interpretations of obstacles

50
Q

cognitive process dream theory

A

sleeping counterpart of stream-of-consciousness

51
Q

neurocognitive models of dreaming

A

seek to unify biological & psychological perspectives

correlate subjective, cognitive experience with measurable physiological changes

52
Q

hypnosis

A

highly suggestible state

53
Q

meditation

A

quieting of mind for some purpose

54
Q

reduce nervous system activity

relaxation/reduced anxiety

A

depressants

55
Q

increases activity of GABA receptor
(chloride channel –> hyperpolarization of membrane)
- generalized brain inhibition
- diminished arousal at moderate doses

increases dopamine levels

  • mild euphoria
  • logical reasoning/motor skills affected
  • fatigue may result

Long-Term:
cirrhosis, liver failure, pancreatic damage, gastric/duodenal ulcers, gastrointestinal cancer, brain disorders

A

alcohol

56
Q

alcohol myopia

A

inability to recognize consequences of actions

57
Q

increase GABA activity
sense of relaxation
- highly addictive
- easily overdosed (especially if mixed with alcohol)

A

barbiturates

benzodiazepines

58
Q

increase arousal

increase frequency of action potentials (different mechanisms)

A

stimulants

59
Q

increase dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin
decrease reuptake^

  • decreased appetite
  • decreased need for sleep
  • increased heart rate and blood pressure

euphoria, hypervigilance, anxiety, delusions of grandeur, paranoia

withdrawal: depression, fatigue, irritability

A

amphetamines

60
Q

decreased reuptake of dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin

euphoria, hypervigilance, anxiety, delusions of grandeur, paranoia

withdrawal: depression, fatigue, irritability

anesthetic and vasoconstrictive properties

A

cocaine

61
Q

hallucinogen + amphetamine
“designer amphetamine”

  • increased heart rate and blood pressure
  • blurry vision
  • sweating
  • nausea
  • hyperthermia

euphoria, increased alertness, overwhelming state of well-being/connectedness

A

ecstasy (MDMA)

62
Q

morphine, codeine

natural

A

opiates

63
Q

oxycodone, hydrocodone, heroin

semi-synthetic

A

opioids

64
Q

complex interaction between various NTs (especially serotonin)

distortions of reality/fantasy
enhancement of sensory experiences
introspection

increased heart rate and blood pressure and body temperature
dilation of pupils
sweating

A

hallucinogens

ex. LSD

65
Q

decreases GABA activity
increases dopamine activity (pleasure)

eye redness, dry mouth, fatigue, impairment of short-term memory

increased heart rate
increased appetite
decreased blood pressure

A

marijuana

active chemical = THC

cannabinoid, glycine, opioid receptors

66
Q

mesolimbic reward pathway

A

motivation & emotional response
(1/4 dopaminergic pathways in brain)

activation leads to positive reinforcement for substance abuse = drug addiction

67
Q

selective attention

A

focus on one part of the sensorium

filter between sensory stimuli and processing systems

68
Q

divided attention

A

ability to perform multiple tasks at the same time

familiar/routine tasks –> automatic processing

69
Q

phonology

A

actual sound of a language

70
Q

categorical perception

A

pronunciation of words varies between people

auditory example of constancy, children must learn

71
Q

morphology

A

structure of words

72
Q

semantics

A

association of meaning with a word

73
Q

syntax

A

how words are put together to form sentences

74
Q

pragmatics

A

dependence of language on context/pre-existing knowledge

75
Q

timeline of language

A

9 to 12 months: babbling
12 to 18 months: ~1 word/month
18 to 20 months: “explosion of language” and combining words
2 to 3 years: longer sentences (3 words or more)
5 years: language rules largely mastered

76
Q

nativist (biological) theory of language

A

Chomsky

existence of some innate capacity for language

77
Q

transformational grammar

A

syntactic transformations/changes in word order that retain the same meaning

nativist theory - Chomsky

78
Q

Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

A

theoretical pathway in brain that allows infants to process/absorb language rules

nativist theory - Chomsky

79
Q

learning (behaviorist) theory of language

A

Skinner

language acquisition by operant conditioning

80
Q

reinforcement

A

parents/caregivers repeat/reinforce sounds that sound much like the language spoken by the parents (in infants)

81
Q

social interactionist theory

A

interplay between biological and social processes

driven by child’s desire to communicate/behave in social manner

82
Q

Whorfian hypothesis (linguistic relativity hypothesis)

A

perception of reality determined by content of language

language affects the way we think

83
Q

Broca’s area

A

inferior frontal gyrus of the frontal lobe

controls motor function of speech via connections with the motor cortex

84
Q

Wernicke’s area

A

superior temporal gyrus of temporal lobe

language comprehension

85
Q

arcuate fasciculus

A

bundle of axons connecting Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas

language comprehension speech production

86
Q

aphasia

A

deficit of language production/comprehension

87
Q

Broca’s (expressive) aphasia

A

language comprehension, but no production

88
Q

Wernicke’s (receptive) aphasia

A

language production, but no comprehension

89
Q

conduction aphasia (arcuate fasciculus)

A

connection lost (unable to repeat something that has just been said)

MCAT Behavioral Sciences Review (10 decks)

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