AAMC FL 3 P/S Flashcards
assume that overlapping error bars or confidence intervals means _______
(unless indicated otherwise)
no statistically significant difference
glutamate neurotransmitter type (excitatory vs inhibitory)
excitatory
CNS
social facilitation
when being in the presence of others improves individual task performance
conformity
matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms
“peer pressure”
conflict theory
the idea that society is made of institutions that benefit the powerful and creates inequalities
there are opposing groups and power dynamics
focuses on the unequal distribution of resources and power differentials across society, the struggle for power, and the creation and maintenance of social order
all about conflict between the have and the have nots, inequality of resources, social stratification, etc
intragenerational mobility
a person’s social movements throughout a person’s own lifetime
intergenerational mobility
inter = between
the extent to which individuals move up (or down) the social ladder compared with their parents
role engulfment
when one role engulfs or overtakes someone’s identity
symbolic interactionism
assumes that people respond to elements of their environments according to the subjective meanings they attach to those elements
studies social practices and rituals
eidetic memory
photographic memory
the ability to recall an image from memory with high precision for a brief period after seeing it only once
prospective memory
remembering to do things in future; remembering intentions
reproductive vs reconstructive memory
reproductive → remembering this EXACTLY as they were (perfect memory)
reconstructive → more realistic; memories are “reconstructed” as we recall them and not always precise
Iconic memory
visual memory (short lasting)
Semantic memory
general knowledge/facts
Episodic memory
memory of past events
Procedural memory
how to do things
(ex. ride a bike or tie shoes)
illness anxiety disorder
when someone is worried about getting sick despite having no somatic symptoms
somatic symptom disorder
when someone has a somatic symptom, but is disproportionately worried about its seriousness
elaboration likelihood
focuses on the why/how of persuasion
2 ways info is processed:
- Central → depends on quality of arguments by persuader
- Peripheral → superficial/non-verbal persuasion cues, such as attractiveness/status of persuader
pons function
unconscious processes and jobs, such as your sleep-wake cycle and breathing
contains sensory and motor pathways between the cortex and the medulla oblongata
more specific to basic life functions (sleeping, breathing, etc.) because of its location (the hindbrain)
MRI
fMRI
PET scans
EEG
measure brain activity (waves), but at a LARGE scale (not specific structures like PET and fMRI)
used to diagnose seizures, sleep disorders,
CT scans
reinforcement vs punishment
reinforcement → increases a behaviour
punishment → decreases a behaviour
positive vs negative (for reinforcement or punishment)
positive → adding something (either a punishment or reward)
negative → taking away something (taking something good as a punishment or taking something bad as a reward)
associative vs non associative learning
Nonassociative learning → when an organism is repeatedly exposed to one type of stimulus, ex. habituation and sensitization
Associative learning → when one event is connected to another, ex. classical and operant conditioning
self-verification
the tendency to look for information that aligns with out self-concept
we are more likely to believe info that is consistent with our current view
self-efficacy
an individual’s belief in their capacity to execute the behaviours necessary to produce specific performance attainments
self-serving bias
taking personal credit for positive events or outcomes
but blaming outside factors for negative events
Five Factor Model of personality
a model which describes everyones personality in terms of these 5 factors:
- *O**penness
- *C**onscientiousness
- *E**xtroversion
- *A**greeableness
- *N**euroticism
(Use acronym OCEAN)
psychodynamic approach to personality
(Freud)
has to do with conscious vs unconscious mind
id, ego, and superego
acetylcholine
regulates movement and muscle contraction
GABA
inhibitory neurotransmitter
Endorphins
natural pain-killers; feel good; released during exercise
Serotonin
regulates mood, appetite/hunger and bowel movements, sleep, blood clotting, bone health, and more
Five Factor: conscientiousness
the personality trait of being careful, or diligent
those with high conscientiousness prefer to follow a plan, rather than act spontaneously
Five Factor: neuroticism
a trait that reflects a person’s level of emotional stability
often defined as a negative personality trait involving negative emotions, poor self-regulation (an inability to manage urges), trouble dealing with stress, a strong reaction to perceived threats, and the tendency to complain
incentive theory of motivation
based on incentives/rewards
drive theory of motivation
based on natural drives such as thirst and hunger?
Expectancy-value theory
people are motivated to do a task based on the subjective value that the task has to them and on how they expect themselves to perform on the task
self-determination theory of motivation
people are able to become self-determined when their needs for competence, connection, and autonomy are fulfilled
motion parallax
things farther away move slower
vestibular sense
the sense of balance and spatial orientation for the purpose of coordinating movement with balance.
the ability to close your eyes and have an awareness of your position in space
perceptual maladaptation
any trait that is more harmful than helpful
Gestalt principles
similarity, continuation, closure, proximity, pragnanz
figure/ground and symmetry?
gestalt principle: pragnanz
reality is organized to the simplest form possible
ex. this is more likely to be seem as 5 circles (most likely) rather than other complex shapes
