AAMC1: PS

Question 1

define the following:

• state dependency effect
• misinformation effect
• dual coding effect

Answer 1

State dependency effect: Memory retrieval is most efficient when an individual is in the same state of consciousness as they were when the memory was formed.

Misinformation effect: Retroactive interference. When a person’s recall of episodic memories becomes less accurate because of post-event information.

Dual coding effect: Easier to remember words associated with images than either one alone

Question 2

piaget’s water conservation theory

Answer 2

conservation tasks are mastered during the concrete operations stage, which starts at approximately 7 years and ends around 11 to 12 years

those at the beginning of this stage may not understand it as completely or consistently as those at the later end of the stage

Question 3

humanistic theory

vs behaviorist theory

Answer 3

(Carl Rogers) focuses on the conscious, and says people are inherently good, and we are self-motivated to improve (so we can reach self-actualization)

focuses on the role of reinforcement and punishment in shaping behavior

Question 4

trait theory

Answer 4

aka Dispositional theory

A personality trait is a stable predisposition towards a certain behavior.

Straightforward way to describe personality - puts it in patterns of behavior

Question 5

define the following:

• interoceptive awareness
• autonomic NS
• somatic NS

Answer 5

interoceptive awareness is described as increased sensitivity to internal bodily sensations, such as heartbeat and blood pressure, which are regulated by the autonomic nervous system.

Autonomic nervous system: largely unconsciously and regulates bodily functions such as the heart rate, digestion, respiratory rate, pupillary response, urination, and sexual arousal

Somatic nervous system: part of the peripheral nervous system associated with the voluntary control of body movements via skeletal muscles; consists of afferent nerves or sensory nerves, and efferent nerves or motor nerves

Question 6

define the following:

• top down processes
• affective processes
• cognitive processes

Answer 6

Top-down processes: using your background knowledge to make inferences about a situation

Affective processes: using your feelings to asses a situation (think affection)

Cognitive processes: your way of thinking/how you thought about a situation.

Question 7

habituation v dishabituation

Answer 7

reduced responding to a repeating stimulus

change in stimulus to elicit a “fresh” response

Question 8

what does the conductivity of the skin suggest?

Answer 8

Increased electrical conductivity of the skin is a physiological indication of increased sympathetic arousal, which is associated with anxiety.

Question 9

Which statement provides the LEAST likely explanation for why the researchers dropped the highly anxious participants from their sample?

A. Ethical committees do not allow research with participants who may have psychological disorders.
B. If all the anxious participants get assigned to the stress condition, this may pose a confounding variable.
C. Highly anxious participants are not representative of the population and may reduce the generalizability of the findings.
D. If all the anxious participants get assigned to the control condition, this may lead to a false rejection of the experimental hypothesis.

Answer 9

Answer is A) It is ethically practicable to conduct research on people who score high on anxiety.

However, having outliers accumulate in the experimental or control condition can lead to confounding or to errors in statistical inference. It may also limit the generalizability of the results.

Question 10

selye’s general adaptation syndrome

Answer 10

people’s response to various stressors is similar

alarm reaction
resistance phase
exhaustion phase

Question 11

median

v mean

Answer 11

median: splits the sample distribution in half; not affected by outliers
mean: average of all values; affected by outliers

Question 12

gentrification

Answer 12

reinvestment in lower income neighborhoods in urban areas, which results from the influx of more affluent groups

With the arrival of more affluent residents, housing demand increases and generally results in a decrease of affordable housing for lower income residents, leading to them being unable to live in the area anymore

Question 13

Assimilation

Answer 13

process of social integration and generally refers to when new members adopt the main elements of a culture; defined by cultural adaptation, adopting new norms, and relinquishing old norms

Question 14

Sapir–Whorf hypothesis (2)

Answer 14

aka language relativity or WHORFIANISM; linguistic theory that the structure of a language affects its speakers’ world view or cognition

Strong version: language determines thought, and that linguistic categories limit and determine cognitive categories

Weak version: linguistic categories and usage only influence thought and certain kinds of non-linguistic behavior

Question 15

Social support

Answer 15

social network ties (friends, family, and other relationships) that provide an individual with various types of assistance, which are associated with improving health or reducing harm

Question 16

subjective v objective measures

Answer 16

Subjective: indirect / qualitative; participants provide their own responses / opinions

Objective: direct / quantitative; participant responses fall into measurable ranges

Question 17

extrinsic v intrinsic factors

Answer 17

Extrinsic factors are uncontrollable by the participant and instead guide their behavior; they typically do not differ btwn participants.

Intrinsic factors differ in degrees between individuals and act to define certain aspects of that individual (ie behavior, motivation, emotion).

Question 18

why are 3 person groups more stable than 2 person groups

Answer 18

Triadic groups are more stable than dyadic groups; from the perspective of basic group dynamics in sociology, larger groups are generally considered more stable but less intimate, whereas smaller groups are usually considered less stable but more intimate.

Can be reasoned through two person power dynamics (ie master slave, doctor patient, where one individual has superiority over the other)

Question 19

define the following:

• mixed methods approach
• ethnographic methods
• caste system

Answer 19

Mixed methods approach of experimental design: bringing together quantitative methods and qualitative methods

Ethnographic methods are involve systematic observation of a complete social environment.

Caste systems describe closed stratification systems that do not allow for social mobility.