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MCAT > Behavioral Science > Flashcards

Behavioral Science Flashcards

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1
Q

conformity

A

the changing of beliefs or behaviors in order to fit into a group or society.

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2
Q

Locus of control

A

The characterization of the source of influences on the events in one’s life; can be internal or external.

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3
Q

Explicit Memory

A

Memory that requires conscious recall, divided into facts (semantic memory) and experiences (episodic memory); also known as declarative memory.

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4
Q

Hypothalamus

A

Key player for emotional experience during high-arousal states, aggressive behavior, and sexual behavior.

  • controls endocrine functions as well as autonomic nervous system
  • plays in homeostasis
  • receptors regulate metabolism, temperature and water balance
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5
Q

Thalamus

A

Important relay station for incoming sensory information, including all senses except for smell. Projects incoming signals to appropriate areas in the cerebral cortex

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6
Q

Cerebral cortex

A

outer covering of the cerebral hemispheres

-divided into four lobes

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7
Q

Frontal lobe

A

executive function, impulse control, long term planning, motor function, speech production (Broca’s area)

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8
Q

Parietal lobe

A

sensation of touch, pressure, temperature, and pain (somatosensory cortex); spatial processing, orientation, and manipulation

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9
Q

Occipital lobe

A

visual processing

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10
Q

Temporal lobe

A

Sound processing (auditory cortex), speech perception (Wernicke’’s area), memory and emotion (limbic sys)

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11
Q

Basal ganglia

A

coordinate muscle movements as they receive information from the cortex and relay this information to the brain and the spinal cord.
-smoothen movements and help maintain postural stability

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12
Q

Limbic system

A

comprises a group of interconnected structures looping around the central portion of the brain and is primarily associated with emotion and memory. (includes the amygdala and hippocampus)

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13
Q

Septal nuclei

A

involved with feelings of pleasure, pleasure-seeking behavior, and addiction

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14
Q

Amygdala

A

controls fear and aggression

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15
Q

Hippocampus

A

consolidates memories and communicates with other parts of the limbic system through an extension called the fornix

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16
Q

optic nerve

A

carries all the information from the associated eye

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17
Q

optic chiasm

A

contains crossing nasal fibers (the temporal visual field) from each eye

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18
Q

optic tract

A

carries all the information from the opposite visual field
-project directly to their respective occipital lobe.
Therefore, damage to the right occipital lobe will cause loss of the left visual field.
Also, a complete lesion of the right optic tract would therefore cause a loss of the left visual field from both eyes

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19
Q

nasal fibers

A

carry information from the temporal visual field

-cross at the optic chiasm

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20
Q

elaborative rehearsal

A

the association of information in short-term memory to information already stored in longterm memory; aids in long-term storage.

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21
Q

Melatonin

A

A serotonin derivative secreted by the pineal gland that is associated with sleepiness

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22
Q

Forebrain

A

A portion of the brain that is associated with complex perceptual, cognitive, and behavioral processes such as emotion and memory.

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23
Q

Social constructionism

A

a theoretical approach that uncovers the ways in which individuals and groups participate in the formation of their perceived social reality

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24
Q

Accommodation

A

process by which existing schemata are modified to encompass new information

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25
Q

reinforcement

A

in operant conditioning, the use of a stimulus designed to increase the frequency of a desired behavior

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26
Q

deviance

A

the violation of norms, rules, or expectations within a society

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27
Q

social movements

A

philosophies that drive large numbers of people to organize to promote or resist social change.

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28
Q

Limbic system

A

A portion of the cerebrum that is associated with emotion and memory; includes the amygdala and hippocampus

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29
Q

Frontal lobe

A

a portion of the cerebral cortex that controls motor processing, executive function, and the integration of cognitive and behavioral processes.

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30
Q

Hypothalamus

A

A portion of the forebrain that controls homeostatic and endocrine functions by controlling the release of pituitary hormones

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31
Q

Hippocampus

A

A portion of the limbic system that is important for memory and learning

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32
Q

Associative learning

A

The process by which a connection is made between two stimuli or a stimulus and a response; examples include classical conditioning and operant conditioning.

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33
Q

Hindbrain

A

A portion of the brain that controls balance, motor coordination, breathing, digestion, and general arousal processes.

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34
Q

Punishment

A

In operant conditioning, the use of an aversive stimulus designed to decrease the frequency of an undesired behavior

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35
Q

Midbrain

A

A portion of the brainstem that manages sensorimotor reflexes to visual and auditory stimuli and gives rise to some cranial nerves

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36
Q

Misinformation Effect

A

A phenomenon in which memories are altered by misleading information provided at the point of encoding or recall.

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37
Q

Aligning Actions

A

An impression management strategy in which one makes questionable behavior acceptable through excuses

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38
Q

availability Heuristic

A

A shortcut in decision-making that relies on the information that is most readily available, rather than the total body of information on a subject.

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39
Q

Network

A

a term used to describe the observable pattern of social relationships among individual units of analysis

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40
Q

Cerebellum

A

A portion of the hindbrain that maintains posture and balance and coordinates body movements

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41
Q

Projection

A

A defense mechanism by which individuals attribute their undesired feelings to others

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42
Q

Disconfirmation Principle

A

Idea that states that if evidence obtained during testing does not confirm a hypothesis, then the hypothesis is discarded or revised

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43
Q

Cerebral cortex

A

the outermost layer of the cerebrum, responsible for complex perceptual behavioral, and cognitive processes

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44
Q

Diencephalon

A

A portion of the embryonic forebrain that becomes the thalamus, hypothalamus, posterior pituitary gland, and pineal gland

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45
Q

Implicit Memory

A

Memory that does not require conscious recall; consists of skills and conditioned behaviors

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46
Q

Self-fulfilling prophecy

A

the phenomenon of a stereotype creating an expectation of a particular group, which creates conditions that lead to confirmation of this stereotype

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47
Q

Social Capital

A

The investment people make in their society in return for economic or collective rewards

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48
Q

Transduction

A

Conversion of physical, electromagnetic, auditory, and other stimuli to electrical signals in the nervous system

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49
Q

Symbolic Culture

A

The nonmaterial culture that represents a group of people; expressed through ideas and concepts

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50
Q

Nonmaleficence

A

The ethical tenet that the physician has a responsibility to avoid interventions in which the potential for harm outweighs the potential for benefit.

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51
Q

Temporal lobe

A

A portion of the cerebral cortex that controls auditory processing, memory processing, emotional control, and language.

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52
Q

Stimulus

A

any energy pattern that is sensed in some way by the body; includes visual, auditory, and physical sensations, among others

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53
Q

Altruism

A

a form of helping behavior in which the intent is to benefit someone else at a cost to oneself.

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54
Q

Group polarization

A

The tendency toward decisions that are more extreme than the individual thoughts of the group members

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55
Q

Drive reduction theory

A

Theory that explains motivation as being based on the goal of eliminating uncomfortable internal states

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56
Q

Managing Appearances

A

An impression management strategy in which one uses props, appearance, emotional expression, or associations with others to create a positive image.

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57
Q

Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft

A

Theory that distinguishes between two major types of groups: communities (Gemeinschaften), which share beliefs, ancestry, or geography; and society (Gesellschaften), which work together toward a common goal.

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58
Q

Operant conditioning

A

A form of associative learning in which the frequency of a behavior is modified using reinforcement or punishment.

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59
Q

Beneficence

A

The ethical tenet that the physician has a responsibility to act in the patients best interest

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60
Q

aggression

A

behavior with the intention to cause harm or increase relative social dominance; can be physical or verbal

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61
Q

Foraging

A

act of searching for and exploiting food resources

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62
Q

elaborate rehearsal

A

the association of information in short-term memory to information already stored in longterm memory; aids in long-term storage

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63
Q

Gestalt principles

A

Ways for the brain to infer missing parts of an image when the image is incomplete

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64
Q

game theory

A

a model that explains social interaction and decision-making as a game, including strategies, incentives, and punishments.

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65
Q

Recency effect

A

the phenomenon in which the most recent information we have about on individual is the most important in forming our impressions

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66
Q

back stage effect

A

the setting where players are free from their role requirements and not infant of the audience; may not be deemed appropriate or acceptable and thus kept invisible from the audience

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67
Q

Heuristic

A

a rule of thumb or shortcut that is used to make decisions

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68
Q

Intuition

A

Perceptions about a situation that may or may not be supported by available evidence but are nonetheless perceived as information that may be used to make a decision.

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69
Q

self-serving bias

A

the idea that individuals will view their own success as being based on internal factors, while viewing failures as being based on external factors

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70
Q

sublimation

A

a defense mechanism by which unacceptable urges are transformed into socially acceptable behaviors

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71
Q

Zone of proximal development

A

those skills which a child has not yet mastered but can accomplish with the help of a more knowledgeable other

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72
Q

Schizophrenia

A

a psychotic disorder characterized by gross distortions of reality and disturbances in the content and form of thought, perception, and behavior

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73
Q

Front stage

A

the setting where players are in front of an audience and perform roles that are in keeping with the image they hope to project about themselves

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74
Q

self-handicapping

A

an impression management strategy where one creates obstacles to avoid self-blame when he or she does not meet expectations

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75
Q

Identity

A

A part of an individuals’s self-concept based on the groups to which that person belongs and his or her relationships to others

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76
Q

Demographics

A

The statistical arm of sociology, which attempts to characterize and explain populations by quantitative analysis

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77
Q

Dishabituation

A

A sudden increase in response to a stimulus, usually due to a change in the stimulus or the addition of another stimulus; sometimes called resensitization

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78
Q

social perception

A

understanding the thoughts and motives of other people present in the social world; also referred to as social cognition

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79
Q

pineal gland

A

A brain structure located near the thalamus that secretes melatonin

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80
Q

Dissociative disorder

A

disorders that involve a perceived separation f rom identity or the environment

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81
Q

social mobility

A

the movement of individuals in the social hierarchy through changes in income, education, or occupation

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82
Q

projection

A

a defense mechanism by which individuals attribute their undesired feelings to others

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83
Q

Impression management

A

Behaviors that are intended to influence the perceptions of other people about a person, object or event

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84
Q

Weber’s law

A

a theory of perception that states that there is a constant ratio between the change in stimulus intensity needed to produce a just-noticeable difference and the intensity of the original stimulus

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85
Q

Elaboration Likelihood model

A

A theory in which attitudes are formed and changed through different routes of informational processing based on the degree of deep thought given to persuasive information

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86
Q

Fundamental Attribution Error

A

The general bias toward making dispositional attributions rather than situational attributions when analyzing another person’s behavior

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87
Q

Social action

A

actions and behaviors that individuals are conscious of and performing because others are around

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88
Q

Deindividualization

A

The idea that people will lose a sense of selfawareness and can act dramatically differently based on the influence of a group

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89
Q

adaptive value

A

The extent to which a trait benefits a species by influencing th evolutionary fitness of the species

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90
Q

groupthink

A

The tendency for groups to make decisions based on ideas and solutions that arise within the group without considering outside ideas and ethics; based on pressure to conform and remain loyal to the group

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91
Q

poverty

A

A socioeconomic condition of low resource availability; in the united States, the poverty line is determined by the government’s calculation of the minimum income requirements for families to acquire the minimum necessities of life.

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92
Q

Cognitive Dissonance

A

The simultaneous presence of two opposing thoughts or opinions

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93
Q

Cannon-bard theory

A

A theory of emotion that states that a stimulus is first received and is then simultaneously processed physiologically and cognitively, allowing for the conscious emotion to be experienced.

94
Q

adaptation

A

In perception, a decrease in stimulus perception after a long duration of exposure; in learning, the process by which new information is processed; consists of assimilation and accommodation.

95
Q

Divided attention

A

The ability to attend to multiple stimuli simultaneously and to perform multiple tasks at the same time

96
Q

Confirmation Bias

A

A cognitive bias in which one focuses on information that supports a given solution, belief, or hypothesis, and ignores evidence against it.

97
Q

Appraisal Model

A

A similar theory to the basic model, accepting that there are biologically predetermined expressions once an emotion is experienced; accepts that there is a cognitive antecedent to emotional expression.

98
Q

Personality Disorders

A

Disorders that involve patterns of behavior that are inflexible and maladaptive, causing distress or impaired function in at least two of the following: cognition, emotion, interpersonal functioning, or impulse control.

99
Q

Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep

A

Stages 1-4 of sleep; contains everslowing brain waves as one gets deeper into sleep

100
Q

Sensation

A

Transduction of physical stimuli into neurological signals

101
Q

Crystallized Intelligence

A

Cognitive capacity to understand relationships or solve problems using information acquired during schooling and other experiences.

102
Q

Anomie

A

A state of normlessness; anomic conditions erode social solidarity by means of excessive individualism, social inequality, and isolation

103
Q

Attitude

A

A tendency toward expression of positive or negative feelings or evaluations of a person, place, thing, or situation

104
Q

Representativeness Heuristic

A

A shortcut in decision-making that relies on categorizing items on the basis of whether they fit the prototypical, stereotypical, or representative image of the category

105
Q

Subcultures

A

Groups of people within a culture that distinguish themselves from the primary culture to which they belong.

106
Q

Inclusive fitness

A

A measure of reproductive success; depends on the number of offspring an individual has, how well they support their offspring, and how well their offspring can support others

107
Q

Repression

A

A defense mechanism by which the ego forces undesired thoughts and urges into the unconscious mind

108
Q

Storage

A

the retention of encoded information; divided into sensory, short-term, and long-term memory

109
Q

Medulla Oblongata

A

A portion of the brainstem that regulates vital functions, including breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure

110
Q

Neuroplasticity

A

Change in neural connections caused by learning or a response to injury

111
Q

Projection Area

A

A portion of the cerebral cortex that analyzes sensory input

112
Q

Conflict Theory

A

A theoretical framework that emphasizes the role of power differentials in producing social order

113
Q

Reciprocal Determinism

A

In the social cognitive perspective, the notion that thoughts, feelings, behavior, and environment interact to determine behavior in a given situation

114
Q

Generalization

A

IN classical conditioning, the process by which two distinct but similar stimuli come to produce the same response

115
Q

Retrieval

A

The process of demonstrating that information has been retained in memory; includes recall, recognition, and relearning

116
Q

Sensory Memory

A

Visual (iconic) and auditory (echoic) stimuli briefly stored in memory; fades very quickly unless attention is paid to the information

117
Q

Deductive Reasoning

A

A form of cognition that starts with general information and narrows down that information to create a conclusion

118
Q

regression

A

A defensive mechanism by which an individual deals with stress by reverting to an earlier developmental state.

119
Q

Fluid intelligence

A

Ability to quickly identify relationships and connections, and then use those relationships and connections to make correct deductions

120
Q

Delusions

A

Fixed, false beliefs that are discordant with reality and not shared by ones’s culture, but are maintained in spite of strong evidence to the contrary.

121
Q

functionalism

A

A theoretical framework that explains how parts of society fit together to create a cohesive whole

122
Q

Instinctive drift

A

the tendency of animals to resist learning when a conditioned behavior conflicts with the animals’s instinctive behaviors

123
Q

material culture

A

the physical items one associates with a given cultural group

124
Q

habituations

A

a decrease in response caused by repeated exposure to a stimulus

125
Q

Stigma

A

The extreme disapproval or dislike of a person or group based on perceived differences in social characteristics from the rest of society.

126
Q

Meritocracy

A

A society in which advancement up the social ladder is based on intellectual talent and achievement

127
Q

Norms

A

Societal rules that define the boundaries of acceptable behavior

128
Q

Discrimination

A

In classical conditioning, the process by which two similar but distinct conditioned stimuli produce different responses; in sociology, when individuals of a particular group are treated differently from others based their group.

129
Q

Attribution Theory

A

A theory that focuses on the tendency for individual to infer the causes of other peoples behavior.

130
Q

slow-wave sleep

A

consists of NREM sleep stages 3 and 4; also called delta-wave sleep

131
Q

defense mechanism

A

A technique used by the ego that denies, falsifies, or distorts reality in order to resolve anxiety caused by undesirable urges of the id and superego

132
Q

alter-casting

A

An impression management strategy in which one imposes an identity onto another person

133
Q

Neuropsychology

A

The study of functions and behaviors associated with specific regions of the brain

134
Q

Semantic Network

A

Organization of information in the brain by linking concepts with similar characteristics and meaning

135
Q

Reaction Formation

A

A defense mechanism by which individuals suppress urges by unconsciously converting them into their exact opposites

136
Q

classical conditioning

A

A form of associative learning in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus such that the neutral stimulus alone produces the same response as the unconditioned stimulus; the neutral stimulus thus becomes the conditioned stimulus (e.g. the dog salivating at the sound of the bell)

137
Q

Arousal

A

A psychological and physiological state of being awake and reactive to stimuli; nearly synonymous with alertness

138
Q

Assimilation

A

In psychology, the process by which new information is interpreted in terms of existing schemata; in sociology, the process by which the behavior and culture of a group or n individual begins to merge with that of another group

139
Q

attachement

A

A very deep emotional bond to another person, particularly a parent or caregiver

140
Q

escape

A

a form of negative reinforcement in which one reduces the unpleasantness of something that already exists

141
Q

extinction

A

In classical conditioning, the decrease in response resulting from repeated presentation of the conditioned stimulus without the presence of the unconditioned stimulus

142
Q

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

A

The guide by which most psychological disorders are characterized, described, and diagnosed; currently in its fifth edition

143
Q

sleep apnea

A

Sleep disorders in which a person may cease to breath while sleeping; may be due to obstruction or a central (neurological) cause.

144
Q

Anxiety Disorders

A

Disorders that involve worry, unease, fear, and apprehension about future uncertainty based on real or imagined events that can impair physical psychological health

145
Q

Ego

A

In Freudian psychoanalysis, the part of the unconscious mind that mediates the urges of the id and superego; operates under the reality principle.

146
Q

Functional Fixedness

A

The inability to identify uses for an object beyond its usual purposes.

147
Q

Encoding

A

The process of receiving information and preparing it for storage; can be automatic or effortful

148
Q

Correspondent Inference Theory

A

A theory that states that people pay closer attention to intentional behavior than accidental behavior when making attributions, especially if the behavior is unexpected.

149
Q

selective attention

A

The ability to focus on single stimulus even while other stimuli are occurring simultaneously.

150
Q

Syntax

A

The way in which words are organized to create meaning

151
Q

Ritual

A

A formalized ceremony that usually involves specific material objects, symbolism, and additional mandates on acceptable behavior.

152
Q

Arcuate Fasciculus

A

A bundle of axons that connects Wernicke’s Area (language comprehension) with Broca’s Area (motor function of speech). Damage causes conduction aphasia, characterized by the inability to repeat words with intact spontaneous speech production and comprehension.

153
Q

Maintenance Rehearsal

A

Repetition of a piece of information to either keep it within working memory or store it.

154
Q

Just-Noticeable Difference (jnd)

A

The minimum difference in magnitude between two stimuli before one can perceive this difference; also called a difference threshold.

155
Q

Sources amnesia

A

A memory error by which a person remembers the details of an event but confuses the context by which the details were gained; often causes a person to remember events that happened to someone else as having happened to him- or herself.

156
Q

Conservation

A

Concept seen in quantitative analysis performed by a child; develops when a child is able to identify the difference between quantity by number and actual amount, especially when faced with identical quantities separated into varying pieces.

157
Q

Mental Set

A

A tendency to repeat solutions that have yielded positive results at some time in the past.

158
Q

Circular reaction

A

A repetitive action that achieves a desired response; seen during Piaget’s sensorimotor stage.

159
Q

Cerebrum

A

a portion of the brain that contains the cerebral cortex, limbic system, and basal ganglia.

160
Q

Shaping

A

In operant conditioning, the process of conditioning a complex behavior by rewarding successive approximations of the behavior.

161
Q

Prejudice

A

An irrationally based positive or negative attitude toward a person, group, or thing, formed prior to actual experience.

162
Q

obedience

A

the changing of behavior of an individual based on a command from someone seen as an authority figure.

163
Q

Serial Position Effect

A

The tendency to better remember items presented at the beginning or end of a list; related to the primary and recency effects.

164
Q

Dramaturgical Approach

A

Impression management theory that represents the world as a stage and individuals as actors performing to an audience.

165
Q

Cultural Relativism

A

The recognition that social groups and cultures must be studied on their own terms to be understood.

166
Q

opponent-process theory

A

A theory that states that the body will adapt to counteract repeated exposure to stimuli, such as seeing afterimages or ramping up the sympathetic nervous system in response to a depressant.

167
Q

Inductive reasoning

A

A form of cognition that utilizes generalizations to develop a theory.

168
Q

Tolerance

A

Decreased response to a drug after physiological adaptation.

169
Q

Recognition-Primed Decision Model

A

A decision-making model in which experience and recognition of similar situations one has already experienced play a large role in decision-making and actions; also one of the explanations for the experience of intuition.

170
Q

Catatonia

A

Disorganized motor behavior characterized by various unusual physical movements or stillness.

171
Q

Sensitive Period

A

A time during which environment input has a maximal impact on the development of a particular ability.

172
Q

Parallel Processing

A

The ability to simultaneously analyze and combine information regarding multiple aspects of a stimulus, such as color, shape, and motion.

173
Q

Manic Episode

A

A period of at least one week with prominent and persistent elevated or expansive mood and at least two other manic symptoms.

174
Q

Narcolepsy

A

A sleep disorder characterized by a lack of voluntary control over the onset of sleep; also involves cataplexy and hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations.

175
Q

Observational Learning

A

A form of learning in which behavior is modified as a result of watching others.

176
Q

Id

A

In Freudian psychoanalysis, the part of the unconscious resulting from basic, instinctual urges for sexuality and survival; operates under the pleasure principle and seeks instant gratification.

177
Q

Schema

A

An organized pattern of thought and behavior; one of the central concepts of Piaget’s stages of cognitive development

178
Q

Learning (Behaviorist) Theory

A

A theory that attitudes are developed through forms of learning (direct contact, direct interaction, direct instruction, and conditioning).

179
Q

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep

A

Sleep stage in which the eyes move rapidly back and forth and physiological arousal levels are more similar to wakefulness than sleep; dreaming occurs during this stage.

180
Q

Demographic Transition

A

The transition from high birth and mortality rates to lower birth and mortality rates, seen as a country develops from a preindustrial to an industrialized economic system.

181
Q

bystander effect

A

The observation that, when in a group, individuals are less likely to respond to a person in need

182
Q

Subliminal Perception

A

Perception of a stimulus below a threshold (usually the threshold of conscious perception).

183
Q

Rationalization

A

A defense mechanism by which individuals explain undesirable behaviors in a way that is self-justifying and socially acceptable.

184
Q

Schachter-Singer Theory

A

A theory of emotion that states that both physiological arousal and cognitive appraisal must occur before an emotion is consciously experienced.

185
Q

Just-World hypothesis

A

The cognitive bias that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people.

186
Q

role

A

A set of beliefs, values, attitudes, and norms that define expectations of behaviors associated with a given status.

187
Q

Incidence

A

The number of new cases of a disease per population at risk in a given period of time; usually, new cases per 1000 at risk people per year.

188
Q

Two-Point Threshold

A

The minimum distance necessary between two points of stimulation on the skin that the points will be felt as two distinct stimuli.

189
Q

Context Effect

A

A retrieval cue by which memory is aided when a person is in the location where encoding took place

190
Q

James-Lange Theory

A

A theory of emotion that states that a stimulus results in physiological arousal, which then leads to a secondary response in which emotion is consciously experienced

191
Q

Universal Emotions

A

Emotions that are recognized by all cultures; includes happiness, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, contempt, and surprise

192
Q

Compliance

A

A change of behavior of an individual at the request of another.

193
Q

Self-Disclosure

A

An aspect of interpersonal attraction or impression management in which one shares his or her fears, thoughts, and goals with another person in the hopes of being met with empathy and nonjudgment.

194
Q

Prevalence

A

The number of cases of a disease per population in a given period of time; usually, cases per 1000 people per year.

195
Q

Circadian Rhythm

A

The alignment of physiological processes with the 24-hour day, including sleep-wake cycles and some elements of the endocrine system.

196
Q

Ingratiation

A

An impression management strategy that uses flattery to increase social acceptance

197
Q

Master Status

A

a status with which a person is most identified

198
Q

Symbolic Interactionism

A

A theoretical framework that studies the ways individuals interact through a shared understanding of words, gestures, and other symbols.

199
Q

superego

A

In freudian psychoanalysis, the part of unconscious mind focused on idealism, perfectionism, and societal norms.

200
Q

Broca’s Area

A

a brain region located in the inferior frontal gyrus of the frontal gyrus of the frontal lobe (usually in the left hemisphere); largely responsible for the motor function of speech. Damage causes Broca’s aphasia, a loss of the motor function of speech, resulting in intact understanding with an inability to correctly produce spoken language.

201
Q

Pons

A

A portion of the brainstem that relays information between the cortex and medulla, regulates sleep, and carries some motor and sensory information from the head and neck.

202
Q

Critical Period

A

a time during development during which exposure to language is essential for event

203
Q

Fixation

A

In Freudian psychoanalysis, the result of overindulgence or frustration during a psychosexual stage; causes a neurotic pattern of personality based on that stage

204
Q

Ethnocentrism

A

The practice of making judgments about other cultures based on the ales and beliefs of one’s own culture.

205
Q

Autonomy

A

The ethnical tenet that the physician has the responsibility to respect patient’s choices about their own healthcare.

206
Q

Depressive Episode

A

A period of a least two weeks in which there is a prominent and persistent depressed mood or lack of interest and at least four other depressive symptoms

207
Q

Wernicke’s Area

A

A brain region located in the superior temporal gyrus of the temporal lobe (usually in the left hemisphere); largely responsible for language comprehension. Damage causes Wernicke’s aphasia, a loss of language comprehension, resulting in fluid production of language without meaning

208
Q

Halo Effect

A

A cognitive bias in which judgments of an individual’s character can be affected by the overall impression of the individual

209
Q

Object Permanence

A

Knowledge that an object does not cease to exist even when the object cannot be seen; a milestone in cognitive development

210
Q

Implicit Personality Theory

A

A theory that states that people tend to associate traits and behavior in others, and that people have the tendency to attribute their own beliefs, opinions, and ideas onto others.

211
Q

Collective Unconscious

A

In Jungian psychoanalysis, the part of the unconscious mind that is shared among al humans and is a result of our common ancestry.

212
Q

Delusions

A

Fixed, false beliefs that are discordant with reality and not shared by one’s culture, but are maintained in spite of strong evidence to the contrary.

213
Q

Displacement

A

A defense mechanism by which undesired urges are transferred from one target to another, more acceptable one.

214
Q

Brainstem

A

The most primitive portion of the brain, which includes the midbrain and hindbrain; controls the autonomic nervous system and communication between the final cord, cranial nerves, and brain.

215
Q

social facilitation

A

The tendency to perform at a different level based on the fact that others are around.

216
Q

arousal theory

A

A theory of motivation that states that there is particular level of arousal required in order to perform actions optimally; summarized by the Yerkes-Dodson law

217
Q

Primacy Effect

A

The phenomenon of first impressions of a person being more important that subsequent impressions.

218
Q

Attribute Substitution

A

A phenomenon observed when individuals must make judgments that are complex but instead substitute a simpler solution or perception

219
Q

alertness

A

State of consciousness in which one is aware, able to think, and able to respond to the environment; nearly synonymous with arousal

220
Q

Source amnesia

A

A memory error by which a person remembers the details of an event but confuses the context by which the details were gained; often causes a person to remember events that happened to someone else as having happened to him- or herself.

221
Q

Errors of Growth

A

Misuse of grammar characterized by universal application of a rule, regardless of exceptions; seen in children during language development.

222
Q

Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis

A

A hypothesis suggesting that one’s perception of reality is largely determined by the content, form, and structure of language; also known as the Whorfian hypothesis.

223
Q

Justice

A

In medical ethics, the tenet that the physician has a responsibility to treat similar patients with similar care, and to distribute healthcare resources fairly.

224
Q

Fluid Intelligence

A

Ability to quickly identify relationships and connections, and then use those relationships and connections to make correct deductions.

225
Q

Priming

A

A retrieval cue by which recall is aided by a word or phrase that is semantically related to the desired memory.

226
Q

Spacing Effect

A

The phenomenon of retaining larger amount of information when the amount of time between sessions of relearning is increased.

227
Q

stereotypes

A

Attitudes and impressions that are made based on limited and superficial information about a person or a group of individuals

228
Q

Intelligence Quotient

A

Numerical measurement of intelligence, usually accomplished by some form of standardized testing.

229
Q

Egocentrism

A

Self-centered view of the world in which one is not necessarily able to understand the experience of another person; seen in Piaget’s preoperational stage.

230
Q

theory of mind

A

The ability to sense how another mind works

MCAT (8 decks)

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