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MCAT > Behavioral Sciences Review > Flashcards

Behavioral Sciences Review Flashcards

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1
Q

When things are far away…

A

Muscles of eyes relax

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2
Q

When things are closer…

A

Muscles of eyes contract

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3
Q

Motion Parallax

A

“relative motion”

Things far away are slower, things that are closer are faster

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4
Q

What hearing adaptation occurs when there is a louder noise?

A

Inner ear muscle contracts, dampening vibrations in the inner ear. This protects the eardrum

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5
Q

When does down-regulation of sight occur?

A

When it’s bright out, your pupils constrict letting less light enter the back of the eye.

rods and cones become desensitized to light

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6
Q

When does up-regulation of sight occur?

A

When it’s dark out, your pupils dilate letting more light enter the back of the eye.

rods and cones become over-sensitized to light

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7
Q

Absolute threshold of sensation

A

the minimum intensity of stimulus needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time

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8
Q

Where do balance and spatial orientation come from?

A

inner ear and limbs

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9
Q

How do we detect what direction our head is moving in?

A

The semicircular canal of the ear is filled with endolymph, a fluid that shifts based on direction

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10
Q

Signal Detection Theory

A

How we make decisions under conditions of uncertainty; determining between “noise” and important stimuli

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11
Q

Pragnanz

A

reality organized such that it is reduced to simplest form possible

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12
Q

Law of Common Fate

A

If there are an array of dots and half the dots are moving upward while the other half are moving downward, we would perceive the upward moving dots and the downward moving dots as two distinct units.

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13
Q

Conjunctiva

A

thin layer of cells that lines the inside of your eyelids from the eye

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14
Q

Cornea

A

transparent thick sheet of fibrous tissue, anterior 1/6th; starts to bends light,
first part of eye that light hits

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15
Q

Anterior Chamber

A

space filled with aqueous humour, which provides pressure to maintain shape of eyeball; allows nutrients and minerals to supply cells of cornea/iris

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16
Q

Pupil

A

the opening in the middle of the iris. The size of the pupil can get bigger/smaller based on the iris relaxing/contracting respectively. The pupil modulates the amount of light able to enter the eyeball.

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17
Q

Lens

A

bends the light so it goes to back of eyeball – focuses light specifically on the fovea of the retina. Adjust how much it bends the light by changing its shape, using the suspensory ligaments

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18
Q

Retina

A

inside, back area filled with photoreceptors, where the ray of light is converted from a physical waveform to a electrochemical impulse that the brain can interpret

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19
Q

Macula

A

special part of retina rich in cones, but there are also rods

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20
Q

Fovea

A

special part of macula. Completely covered in cones, no rods

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21
Q

What wavelength is violet light?

A

400nm

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22
Q

What wavelength is red light?

A

700nm

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23
Q

Phototransduction Cascade

A

Light hits rods (turns rods off) –> bipolar cells (turn on) –> retinal ganglion cells (turn on) –> optic nerve –> brain

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24
Q

When does photopic vision occur?

A

at levels of high light

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25
Q

When does mesopic vision occur?

A

at levels of middle light, using both rods and cones

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26
Q

When does scotopic vision occur?

A

at levels of low light

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27
Q

Are there more rods or cones?

A

RODS

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28
Q

Parvocellular Pathway

A

good at spatial resolution (boundaries and shape) and color, but poor temporal (cannot detect movement)

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29
Q

Magnocellular Pathway

A

high temporal resolution, but poor spatial resolution

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30
Q

What are two things that are needed to detect sound?

A

1) pressurized sound wave (a stimuli)

2) hair cell (a receptor located in the cochlea)

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31
Q

What is the auditory pathway?

A

1) sound hits the outer part of the ear: pinna
2) sound funnels through from the pinna to the auditory canal
3) from the auditory canal sound hits the tympanic membrane
4) as pressurized waves hit the tympanic membrane (eardrum) it vibrates causing the following three bones to vibrate (i. malleus, ii. incus, iii. stapes)
5) the stapes is attached to the oval window, resulting in it moving back and forth
6) as it gets vibrated, it pushes fluid and and causes it to go into the cochlea
7) as hair cells in the cochlea move back electrical impulses are transported by the auditory nerve to the brain

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32
Q

What is the difference between kinesthesia and proprioception?

A

kinesthesia involves a sense of movement, whereas proprioception involves balance/position

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33
Q

What are the 5 main tastes?

A

1) sour
2) bitter
3) sweet
4) salty
5) umami

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34
Q

What type of waves are present during the first stage of non-REM?

A

theta

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35
Q

What occurs during first stage of non-REM?

A

hypnogogic hallucinations and the Tetris effect

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36
Q

What type of waves are present during the second stage of non-REM?

A

theta waves, sleep spindles, and k complexes

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37
Q

What type of waves are present during the third stage of non-REM?

A

delta waves

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38
Q

Acronym for waves during different stages of sleep

A 
BATS-Drink Blood 
beta
alpha
theta
sleep spindles
delta 
beta
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39
Q

What is manifest content?

A

according to Sigmund Freud, this is the elements of the dream that are remembered upon awakening

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40
Q

What is latent content?

A

according to Sigmund Freud, this is the element of the dream that is the underlying meaning of these symbols

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41
Q

Activation Synthesis Hypothesis

A

brain gets a lot of neural impulses in the brainstem that is sometimes interpreted by the frontal cortex

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42
Q

What are barbiturates?

A

used to induce sleep or reduce anxiety; depresses your CNS

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43
Q

What are the different types of stimulants?

A

caffeine, amphetamines (adderall), methaphetamines, molly/ecstasy, cocaine, nicotine, THC

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44
Q

How does cocaine function?

A

blocks dopamine uptake

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45
Q

How do amphetamines function?

A

inhibits the enzyme that breaks down cAMP

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46
Q

How does THC function?

A

increases dopamine and GABA activity

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47
Q

Difference between opioids and opiates

A

opiates are natural vs. opioids are synthetic

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48
Q

What is the fastest route of drug entry?

A

intramuscular injection

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49
Q

Cognitive Behavioral (CB) Therapy

A

psychological treatment for drug treatment that addresses both cognitive and behavioral components of addiction. Patients learn to recognize problematic thought patterns and develop more positive thought patterns and coping behaviors.

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50
Q

Perceptual Blindness

A

we aren’t aware of things not in our visual field when our attention is directed elsewhere in that field

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51
Q

Distal Stimuli

A

The actual object (tree, flower, etc)

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52
Q

Proximal Stimuli

A

component of the distal stimuli that can be senses by your sensory receptors

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53
Q

Resource Model of Attention

A

we have a limited pool of resources on which to draw when performing tasks, both modality-specific resources and general resources

Resources that are easily overtasked if we try to pay attention to multiple things at once

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54
Q

Information Processing Model

A

proposes our brains are similar to computers. We get input from environment, process it, and output decisions. Doesn’t describe where things happen in the brain

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55
Q

Iconic Memory

A

memory for what you see (lasts half a second)

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56
Q

Echoic Memory

A

memory of what you hear (3-4 seconds)

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57
Q

Dual Coding Hypothesis

A

easier to remember words associated with images

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58
Q

Method of Loci

A

imagine moving through a familiar place and in each place leaving a visual representation of topic to be remembered

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59
Q

Explicit Memory

A

type of long term memory that focuses on recalling previous

experiences and information.

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60
Q

Semantic Memory

A

has to do with words/facts

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61
Q

Episodic Memory

A

event-related memories

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62
Q

Implicit Memories /Non-Declarative

A

type of memory in which previous experiences aid the

performance of a task without conscious awareness of these previous experiences (ex. procedural)

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63
Q

Rote Rehearsal

A

say the same thing over and over remember –> least effective technique

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64
Q

Chunking

A

we group info we’re getting into meaningful categories we already know to ease memorization

65
Q

Mnemonic Devices

A

Link what you are trying to learn into previously exist long-term
information that is already in your memory

66
Q

Pegword System

A

Verbal anchors link words that rhyme with the number – EX.1

is bun, 2 is shoe, 3 is tree, 4 is door, 5 is skydive, 6 is sticks, 7 is heaven, etc.

67
Q

Method of Loci

A

good for remembering things in order, link info to locations

68
Q

Acronym

A

each of the letter of a popular word you know stands for the first letters of a set of words you need to remember

69
Q

State-Dependent

A

your state at the moment you encode. When you are in a certain mood when you encode you can then remember it when you are in the same mood.

70
Q

Retroactive Interference

A

new learning impairs old info

71
Q

Proactive Interference

A

something you learned in past impairs learning in

future

72
Q

What causes Korsakoff’s Syndrome?

A

lack of Vitamin B or thiamine

Caused by
malnutrition, eating disorders, and especially alcoholism

73
Q

Retrograde Amnesia

A

inability to recall info previously encoded

74
Q

Anterograde Amnesia

A

inability to encode new memories

75
Q

Describe Piaget’s Sensorimotor Stage

A

(0-2 years old)

Main task/awareness develops is object permanence: objects exist even if they can’t see them.

76
Q

Describe Piaget’s Preoperational Stage

A

(2-7 years old)

  • children develop/engage in pretend play
  • start to use symbols to represent things
  • associated with an inability to understand the perspective of others
77
Q

Describe Piaget’s Concrete Operational Stage

A

(7-11 years old)

  • Learn idea of conservation
  • take 2 identical glasses with same amount of water, and kids will tell you they have the same –> pour one into short fat glass and other into tall skinny glass in front of the child and ask child which one has more
78
Q

Describe Piaget’s Formal Operational Stage

A

(12+ years old)
child will be able to think logically
about abstract ideas, hypothetical situations, and use abstract thinking to
solve novel problems

79
Q

Heuristics

A

mental shortcut that allows us to find solution quicker than other 2, Reduces the # of solutions we need to try by taking an approach as to what possibilities could exist and eliminates trying unlikely possibilities

80
Q

Availability Heuristic

A

decision making heuristic where choices are based on quick, easily accessible examples

81
Q

Representativeness Heuristic

A

a heuristic where people look for the most representative answer, and look to match prototype – a given concept to what is typical/representative

82
Q

What is the difference between availability and representativeness heuristic?

A

the availability heuristic focuses on specific memories whereas representativeness heuristic focuses on general concepts

83
Q

Belief Perseverance

A

ignore/rationalize disconfirming facts, ex. during elections learned about and then ignore facts about someone you like

84
Q

Confirmation Bias

A

actively seek out only confirming facts. Ex. only read stories about how wonderful candidate was

85
Q

Framing Effects

A

how you present the decision can affect decisions as well

86
Q

Fluid Intelligence

A

ability to reason quickly and abstractly, such as when solving novel logic problems

the ability to recognize and reason relationships between objects or ideas independent of previous experience

87
Q

Crystallized Intelligence

A

refers to accumulated knowledge and verbal skills

88
Q

What is relativism?

A

weak linguistic determinism: language influences thought. It makes it easier/more common for us to think in certain ways based on how our language is structured

89
Q

What is the Sapir-Whorfian hypothesis?

A

Language determines thought completely

90
Q

Learning (Behaviorist) Theory

A

children aren’t born with anything, they only acquire language through operant conditioning. Child learns to say “mama” because every time they say that, mom reinforces child

91
Q

Phonology

A

phonetic component, actual sound of a language

92
Q

Morphology

A

refers to the structure of words

93
Q

Semantics

A

association of meaning with a word

94
Q

Syntax

A

how words are put together in sentences

95
Q

Pragmatics

A

Dependences of language on context and pre-existing knowledge

96
Q

What are the 6 main universal languages?

A

1) happiness
2) sadness
3) anger
4) surprise
5) fear
6) disgust

97
Q

James-Lange Theory of Emotion

A

Experience of emotion is due to perception of physiological responses

Ex. A man, who is allergic to bees, encounters a bee. The man’s heartbeat increases, he starts sweating, and he interprets these physiological changes as the emotion fear

Event –> Physiological Response (PR) –> Interpretation of PR –> Emotion

98
Q

Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion

A

believed physiological response and emotion occurred simultaneously

Ex: holding your cat (event) causes your heart rate (physiological response) to increase and feel joy (emotion) at the same time.

Event –> Physiological Response + Emotion at same time

99
Q

Schachter-Singer Theory of Emotion

A

physiological and cognitive responses simultaneously form experience of emotion. If we become physiologically aroused, we don’t feel a specific emotion until we’re able to label/ identify reason for situation.

Ex: Holding your cat (event) –> Physiological response of increase HR/or changes in NT level –> label the situation and identify reason for physiological response and event (This is really nice, I like holding my cat, this makes me happy) –> emotion (Happy)

Event –> PR + Identify reason for the situation (PR) (consciously) –> Emotion

100
Q

Appraisal Theory of Stress

A

stress arises less from physical events but more from the

assessment/interpretation of those stresses/events

101
Q

General Adaptation Syndrome

A
  1. Alarm phase – stress reaction kicks in, heart races, resources mobilized –
    “Ready for fight or flight”
  2. Resistance – fleeing, huddling, temperature elevated, BP high, breathing rate
    high, body bathed in cortisol.
  3. Exhaustion – if resistance isn’t followed by recovery, our body’s stress
    resources are depleted, our tissues become damaged and our dampened
    immunity can make us susceptible to illness. Negative impact of long term stress.
102
Q

What are the 5 forms of somatosensation?

A

1) sense of position
2) vibration
3) touch
4) pain
5) temperature

103
Q

What can you sense with mechanoreceptors?

A

position, vibration, and touch

104
Q

What can you sense with nociceptors?

A

pain

105
Q

What can you sense with thermoreceptors?

A

temperature

106
Q

Are thermoreceptors and nociceptors fast or slow acting?

A

slow

107
Q

Are mechanoreceptors fast or slow acting?

A

fast

108
Q

What determines whether a receptor will be fast or slow acting?

A

Faster receptors have axons with larger diameters and have thicker myelin sheaths

109
Q

CAT Scan

A

CT scans are a computerized composite of X-ray images that are slightly lower resolution than MRI and are not as good for soft tissue but are faster than MRIs [doesn’t determine function]

110
Q

MRI

A

uses radio waves and they are exposed to a magnetic field. The radio waves are then added to the magnetic field and disrupts orientation of atoms. As atoms move back to alignment with magnetic field they release signals and those are used to create image. [doesn’t determine function]

111
Q

EEG

A

Can tell us about seizures, sleep stage, cognitive tasks.

112
Q

MEG

A

better resolution than EEG, also tells us the function

113
Q

fMRI

A

same image from MRI but can
look at which structures are active! Neurons that are active require oxygen. Measuring relative amounts of oxygenated vs deoxygenated blood in the brain – we can figure out what brain areas are being used for a certain task.

114
Q

PET

A

can’t give us detail of structure, but can combine them with CAT scans and MRIs. Inject glucose into cells and see what areas of brain are more active at given point in time. (Active cells = use most glucose). More invasive.

115
Q

What does the endoderm form?

A

GI tract tube (forms esophagus, small intestine, large intestine), lungs, liver, pancreas

116
Q

What does the mesoderm form?

A

inner layers of skin, muscles, bones, cardiac muscles, kidneys, and bladder, ovaries/testes

117
Q

What does the ectoderm form?

A

outer layer of skin, sweat glands, hair skin, nervous system

118
Q

Behavioral Genetics

A

looking at genetic component (heredity component) or hardwiring component to behavior

119
Q

Id

A

It is made up of all instincts and wants to get rid of all uncomfortable feelings

120
Q

Ego

A

Mediates the demands of reality vs. the desires of the Id. This is who we identify with/believe ourselves to be.

121
Q

Superego

A

inhibits Sexual and Aggressive impulses, and tries to replace reality with morality, striving for perfection

122
Q

What are the 5 needs of the Maslow Heirarchy of Needs?

A

1) physiological
2) safety
3) love
4) self-esteem
5) self-actualization

123
Q

What is the central route of persuasion?

A

The degree of attitude change depends on quality of the arguments by the persuader. How much we are persuaded depends on quality of persuasion.

124
Q

What is the peripheral route of persuasion?

A

looks at superficial/expertise/non-verbal persuasion cues, such as attractiveness/status of persuader

125
Q

Social Potency

A

degree to which a person assumes leadership roles and mastery of roles in social situations

126
Q

Behaviorist Theory

A

personality is the result of learned behavior patterns based on a person’s environment

127
Q

Privately conform

A

change behaviors and opinions to align with group

128
Q

Publicly conform

A

you’re outwardly changing but inside you maintain core beliefs; you only outwardly agree with the group

129
Q

Group polarization

A

group decision-making amplifies the original opinion of group members

130
Q

Groupthink

A

occurs when maintaining harmony among group members is more important than carefully analyzing problems at hand

131
Q

Social anomie

A

breakdown of social bonds between an individual and community

132
Q

Compliance

A

situations where we behave to get a reward or avoid punishment. Compliance goes away once rewards/punishments removed

133
Q

Social facilitation

A

individuals perform better in front of an audience

134
Q

Hawthorne Effect

A

individual participants change their behavior, specifically due to awareness of being observed

135
Q

Folkways

A

mildest type of norm, just common rules/manners we are supposed to follow on a day to day basis

136
Q

Mores

A

norms based on some moral value/belief (dependent on a group’s values of right and wrong) [no consequences]

137
Q

Laws

A

norms based on right and wrong, but has consequences

138
Q

Theory of differential association

A

deviance is a learned behavior that results from continuous exposure to others whom violate norms and laws

139
Q

Latent learning

A

learned behavior isn’t expressed until required

140
Q

Central processing

A

focus on the deeper meaning of the information

141
Q

Peripheral processing

A

focus on superficial characteristics, such as: attractiveness of the speaker, their PowerPoint attractiveness, etc.

142
Q

The social-cognitive theory

A

view behaviors as being influenced by people’s traits/cognition and their social context

cognition –> environment –> behavior

143
Q

Existential self

A

most basic part of self-concept, the sense of being separate and distinct from others.

Awareness that the self is constant/consistent

144
Q

Categorical self

A

awareness that even though we are separate/distinct, we also exist in the world with others

145
Q

Self-efficacy

A

belief in one’s abilities to succeed in a situation/to organize and execute the courses of action required in a particular situation

146
Q

Freud’s Oral Stage

A

(0-1 years old)

libido/sense of interaction is centered around baby’s mouth

147
Q

Freud’s Anal Stage

A

(1-3 years old)

148
Q

Freud’s Phallic Stage

A

(3-6 years old)
children discover difference between males and females:
Oedipus complex and Electra complex at this stage

149
Q

Freud’s Latent Stage

A

(6-12)
A period of exploration, libido present but directed
into other areas such as intellectual pursuits and social interactions

150
Q

Freud’s Genital Stage

A

12+ years old

151
Q

Erikson’s Stage 1

A

(0-1 years old)
Trust vs. Mistrust
If an infant’s physical and emotional needs are not met, as an adult he or she may mistrust everyone

152
Q

Erikson’s Stage 2

A

(1-3 years old)
Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt
children develop independence by walking away from mother, what they eat, etc. Critical that parents allow children to do that

153
Q

Erikson’s Stage 3

A

(3-6 years old)

Initiative vs. Guilt

154
Q

Erikson’s Stage 4

A

(6-12 years old)
Industry vs. Inferiority
teachers take an important role in a child’s life, and child works towards competence

155
Q

Erikson’s Stage 5

A

(12-20 years old)

Identity vs. Role Confusion

156
Q

Erikson’s Stage 6

A

(20-40 years old)

Intimacy vs. Isolation

157
Q

Erikson’s Stage 7

A

(40-65 years old)

Generativity vs. Stagnation

158
Q

Erikson’s Stage 8

A

(65+ years old)

Integrity vs. Despair

MCAT (6 decks)

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